WITH its two new categories for the Herefordshire & Worcestershire Sports Awards, the Sports Partnership Herefordshire and Worcestershire wants to celebrate the rising number of female athletes, coaches and junior sports stars within our communities.
The addition of the Female Coach of the Year award category has enabled the partnership to recognise the spectacular contribution female coaches have been making across the two counties.
Perhaps considered an activator, leader, co-ordinator, coach or instructor, this new award accolade celebrates the achievements of a paid or unpaid coach who has made a significant impact on their participants.
They will be committed to providing meaningful opportunities for people to start, stay and succeed in sport and physical activity. This new award has been developed as part of the partnership’s work on Reach – a national campaign run by UK Coaching sponsored by the University of Worcester.
Further to this, the Junior Male Sportsperson of the Year and Junior Female Sportsperson of the Year awards have been combined to form the new Aspiring Talent award, sponsored by Halo Leisure.
This new honour will recognise upcoming sporting stars. With a vast array of sporting opportunities across Herefordshire and Worcestershire, this under 18 will be excelling in their sport and possibly on the world stage.
Chris Corke, project officer (Workforce) at the partnership, said: “We want to help address the gender imbalance within coaching by encouraging, inspiring and supporting more women and girls to take up leadership and coaching roles across Herefordshire and Worcestershire.
“To do this it is key to ensure the impact of great female coaches is understood, recognised, championed and rewarded and our Female Coach of the Year award presents a fantastic opportunity to do so.”
There is less than a month remaining to submit your nominations for the Herefordshire & Worcestershire Sports Awards. You can put forward female coaches and young performers who you believe are deserving of these awards, as well as other honours, by visiting www.sportspartnershiphw.co.uk/nominations.
Nominations will close on Sunday, September 17 at 11.59pm. For more information about the awards evening, including current sponsorship opportunities, emial Sarah Mackay at [email protected] or call 01905 855543.
Over the coming weeks the Observer – sponsor of the headline Sports Personality of the Year award – will continue to review the awards before profiling those in line for honours as the event drawers nearer.