Sports leader of the year 2011
Stephanie Ford, S6 pupil of Nairn Academy has been named as Coaching Highland’s Leader of the Year.
She was nominated by Highland Council’s Active Schools Co-ordinator for Nairn, Elizabeth McDonald for her outstanding contributions sporting programmes run in the Nairn area, and for putting her leadership skills learned in the Sports Leaders UK courses to good use.
Stephanie has completed the Level 1 Award in Sports Leadership as well as the Women, Get Set, Go! course and was one of the Sports Leaders selected to go to Malawi with Nairn Academy. The Malawi experience is only one of the reasons Stephanie was selected for this award, she has devoted a lot of time to leadership and helping fellow pupils.
Stephanie first became involved in volunteering through the Council’s Active Schools initiative when she was her third year at school. She was one of the driving forces behind the successful Girls Club, and devoted time to become a qualified trampoline and dance coach. Stephanie used these skills to deliver unique sessions for the Girls Club and she also supports after school clubs for Primary aged children on a weekly basis.
Nominating Stephanie for the award, Elizabeth McDonald said: “Stephanie is an organised, efficient and competent leader. Throughout the past three years she has grown in confidence and has proved to herself that she is very capable. This award will give Stephanie recognition and add value and appreciation to her extensive involvement in volunteering.”
Stephanie lent a lot of support to The Highland Council’s Malawi “Dreams and Teams” education initiative before she was even selected to take part in the trip. She assisted in the fundraising events, and in training to deliver Peer education in HIV/AIDs Awareness.
Within the Sports Leaders UK offerings from Coaching Highland, Stephanie has completed the Level 1 in Sports Leadership, Women, Get Set, Go! and the Level 1 Award in Dance Leadership. Additionally, Stephanie has completed Youth Achievement Award (Bronze), Millennium Volunteer Award, Basketball Floor Official, Cheerleading and Dance Principles and Ethics, and Scottish Gymnastics Trampoline Level 1.
Stephanie has volunteered extensively within her school, but also within the wider community, and she clearly represents the ethos of the Sports Leaders Award Programme at Coaching Highland.
In March, Coaching Highland requested nominations from all our centres that had offered the awards and qualifications in the year April 2010 - March 2011. This year the award was judged by Lindsay Campbell (Sports Leaders Co-ordinator), Alan Hoseason (Coaching Development Officer) and Stevie Begen (Foundation Manager, Sports Leaders UK).
Coaching Highland is an Inverness-based charity which aims to support the development of coaches throughout the Highland Council area. It is one of seven Outreach Centres for Sports Leaders UK in Scotland and has been offering Sports Leaders Awards for 7 years in the Highlands of Scotland.