Sport England Celebrates Coaching in the West
Andy Hurry from the Somerset Cricket Team has been honoured as Coach of the Year at the annual BBC West Sports Awards in Bristol, for his outstanding contribution and commitment to sport in the region.
Sponsored by Sport England, the Coach of the Year award recognises the achievements and dedication of quality coaches, paying tribute to the pivotal role they play in the sporting community.
Sport England's Phil Del Glanville, former England rugby captain, was also instrumental in the campaign to find the regions Unsung Hero, awarded to Jules Cook (pictured (below) from Easton Girls.
Jim Clarke, Regional Director of Sport England commented:
"I am encouraged by the passionate belief in the power of sport in this region. My congratulations goes out to Andy Hurry and to Jules Cook for their outstanding efforts this year, and to all of the coaches, volunteers and sports people in the West whose efforts and dedication are helping create an active nation.
"With the government's long term vision of increasing and widening the base of participation in sport and achieving success on the world stage, coaching will continue to play a significant role in contributing to a lasting sporting legacy," he said.
It has been quite a year in terms of coaching in the region, with an ever-increasing number of active coaches registered across all sporting disciplines.
More than £4.5 million has been invested during the past two years as part of Sport England's Community Sports Coaching Scheme, with over 300 coaches now registered.
The programme aims to improve not only the coaching standards, but is developing an infrastructure for employing and deploying coaches across the south west to ensure the regions coaching talent is nurtured and supported, leading the way in best practice across the UK.
High-profile events such as the regional Coaching Conference hosted in Bath earlier this year, have provided the opportunity to form new partnerships across sporting organisations and business in the community.
Sport England's sponsorship at the BBC regional sports awards highlighted its ongoing investment and commitment to coaching and its aim to create a more sustainable and professional framework for coaches in the south west.
For further information on Sport England South West, please log on to: www.sportengland.org/southwest.
For further information about the BBC West regional sports awards, visit:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bristol/content/image_galleries/sportsawards07_gallery.shtml
|
