England women’s coach David Ralph has been nominated in the Great Coaching Moment of the Year category for the 25th annual UK Coaching Awards.
UK Coaching has opened the voting for the public to choose their standout coaching moment of 2022.
According to organisers, the award category “celebrates not only the outright success of coaches, but their devotion to their team or athlete and how they have embodied the ethos of great coaching.
“This year’s shortlist has shown a unique commitment and exceptional leadership to lay the foundations for historic sporting successes.”
Since hockey was introduced as a Commonwealth Games sport in 1998, England women have endured a catalogue of near misses. That they ended their jinx against old foes Australia – who England had failed to beat in eight games stretching back nine years – made the moment all the sweeter.
The unrestrained joy was mirrored by the coaching staff, particularly David Ralph, the man tasked with improving on England’s record of silver medals in 1998, 2002 and 2014 and bronze medals in 2006, 2010 and 2018.
Ralph is nominated alongside Sarina Wiegman as England women’s football ended 56 years of hurt with victory at Euro 2022, David Murdoch when Team Muirhead won gold for women’s curlers at Beijing and Liz McColgan-Nuttall who coached Eilish McColgan to 10,000 metres gold to complete a remarkable Commonwealth Games family treble.
UK Coaching CEO Mark Gannon said: “With so many major competitions and historic successes on home soil over the last year, there is no shortage of fantastic sporting moments to choose from. This award is not only about delivering success on the grandest scale, but also the relationship between the coach and their athletes.
“The coach sets an environment whereby the athlete or team can thrive on the task at hand, but more importantly, they are there to support the person in front of them, who is aspiring to be the best they can be. Coaching is a people business and ultimately people inspire people.”
The UK Coaching Awards are set to take place on Dec 6 and will recognise and celebrate the work of people and organisations who are making a significant impact in communities across the country.
To vote for your greatest coaching moment, visit www.ukcoaching.org/gcm-2022. The public vote will close on Dec 5.
