Team Scotland Awards Archives - Page 5 of 8

Three outstanding individuals have been named as finalists for Coach of the Year at the Team Scotland Scottish Sports Awards, with Lesley McKenna (Snowsports), Steven Tigg (Swimming) and Andy Young (Athletics) in the running for the prestigious award sponsored by the University of Stirling.

While Scotland’s star athletes thrill and inspire on the international stage, their success would not be possible without the dedication and expert knowledge of their coaches behind the scenes.

A former international snowboarder, Lesley McKenna has made the transition from three times Winter Olympic athlete & World Cup winner to world class coach. Managing the Pipe & Park programme at British Ski & Snowboard, she was the squad’s Olympic Team Leader at Pyoengchang 2018 where Team GB had their most successful Winter Olympic Games in history, including bronze medals for Pipe & Park squad members Billy Morgan and Izzy Atkin. She has been in post since 2012 and a crucial part of her work has been to link traditional sporting culture and action sports culture to create the philosophy that has led the GB Park & Pipe team to such success.

Delighted to be named as a finalist, Lesley said: “I am very honoured to be nominated for this award, and to be put forward by Badenoch and Strathspey Sports Council who have supported my sporting career from when I was at school, right the way through until the present day. I actually had no idea that I had been nominated and it came as a very pleasant surprise to hear I had made it on to the shortlist, especially as I think there are so many really, really great coaches working in Scotland right now with some equally great athletes.”

Steven Tigg coached Duncan Scott to an impressive array of Commonwealth and European medals as he became Scotland’s most successful athlete ever at a single Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast and three times European champion in Glasgow. He also coached England’s Aimee Wilmott to 400m Individual Medley gold in Gold Coast, as well as young swimmers Craig MacLean and Scott McLay who made their senior Commonwealth Games debuts, swimming the heats for Scotland’s bronze medal winning 4x100m Freestyle Relay.

Joint winner of this award in 2016, Steven said: “It is amazing to be nominated for this award, especially given all the fantastic achievements from Scottish athletes, teams and their coaches over the past 12 months. We have an excellent team of staff and it is great to be recognised.”

2018 was Andy Young’s toughest year yet as he guided Laura Muir through her final year of veterinary studies. He supported he so well that she managed to win three global medals and graduate successfully, winning two medals at the World Indoor Championships whilst undertaking exams. She went on to take her first major championships title outdoors at the European Championships in Berlin, also claiming the overall Diamond League crown over 1500m. Andy also took young athlete Jemma Reekie to a seven second personal best over 1500m, World Cup bronze and the European Championships semi-finals.

“It’s an honour to be recognised as one of the elite coaches in your home country,” said Andy. “You enjoy seeing the results of your hard work with the success of your athletes on the track or field, but it’s nice when others too acknowledge your hard work and the key role you play in that success and put you forward for such awards.”

Congratulating the three finalists, Paul Bush OBE, Chairman, Commonwealth Games Scotland said: “Behind each of our international athletes is an outstanding coach, and our three finalists represent the pinnacle of achievement, guiding their athletes to some truly outstanding results at the year’s major championships. Recognition at the Team Scotland Scottish Sports Awards is just reward for their huge contribution and I look forward to celebrating with them on 13 September.”

Sponsor of the Coach of the Year award, the University of Stirling is numbered among the top 50 new universities in the world and is designated as Scotland’s University for Sporting Excellence. With athletes and coaches in many disciplines, including swimming, golf, tennis, football and triathlon nurtured in the University’s unique environment, in preparation for Olympic, World, European and Commonwealth competition, the University is recognised internationally for innovative research and teaching in sport and for success in developing sporting talent and improving performance.

Winners across all award categories will be crowned at the Team Scotland Scottish Sports Awards in a star-studded celebration of Scottish sport on 13 September at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre.

From double acts to multi-sport teams at major events, Scotland’s team sports have given the nation a lot to celebrate over the past year, with some memorable victories. From a strong list of nominations, four superb finalists have been shortlisted for the title of Team of the Year at the 2018 Team Scotland Scottish Sports Awards on 13 September.

Team Scotland’s Basketball and Lawn Bowls teams from Gold Coast 2018 line up alongside Celtic Football Club and Scotland Men’s Rugby as the four go head to head for the prestigious award sponsored by PSL Team Sports.

Coming into the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games as the only team without a FIBA world ranking, Team Scotland’s Men’s Basketball represented the country with distinction. Wins over England, Cameroon, India and Nigeria set up a semi-final with World Basketball power houses Australia. The team went on to achieve Scotland’s best ever team sport finish at a Commonwealth Games, only narrowly missing out on the bronze medal to New Zealand.

Team Captain, Kieron Achara said: “We are absolutely thrilled to be recognised for the hard work and fight we put into our Commonwealth Games campaign. It’s nice to see that our efforts on the court in Australia resonated with the people back home in Scotland.”

The lawn bowls squad brought home a record number of medals from Gold Coast, with Pairs, Triples and Fours winning two gold, two silver and a bronze, making it their best Games ever. With their fifth and fourth gold medals respectively Alex Marshall and Paul Foster now sit first and third on the list of Scotland’s top Commonwealth Games athletes. As well as achieving on the green, the team also embraced the fact that Gold Coast was the first fully integrated Games, and the para bowlers once again showed their skill across some incredibly exciting matches.

Chief Executive at Bowls Scotland, Alan McMillan, said: “Everyone at Bowls Scotland is delighted that the hard work and achievements of the Team Scotland Lawn Bowls squad have been recognised by their shortlisting for team of the year. They represented themselves, their sport and their country with great honour at Gold Coast 2018.”

Shortlisted for this award in 2017 on the back of their incredible unbeaten run in domestic competition, Celtic concluded their second successive domestic treble in May, adding the Scottish Cup to the Premier League and League Cup titles. It was the first time in history a club has completed a clean sweep of Scottish domestic trophies in consecutive seasons.

In an outstanding season, Scotland Men’s Rugby took victory over Samoa in November, followed by a breath-taking performance against New Zealand at a sold-out Murrayfield. A week later Scotland registered a record win over Australia, scoring eight tries in the process. They went on to produce a superb performance to win their first Calcutta Cup trophy since 2008, scoring three tries as they inflicted only England’s second defeat in 26 games.

Scotland Captain, John Barclay said: “It’s a great honour for the team to be shortlisted for the Team of the Year award alongside the amazing achievements of fellow Scottish athletes in a special year for Scottish sport that has witnessed countless heroics in the Commonwealth Games and European Championships, alongside our own exploits in the Autumn Tests and Six Nations.

“It’s been a pleasure and a privilege to captain Scotland in a year that has seen supporters fill BT Murrayfield for every home game, creating an incredible atmosphere for our Calcutta Cup win over England in February – ending a ten-year wait for the trophy and making for a memorable day for every Scotland player, past and present, and fan alike.”

Paul Bush, Chairman, Commonwealth Games Scotland said: “Teamwork is at the heart of all Team Scotland activity, with our ‘One Team’, ethos at the Commonwealth Games and our close relationships with governing bodies, partners and sponsors. The finalists in this category represent the best of team working and their outstanding achievements are testament to this. I congratulate them all on their success and look forward to celebrating with them on what will be a memorable and inspirational night.”

PSL Team Sports, one of the leading teamwear suppliers in the UK, sponsor the Team of the Year Award for a third consecutive year. Over the years the business has invested in a professional design team, state of the art printing and embroidery facilities to offer an exceptional service. With experience in fabrics, products and logistics, they have built their reputation on service, consistent delivery, quality products and value for money, now working with over 200 organisations across the UK.

Recognised for their success in driving participation, development and performance at all levels of Scottish sport, three organisations have been shortlisted for the title of Governing Body of the Year at the Team Scotland Scottish Sports Awards on Thursday 13 September 2018.

Selected by the judging panel from a strong list of candidates, Cricket Scotland are shortlisted for this award for the second year and take their place alongside first time finalists Scottish Cycling and Scottish Disability Sport. The trio go head to head for the top award sponsored by Eden Mill St Andrews and Fever Tree.

Cricket Scotland have had a stand-out year with a historic win over England representing a significant landmark in Scotland’s global standing and recognition. The men’s national side are now in a strong position to claim a top 10 world ranking by the end of the year after also taking victories over Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and Afghanistan. With the women’s side ranked 11th and two team members selected for the Global Development Select team, changes made to the athlete support and management system are paying dividends.

Innovation abounds with the launch of the revolutionary CricHIIT programme aimed at women and girls, 1,500 new youngsters brought into the game through the Allstars programme and Cricket Scotland’s charity, Beyond Boundaries providing sporting opportunities to girls and women, underprivileged children, disabled and ethnic minority groups.

Malcolm Cannon, CEO at Cricket Scotland said: “It is a huge honour to be recognised by Team Scotland for one of their prestigious awards. The hard work put in by everyone at Cricket Scotland and the volunteers throughout the sport over the last year has produced great results both on and off the pitch and it is a great boost to be considered alongside Commonwealth Games sports.”

Scottish Disability Sport (SDS) leads the way in the inclusion of disabled athletes and players across a wide range of sports. In the last year SDS has actively supported 36 Scottish Governing Bodies of Sport to facilitate inclusion, establishing robust sporting pathways, and have also supported all 32 Scottish local authorities to engage disabled people in sport. SDS has also led almost 100 education opportunities in the past 12 months, with Disability Inclusion Training delivered to a range of participants including eight colleges and universities, while the SDS Young Person’s Sports Panel provides an active voice for young disabled people.

SDS were integral to the selection of 18 para-sport athletes to Team Scotland for Gold Coast 2018, the largest number ever at an away Games, who contributed three medals to Team Scotland’s record overseas medal tally. SDS is also the lead body for the sport of Boccia in Scotland with Scottish players winning six medals at the European Championships.

Gavin McLeod, Chief Executive at Scottish Disability Sport said; “Scottish Disability Sport is delighted to be shortlisted for this prestigious award. SDS works in partnerships with many Scottish Governing Bodies of Sport to ensure the effective inclusion of disabled athletes and players. We thank them all for their commitment and support and wish all those shortlisted every success.”

Scottish Cycling celebrated their most successful major Games in history at Gold Coast 2018, returning with 10 medals, including four of Team Scotland’s nine golds. Highlights included Neil Fachie and Matt Rotherham setting a World Record on route to double gold just two weeks after winning both events at the World Championships, Katie and John Archibald becoming the first brother and sister ever to win medals for Team Scotland on the same night as Katie took gold and John silver in their respective Individual Pursuit finals and an inspirational ride from Mark Stewart to claim gold in the Points Race.

2018 has also seen huge progress in development within the talent pathway, in coach development and reaching new participants. The creation of the R.A.C.E and Go-Ride programmes for youth riders has been hugely successful, 87 new Breeze Champions have been trained who will now support other women on guided bike rides and thousands of riders took part in mass participation Let’s Ride events in Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Craig Burn, Chief Executive at Scottish Cycling said: “We are delighted and honoured to have been shortlisted for Governing Body of the Year. We see this accomplishment as a great testament to the year we’ve had and a well-deserved recognition of the hard work and dedication that our members, volunteers, staff and board have put into improving the Cycling landscape in Scotland. We would like to congratulate our fellow Governing Bodies on the shortlist for their great achievements this year and we look forward to the announcement of the winner!”

Paul Bush OBE, Chairman, Commonwealth Games Scotland said: “Governing bodies underpin the whole Scottish sporting system, putting in place pathways for athletes, coaches and officials from their very first contact with the sport through to achieving their aspirations at international level. In what was a very strong list of nominations, our three finalists stood out for their innovation and commitment to the development of their respective sports and we look forward to celebrating their achievements at the Team Scotland Scottish Sports Awards.”

Joint sponsors of the Governing Body of the Year award are Eden Mill St Andrews and Fever Tree. Eden Mill is Scotland’s first single-site distillery and brewery, making gin, whisky and beer. Eden Mill spirit is created in copper pot-stills and exhibits a wide range of flavours from botanicals sourced from the local area, as well as from around the world. Fever-Tree Indian Tonic Water launched in the UK in early 2005, the brand name chosen due to fever tree being the colloquial name for the cinchona tree in which quinine, a key ingredient for tonic, is found. Since then Fever Tree has expanded their range to include 14 products, each taking a similarly intrepid attitude to sourcing quality botanicals.

Four of Scotland’s brightest sporting prospects have been named as finalists for the Sir Peter Heatly Trophy and the title of Young Athlete of the Year at the 2018 Team Scotland Scottish Sports Awards on 13 September.

With international success in both athletics and triathlon, Erin Wallace is shortlisted alongside middle distance runner Kane Elliott, diver Lucas Thomson, and windsurfer Islay Watson. The quartet are in the running to take the prestigious award sponsored by the Scottish Commonwealth Games Youth Trust.

The future looks good for Scottish sport with a huge number of outstanding nominations received by our judges who had the difficult task of narrowing it down to a shortlist of just four. Each of our finalists has stepped up this year to perform in style on the international stage, following in the footsteps of past winners, swimmer Duncan Scott and cyclist Katie Archibald, two of the stars of Team Scotland at Gold Coast 2018.

In fact two of this year’s finalists joined Duncan and Katie in Gold Coast, with Erin Wallace selected at 17 as part of the Triathlon Mixed Relay and Lucas Thomson finishing 5^th in both Men’s 10m Platform and Men’s 10m Synchro at the age of just 16.

Representing Team Scotland in Gold Coast was just the start for Lucas as he won silver and two bronze at the European Junior Championships, won four medals on the senior FINA Diving Grand Prix Series and took gold at the World Junior Diving Championships in the Team event, to end a phenomenal 12 months.

Since Gold Coast, Erin has split her time between athletics and triathlon with international success in both. In a whirlwind period in the summer she was 5th at the European Junior Triathlon Championships just a week after being a finalist in the 1500m at the World Junior Athletics Championships. All this on the back of a string of strong results, including finishing 2017 as overall bronze medallist in the Junior Triathlon Super Series.

Kane Elliot has had a real breakthrough year, lowering his personal best in the 1500m to set a new Scottish under 17 record and win gold at the European Youth Championships in a new Championship best. He is the first Scottish athlete ever to win gold at this event and did so as an under 17 athlete competing at an under 18 Championships.

Islay Watson won three races en route to winning the World Youth Championship title, taking the gold medal with one race to spare. In a fantastic summer she also claimed European bronze in the Techno class and was gold medallist at the Tiree Wave Classic in the Youth division. She has also today been announced as part of Team GB heading to the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires in October.

Paul Bush, Chairman, Commonwealth Games Scotland said: “The breadth and depth of nominations received for this award, and the wide range of sports represented, shows that the future of Scottish sport is in good hands. We have an incredibly strong line up in our four finalists and it’s fantastic to see young athletes already making the step up to senior level for Team Scotland. I congratulate them on their tremendous achievements over the past year and look forward to following their future successes.”

Sponsor of the Young Athlete of the Year Award is the Scottish Commonwealth Games Youth Trust, a registered charity which, since 1989, has supported talented young athletes through scholarships and awards. Past beneficiaries of Youth Trust support have gone on to compete with distinction for Team Scotland at Commonwealth Games and for Team GB at Olympic Games, including Kirsty Gilmour (Badminton), Jennifer McIntosh (Shooting), Robbie Renwick (Swimming) and Eilidh Doyle (Athletics).

After an incredible year for women’s sport in Scotland, three major championship gold medallists have been named as finalists for Female Athlete of the Year at the 2018 Team Scotland Scottish Sports Awards on 13 September.

Finalist in both 2016 and 2017, cyclist Katie Archibald is in the running once again, alongside last year’s winner Laura Muir and diver Grace Reid, for the prestigious award sponsored by J Thomson Colour Printers.

Following World Championships gold and silver, Katie Archibald starred for Team Scotland in Gold Coast, winning Commonwealth Games gold in the Individual Pursuit and silver in the Points Race. In one of the most memorable nights of the Games her Pursuit gold came just 45 minutes before her brother, John, took silver in the men’s event. Despite breaking her collar bone in a fall in May, Katie also took Team Pursuit gold at the European Championships in Glasgow, her eleventh European title, as well as taking two silver medals.

“I’m delighted to be a finalist for this award,” said Katie. “In the year of the Commonwealth Games which is, of course, a big year for Scottish sport, I’m very proud.”

Recently crowned overall Diamond League champion in the 1500m for the second time, it’s been another stellar year for Laura Muir. After two medals at the World Indoor Championships, she broke the Scottish 1000m record while taking Birmingham Diamond League victory and took 1500m gold at the European Championships for her first ever outdoor major championship title. Even more impressive is that these achievements came in the year she also qualified as a veterinary surgeon, becoming Dr Laura Muir.

In Gold Coast Grace Reid took Scotland’s first diving gold medal for 60 years, and the first ever in the women’s events, when she took victory in the 1m Springboard. After five World Series medals and World Cup bronze, she snatched gold with her final dive in the 3m event at the European Championships, also taking silver in the 3m Mixed Synchro event, to cap a remarkable year.

“I am absolutely delighted to have been shortlisted for this award,” said Grace. “The level of sporting excellence in Scotland is unbelievable and I am honoured to be one of the finalists.”

Paul Bush, Chairman, Commonwealth Games Scotland said: “All three finalists have thrilled and inspired over the past year with major championship medals and record-breaking performances. I congratulate them on their many successes and look forward to celebrating their achievements at the Team Scotland Scottish Sports awards on 13 September.”

Sponsor of the Female Athlete of the Year Award, J Thomson Colour Printers is the market-leading print solutions provider in Scotland with a modern, technologically advanced manufacturing facility in Glasgow supported by offices in Edinburgh, Inverness and Aberdeen. The company employs 130 people and supports over 1000 customers from all market sectors producing a wide range of products on a diverse range of substrates, all at the highest quality via its litho and digital processes.

Four standout performers make up an incredibly strong shortlist for Male Athlete of the Year at the 2018 Team Scotland Scottish Sports Awards on 13 September.

Last year’s winner, swimmer Duncan Scott, is once again in the frame after a phenomenal year, alongside lawn bowls legend Alex Marshall MBE, the 2014 winner. They are joined by cyclist Mark Stewart and middle-distance runner Jake Wightman as the four go head to head for the prestigious award sponsored by Brand Oath.

With six medals at Gold Coast 2018 Duncan Scott became Scotland’s most successful athlete at a single Commonwealth Games, his gold in the 100m Freestyle the undoubted highlight, as he touched ahead of multiple World Champion and four-time Olympic medallist Chad le Clos of South Africa. It was the first time a Scottish athlete has ever won this event and he was just four hundredths of a second outside the Games record. Three gold and one sliver, plus two Championship records at the European Championships in front of a home crowd in Glasgow rounded off an incredible few months for the 21 year old.

Alex Marshall also made history in Gold Coast, as a record-breaking fifth gold medal made him Scotland’s most successful Commonwealth Games athlete of all-time ahead of sprinter Allan Wells and his own Pairs partner Paul Foster. Already a legend of the sport with four Commonwealth Games gold medals and multiple World titles, Alex took silver in the Pairs with Foster before the duo teamed up with Ronnie Duncan and Derek Oliver in the Fours to go one better. The final will go down as one of the most exciting matches at the Games, as Scotland beat Australia 15-13.

Having won bronze at the 2018 World Championships in the Points Race, Mark Stewart attacked the same event at the Commonwealth Games, winning gold and beating five-time World Champion Cameron Mayer in the process. One of the most memorable races of the Games, his exhaustion at the end of race showed all those watching the sheer commitment involved in the biggest win of his career, helped from his bike and collapsing in the infield having emptied his energy reserves. He was also a double medallist at the World Cup in Canada with silver in the Points Race and bronze in the Madison.

One of only a few Scottish athletes to do the Commonwealth Games and European Championships medal double with bronze medals at both events, Jake Wightman is a rising star of British athletics and is maturing into an absolutely world class athlete. In Gold Coast he overcame the disappointment of an agonisingly close 4th place finish in the 800m to claim his place on the podium with a stunning run in the 1500m final. At the European Championships in Berlin he put in another brilliant performance and was just a fraction of a second from European gold. A World Indoor Championships finalist, he also broke the long standing Scottish 1000m record, set in 1984.

Paul Bush, Chairman, Commonwealth Games Scotland said: “All three finalists have excelled on the international stage and each would be a worthy winner of this award. I congratulate them on their success and look forward to celebrating their achievements on what will be a memorable and inspirational night.”

Sponsor of the Male Athlete of the Year Award, Brand Oath is a branding agency with a distinctive track record. Their skills have been honed in the high pressure and deeply scrutinised world of international sports and major events branding. They combine the positive values associated with honest sporting endeavour with design and branding experience to provide you with that competitive edge that could be the difference between winning and losing. Whichever sector you operate in, whether that’s within the sports arena or outside it, you operate in a competitive world, prepare to win with Brand Oath.

From the thousands of volunteers who give selflessly of their time at all levels of sport in Scotland, three inspiring individuals have been named as finalists for Volunteer of the Year at the Team Scotland Scottish Sports Awards on Thursday 13 September. Kamil Cybulski (Basketball), Janice Eaglesham (Disability Sport) and Jim Hay (Squash) comprise a strong shortlist for the prestigious award supported by QTV Sports.

Kamil Cybulski, at the age of just 18, has taken the initiative to do something to help his community, starting up the Glasgow Devils Basketball Club and running the entire club on his own for the first six months. His leadership and enthusiasm inspired people and attracted enough players for two teams, one of which competed in the league and took 3rd place. Kamil also delivers four basketball and fitness sessions per week at the University of Glasgow, and helped implement their first ever strength and conditioning programme on top of two league games per week, his Glasgow Devils commitments, a full time HND course in Sports Coaching and part time job. He has also twice volunteered as a Sparta Camp team leader in Estonia, where his leadership skills and positive attitude helped his team win the overall competition on both occasions.

Delighted to be a finalist, Kamil said: “Being shortlisted for this award makes my work feel recognised and it’s an indication of making positive impact through sport on the communities I work within.”

Janice Eaglesham epitomises the spirit of volunteering and her dedication, commitment and generosity of time and effort to sport at a local and national over three decades is inspiring. Her introduction to volunteering was in 1977 as a guide runner to a visually impaired athlete and by 1985 she was volunteering at Special Olympics events. In 1990 Janice, with her husband Ian, developed the Red Star Athletics Club for athletes with a disability. Janice has coached twice a week since its inception as well as fulfilling many other vital roles within the club’s administration and management. In 2010, she became a board member of Scottish Disability Sport and in 2014, she became the Chair.

Janice has taken on diverse roles and responsibilities within sport which demonstrates her skills, knowledge and expertise as a volunteer and her determination and enthusiasm to make a difference to participants with a disability. The sport of Race Running made its debut at the WPA European Games held just last week and Janice was at the forefront as coach and team manager as Scottish athletes claimed multiple medals.

“It is an honour and privilege to be nominated for this award,” said Janice. “The profile of sport for participants and performers with a disability continues to grow and I would like to pay tribute to all the athletes I have had the pleasure of working with over the years.”

Jim Hay has led the sport of Squash for five years, working long hours and investing a great deal of his own resource to drive a new and positive culture with a focus on teamwork, respect and partnership working. During this time Scottish Squash achieved its first medals for 17 years including World Doubles gold and silver, European Team Bronze and this year Scotland’s women also won promotion to the top flight of European Competition. Jim has been selected to work on the World Squash Federation Ethics Committee, ensuring best practice and quality delivery at the highest level of the sport and has also driven a campaign to attract new referees into the sport and train, support and mentor them using the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham 2022 as an inspiration. Under Jim’s leadership Scottish Squash has enhanced its Governance structures, achieved new sponsorship, built new partnerships and are now respected at World and European level as well as nationally.

“I am surprised but honoured to be nominated,” said Jim. “I feel privileged to be shortlisted for such a prestigious award.”

Congratulating the three finalists, Paul Bush OBE, Chairman, Commonwealth Games Scotland said: “Scottish sport relies on countless hours dedicated by volunteers, from local initiatives right up to the international level. Our three finalists show the true diversity of work carried out by these selfless individuals across the country and their outstanding commitment to helping others reach their goals deserves recognition. Through the positive change they have delivered, they have inspired not just the people they work with but also the wider sporting community in Scotland.”

The Volunteer of the Year Award is sponsored by QTV Sports, one of the UK’s leading producers of sports content. Working with over fifty rights-holders in 25 countries, they deliver a range of production and digital content services, with partners including over a dozen international federations including cricket, hockey, archery, bowls and curling. They also pursue a local ambition to diversify coverage of Scottish sport and are well established as a broadcast and digital media partner in many Scottish sports, including badminton, cricket, football, hockey, netball, rugby, swimming, and tennis.

With the Team Scotland Scottish Sports Awards just two weeks away, Commonwealth Games Scotland, in partnership with the Aberdeen Standard Investments, is excited to announce the launch of the Sporting Moment of the Year 2018 public vote.

VOTE HERE

History makers, passion, emotion, snatching victory from the jaws of defeat – From Scotland’s historic victory over England in one-day international cricket, to Laura Muir storming away from the field to take European Championships gold, Scotland’s sporting stars have thrilled and inspired throughout the year in an impressive array of sports.

Seven top Scottish sporting moments have been shortlisted by our judges, with the winner to be determined by an online public vote. The award will go to the sporting performance over the last 12 months that has captured the hearts of the nation.

The Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games provided a wealth of memories from beginning to end with triathlete Marc Austin set the tone with a magnificent performance to beat both Brownlee brothers and take Scotland’s first medal of the Games and on the final day our bowlers were dancing on the greens as the Men’s Fours struck gold in the most dramatic fashion.

Mark Stewart’s stunning Points Race win over five-time World Champion Cameron Meyer, Duncan Scott’s incredible finish to win 100m Freestyle gold and Grace Reid’s reaction to winning Scotland’s first ever women’s diving gold were also among the highlights.

Each of these moments has made Scotland proud, but which deserves to take the title of Sporting Moment of the Year 2018?

Voting will close at 23.59 on Sunday 9 September with the winner to be revealed at the Team Scotland Scottish Sports Awards on Thursday 13 September.

Recognised for their extraordinary dedication to their local communities, three of Scotland’s top performing sporting initiatives have been named as finalists for Community Hub, Club or School of the Year at the Team Scotland Scottish Sports Awards on 13 September.

Awarded to the Community Sport Hub, Club or School which has made the most progress and impact on their community over the last year, the award attracted dozens of nominations across a wide range of sporting pursuits and from every region of Scotland. Impressing the judges with their innovation and ambition, SAPC Community Sports Hub, Tryst Community Sports Hub & Larbert High School and Team East Lothian Athletics Club will now go head to head for the top award supported by Active Scotland.

SAPC Community Sports Hub was created to provide free sport, help embrace diversity and improve the lives of young people and their families in and around Darnley, Greater Pollok and the surrounding areas of Glasgow South. The hub promotes healthy lifestyles and aims to reduce nuisance crime, isolation and negative behaviours through community engagement in sport. There is a big emphasis on creating opportunities, particularly for young people, with half of the committee aged 18 years or under.

In 2017 and 2018, the Hub delivered two fantastic EU Erasmus+ Sport projects involving 1600 participants in Glasgow and SAPC volunteers also visited Italy and Romania to lend their support to other events within the programme. The hub delivered free sport sessions to 500 participants during schools ‘health week’ and the Pro Community Festival, as well as more than doubling membership of their Netball club to 70 participants. New introductions have included four weekly multi-sport clubs for girls, family cycling, football fives for 12-17 years & Bounce Back to Netball that has enabled the hub to significantly increase weekly user activity.

Tom Buik, Founder of the SAPC Hub said: SAPC is honoured to be shortlisted at the ‘World Cup’ of Scottish sport awards. It is fabulous recognition for all our partners and volunteers. Our approach is simple but effective – bringing people together through sport.”

Tryst Community Sports Hub and Larbert High School are key partners, intertwined in providing pathways for over 4,500 young people. Their motto ‘For Young People by Young People’ allows the programme to thrive, utilising young people as leaders and role models in the local community. Their award winning pupil leadership programme has resulted in over 200 young people achieving coaching or leadership qualifications and putting these into action, with Larbert High School pupils delivering holiday camps to over 750 participants and leading the P5 swimming programme as qualified swim coaches and lifeguards.

Sport has become a way of life in the local community with 76% of young people involved in extra-curricular activity across 20 affiliated clubs, and there has been a 10 fold increase in girls’ participation. In addition, four ‘Schools of Sport’ have been set up including Wheelchair Basketball and over 2000 voluntary hours have been logged in the last year.

Jon Reid, Rector at Larbert High School, said: “We are thrilled to be shortlisted for this prestigious award and delighted that the phenomenal work carried out by our staff, young people and team of volunteers is being recognised. We have worked really hard over the last few years to further embed the work of the Hub within our school and local community and are very proud of the significant pathways, coaching and leadership opportunities available to our young people. Hundreds of young people benefit on a weekly basis from our joint efforts and our drive and determination to keep going is fuelled by our core belief that mental, social, emotional and physical wellbeing should be at the centre of everything that we do as a school and as a Hub.”

Team East Lothian Athletics Club are a unique, successful and modern athletics club delivering diverse athletics and physical activity opportunities to an increasingly wide audience. In the last 12 months a targeted approach has included introduction of a disability section and full integration of these athletes into training and events; an adult recreational running programme; a junior athletics programme delivered in seven communities in East Lothian involving over 120 youngsters on a weekly basis and including pre-school aged children for the first time; an athletics camp and programme for Looked After Children (Foster & Care Home); an Access Fund especially targeting those facing social barriers helping them to get involved in physical activity and sport; and training targeted at young people with a wider local workforce development programme for officials, coaches and volunteers.

In performance terms the club have multiple district, national and international medallists and representatives – leading the way is Maria Lyle who has recently added gold at the European Championships to medals at both the Commonwealth Games in 2018 and the World Athletics Para Championships in 2017. Additionally Team East Lothian now deliver their own year round events programme for their members and the Club links directly to schools events and activity, providing a clear pathway.

Chairman of Team East Lothian, Graham McPheat, said: “It’s fantastic to hear that Team East Lothian Athletics Club is shortlisted for a Team Scotland Award. Team East Lothian aims to inspire, engage and support our whole community to improve health and wellbeing through athletics. Being shortlisted gives us a fantastic opportunity to raise the profile of the work the club does and promote sport as a vehicle for change.”

Paul Bush OBE, Chair, Commonwealth Games Scotland said: “Community Hubs, clubs and schools play a vital role right at the heart of Scottish sport, making a huge contribution to the nation’s health and well-being as well as providing a clear path into recreational and competitive sport. The phenomenal dedication of our finalists to their communities deserves recognition and they should be rightly proud of their achievements over the past year.”

The Community Hub, Club or School of the Year award is supported by The Scottish Government’s Active Scotland Division, whose aims include encouraging and enabling an active lifestyle for all, supporting well-being and resilience in communities and improving opportunities to participate, progress and achieve in sport.

Winners across all categories will be crowned at the Team Scotland Scottish Sports Awards in a star-studded celebration of Scottish sport on 13 September at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre.

The Scottish Government’s Active Scotland Division are backing the prestigious Team Scotland Scottish Sports Awards as category sponsor of the Community Hub, Club or School of the Year, as momentum builds towards the glittering Awards Ceremony on 13 September.

Recognising the hubs, clubs and schools making a real impact in their communities, the category is one of 13 important awards presented on the night, with the work these organisations do vital to the aims of Active Scotland.

Andy Sinclair, Head of Delivery, Active Scotland said “Last year’s ceremony gave us the opportunity to showcase the incredibly talented and inspirational individuals across the country achieving so much in sport. It’s fantastic that we are able to support the Team Scotland Awards again this year.”

Drumchapel Community Sport Hub were winners in this category last year and the strength of nominations received this year is going to make it a very difficult task once again for the judging panel to decide their successor.

While the nomination process for Community Hub, Club or School of the Year is now closed for 2018, nominations for several award categories remain open – visit the Nomination Page to submit your choice in any of these categories.

The Team Scotland Scottish Sports Awards will take place at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC) on Thursday 13 September with medallists from Team Scotland’s record overseas medal haul at Gold Coast 2018, Pyeonchang 2018 Winter Olympians and Paralympians and leaders of sport and business on the 600-strong guest list.

For more information on the 2018 Team Scotland Scottish Sports Awards visit www.teamscotland.scot/events/team-scotland-sports-awards/

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