Danielle Brayson a Finalist for UK Coaching Award

Danielle Brayson is a finalist for a UK Coaching Award. Photo Courtesy: UK Coaching

Glasgow’s Danielle Brayson and Edinburgh-based Scottish Disability Sport are among the first selection of finalists announced today (22 October) ahead of the UK Coaching Awards 2019.

The showpiece event, which will be held at The Tower Hotel London on the 5 December, celebrates the outstanding work of a diverse network of coaches who promote healthy and active lives, unlock potential and provide a platform for people to thrive.

Among the finalists in the Talent Development Coach of the Year category is swimming coach Danielle Brayson who coaches 25 up and coming teenage swimmers at the City of Glasgow Swim Team.

Among those to have benefited from Brayson’s tireless efforts are para-swimmer Louis Lawlor, who was selected to compete for Great Britain at this year’s World Para Swimming Championships where he won a bronze medal in S14 100m backstroke. Besides volunteering in a lead role with the Scottish Swimming national youth squad, Brayson also plays an active role in one of UK Sport’s women in coaching programmes.

Scottish Disability Sport is a finalist in the Transforming Coaching Award category for its Young Persons Sport Panel. Launched in 2015, the panel gives young people with disabilities a voice in sport, to develop as individuals and gain experience across sports.

Twenty-seven young people across the Young Start Apprenticeship and Young Peoples Sport Panel worked together with mentors to influence over 1500 participants throughout 2019. The programme was designed with a group of young people to increase confidence and to better prepare them for the next steps in their life.

Speaking about her award nomination, Danielle Brayson said:

“I’m absolutely delighted to be nominated for the award, it’s such an honour considering all of the great coaches who have won this award in the past.

“Coaching swimming has allowed me to work with lots of great people, while I do enjoy swimming, it’s working with people I enjoy most. Coaching has provided me with lots of opportunities to stretch my skill set both personally and professionally.

“I’m really doing my hobby as my job, which is awesome.”

Heather Lowden, Coaching and Education Manager at Scottish Disability Sport said:

“Scottish Disability Sport’s Young Start Programme is delighted and honoured to be a finalist at the Transforming Coaching award as it is real recognition for all the Young People with a disability who have shown such determination and effort to become coaches and/or grow in leadership roles.

“The programme allows the transition from athlete to coach to enable sport to continue to make a difference in the lives of the young people and those they work with. As well as empowering the young people through developing their confidence and competence.

“This programme puts the young person at its heart and provides an individualised approach to transforming their lives.”

UK Coaching’s Director of Coaching Emma Atkins, said:

“The UK Coaching Awards is a true highlight of the year, giving us an opportunity to formally celebrate great coaches from a diverse range of backgrounds and thank them for all of the incredible work they do.

“Over three million people regularly coach across the UK, from grassroots to elite level, helping to create and maintain happy and healthy lives, and benefit communities. Coaches have the power to enrich the skills of the people they work with.

“This year we have added the Changing Lives Award, which recognises coaches who are empowering, inspiring and connecting people from diverse communities to overcome life challenges. It is a category which illustrates the way in which coaches can transform lives.

“I would like to offer huge congratulations to all of those who have been nominated for the first four awards. The standard of nominations we received this year was extraordinary, demonstrating the strength of coaching in the UK.

“Thank you to all our coaches across the UK, and to our finalists. We are all looking forward to celebrating your achievements in December.”

For this year’s Awards, UK Coaching reviewed and redesigned its nominations process to ensure all coaches, from grassroots to the global stage, had the greatest chance of being recognised. This included:

consulting with key partners to redevelop award categories and criteria to recognise the wide-ranging work that coaches do at all levels and in all communities
providing extra online guidance to support people when writing their nominations
engaging with more organisations than ever before to promote the value of nominating coaches for the Awards

This proactive work led to a record number of nominations being submitted after the process was opened in July.

Finalists for the final eight awards will be announced in November, including The Great Coaching Moment of the Year prize. This will be shortlisted by the Sports Journalists’ Association and will be open to a public vote.

The UK Coaching Awards recognise and reward great coaching from a diverse array of backgrounds. Previous winners range from coaches and organisations working at an elite level to those making a huge difference in their community.

More information about Danielle Brayson and the award ceremony here.

— The above press release was posted by Swimming World in conjunction with UK Coaching. For press releases and advertising inquiries please contact Advertising@SwimmingWorld.com.

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