Yorkshire coaches announced as finalists for prestigious awards

    UK Coaching has officially announced the finalists for the 2018 UK Coaching Awards, continuing the organisation’s celebration of great coaching, which commenced earlier this year with the UK’s first ever Coaching Week.

    Included in the list are Yorkshire coaches Ady Gray, Cameron Osburn and Fred Furniss, selected as finalists for the 2018 Children’s Coach of the Year, Disability Coach of the Year and Lifetime Achievement awards, respectively.

    Gray, who has taught martial arts to children ranging from the ages of four to 16 for nearly 30 years, has now received his second consecutive nomination for Children’s Coach of the Year, highlighting the inspiration his athletes gain from his passion and dedication. He was invited to join the World Shotokan Federation (WSF) as President earlier this year and during this short time, the WSF squad have medalled at both national and world levels.

    Ripon-based martial arts coach, Gray said: “To be even nominated for this award over so many other great coaches is an honour – it means a lot on its own. To make the final twice in a row, it’s good to see that I’m being recognised for being consistent and I’m pushing the boundaries of coaching.

    “It’s continuously challenging, you’re always learning. The worry is when you turn into a coach is that you may fall out of love with the sport, but I still love it after all these years, and no matter what class I’m teaching, I still love it and really enjoy it.”

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