Talented sportsmen and women, boys and girls, were honoured at the 39th Hamilton Sports Council’s Sports Performers of 2020 and 2021 last week.
The event on Wednesday, May 25, was the first full awards to be held since the pandemic, and took place at Hamilton Town House’s Avon Room.
Hamilton Sports Council last year held a curtailed ceremony in a Covid-compliant environment at Hamilton Gymnastics Club.
Woodside Primary won Sporting Primary School of the Year, as they ensure children have the opportunity to exercise and compete in sport, make sport accessible to all, and make sure that every child is involved.
Four nominees reached final selection for Junior Female of the Year, which was won by badminton player Sophie Ford.
Sophie won the Scottish Schools’ ladies’ doubles in 2020, reached the Scottish National Badminton Championships quarter-finals and the Scottish National Under-19 Championships semi-finals in 2021.
She is also a member of the Scottish senior development squad.
Also nominated were Hamilton Accies Women and Scottish Schools’ FA goalkeeper Emma Thomson; Harper Moore, who is the reigning World Lyrical Dance Federation under-10 champion; and Hamilton Accies vice-captain Kate Fraser, who in 2021 was captain of the Scottish Schools’ FA squad for the Home International Championships.
Badminton player Anthony McGuire won the Junior Male of the Year award.
Anthony won competitions across Scotland in the last 12 months, including the mixed and men’s doubles at the Under-17 National Championships and was Under-19s doubles winner at the National Championships.
Runner-up was gymnast Jack Morrow, who became the Scottish Elite Level 1 champion in 2021 and has been selected for the Scottish Gymnastics development squad, the Scottish Performance Pathway Programme and the Great Britain foundation squad.
Hamilton and District Athletics Club won the Junior Team of the Year, following an exceptional 2021 which culminated in them winning bronze at the Scottish National Indoor Superteams event, with a team of Eva Gray, Rose Scott, Abbie Dick and Layla Reddiex, who competed against 56 other teams.
Runners-up were Accies United, a new club with several teams, which has developed a comprehensive package of coaching and development for young players.
The Senior Team award was won by four cyclists from Royal Albert Cycling Club junior team Clydesdale Colts.
Finlay Taylor (15), Daisy Taylor (13), Mark Shaw (16) and Lewis Jackson (19) beat over 700 adult athletes over ice tracks in temperatures of minus-12 degrees during 16 hours of darkness to win the Strathpuffer 24-hour mountain bike race held in Contin in mid-January.
There was no junior category for the event, and it’s the first time a junior mixed team had won the race.
Coach of the Year was given to Shona Grigor of Hamilton Gymnastics Club. During Covid, Shona introduced innovative coaching regimes via Zoom and outdoors to ensure that her athletes didn’t lose motivation or fitness.
Ten of her club’s men’s artistic gymnasts represented Scotland at the British Grade Finals, winning bronze.
Also nominated were Kevin Park, a coach at Accies United FC since they started in January 2020; Ross White, who is head coach at Accies United FC; and Chloe Cormack, who leads Clydesdale Colts Cycling Club’s weekly coaching and training sessions.
Ross White of Accies United FC won the Wellbeing Champion award after helping his new club to reach a competitive level.
Hamilton Gymnastics Club won the inaugural Community Impact Award, who over the last two years provided over 50 Zoom sessions a week for participants of all abilities, engaged with athletes who struggled during lockdown, and made over 100 videos for their YouTube channel.
The club also offered their facilities to other clubs whose premises hadn’t yet opened, and mentored coaches from other clubs and sports.
In the section for awards to volunteers, the Hamilton Sports Council Rosebowl was awarded to Wendy Lucas of Hamilton Gymnastics Club for her practical support to the sports council committee during lockdown, hosting their curtailed awards of 2020, accommodating meetings and providing administrative support for the Davie Cooper Soccer Sevens.
This year’s sportscotland/Scottish Club Sport Award for Services to Sport was won by Frank Turnbull, who has been an active member of both Lanarkshire Badminton and Badminton Scotland for many years.
Frank is currently president of Badminton Scotland and secretary of Lanarkshire Badminton Group, and administers his own badminton club in Larkhall (Avondale).
Councillor Graeme Horne was awarded Life Membership of Hamilton Sports Council in recognition of his long and meritorious service and contribution to Hamilton Sports Council.
He was chairman of the sports council from August 2008 to May 2011, and vice-chairman from June 2011 until May 2017.
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