Team Scotland Awards Archives - Page 4 of 8

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 3 October.

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, Dundee Dragons Wheelchair Sports Club, Edinburgh Athletics Club and St Madoes Active Sport Hub will now go head to head for the top award supported by Active Scotland.

Dundee Dragons offers participation, development and competitive opportunities for people with a disability, including wheelchair basketball and rugby league, badminton, tennis and curling. The variety of sports on offer gives opportunities for individuals to learn new skills, meet new people, increase confidence and improve health and fitness, as well as compete in local, national and international events. The club were finalists in both plate and cup competitions at the Rugby Football League Challenge Cup, the first Scottish club to do so. They have also had several members on international duty across several sports, Mike Mellon winning two silver and a bronze at the Invictus Games just one of the highlights. Coach development is also key with several club members taking on coach or team manager roles for Scotland and Great Britain teams at international events.

Working in partnership with Leisure and Culture Dundee, Dundee City Disability Sport and Perth & Kinross Disability Sport, the club supports the local community, providing taster sessions in local mainstream schools as well as bringing wheelchair sports to ASN schools in both Dundee and Perth. They have heavily supported the Scottish Disability Sport Parasport Festival in Tayside and the NHS Fit Club, where young people with a physical disability experience sport for the first time.

Dr Elizabeth Ferris, Chair of Dundee Dragons said: “We are honoured to be shortlisted in the Team Scotland Scottish Sports Awards. It’s a testament to the hard work of our players, coaches, parents and volunteers whose contribution to the Dragon’s family is immeasurable”

Edinburgh AC are one of the largest and most successful athletics clubs in Scotland and the United Kingdom – they have over 560 athlete members and 85 active volunteers. With their main training base closed for major refurbishment, the Club have overcome the challenges of being split across multiple temporary training venues and continued to strive forward and develop. The club’s membership has grown by a further 12%, in the last 12 months, with new satellite sections being established, helping to engage a waiting list of almost 100 young athletes and providing regular links to schools.

At the European Athletics Championships in August 2018, Edinburgh AC had a phenomenal five athletes representing Great Britain and over the last 12 months the club have had 13 different athletes representing Great Britain, 33 athletes representing Scotland and club athletes setting 10 National records. The senior women’s team currently compete in the premier division of the UK Women’s League, the only Scottish club to do so, and at junior level the club reached UK finals in both U13 & U15 and U17 & U20 age groups. The club’s athlete membership is inclusive and consists of a large proportion of female athletes, athletes with a disability, involves members from diverse communities across Edinburgh and athletes from aged nine to over 80 years old. To deliver this programme the club have 50 active coaches and over 30 active officials – the largest contingent of any club in Scotland.

Gary Leek, Head of Communications at Edinburgh Athletics Club said:, “To be a finalist in the Team Scotland Awards is a proud moment for the club which has pulled together, working hard led by a great team of volunteers, the board, coaches, officials, sub group leaders and families. Together Everyone Achieves More and this has proven to be the club’s successful formula. For athletics to be up at the very pinnacle with other sports in Scotland is a huge achievement and the future is looking very bright from playground to podium at Edinburgh Athletic Club. We thank everyone for their continued support.”

St Madoes Active Sports Hub has grown rapidly since its inception in September 2017, now providing preschool classes, daily after-school sports, classes for teens, daytime classes for older adults, fitness & sports classes and mums’ return to exercise activities for over 400 participants a week. The Hub builds sport and fitness into many social and community groups and provides opportunities to the local community not available before. They have provided the first pre-school sport activities in the area, have over 60 participants age 70 or older taking part weekly and have introduced table tennis and other activities into their support group for people with Alzheimer’s. A Boccia group has also been formed this year and now has a thriving membership of all ages, with both able bodied and people with varied disabilities attending

Development of participants’ skills and the skills of volunteers is a key part of the Hub, with volunteers completing a wide range of coaching and leadership qualifications. Young volunteers are encouraged to develop with many regularly coaching and 25 young people engaged in the organisation of four community sport events. The Hub also has strong partnerships with Perth & Kinross Council, sportscotland, Live Active and local primary schools, with individuals regularly referred to the Hub through Council or NHS employees.

Anthea Bircham, Community Development Coordinator at St Madoes Active Sports Hub said: “We are delighted to have been shortlisted because we want to celebrate the achievements of our participants, without the hub they wouldn’t have taken part in sport. As numbers have increased, we have seen those who are involved grow in both fitness and confidence. We are proud of our ability to include people of all ages and we love to see people overcoming barriers and taking part together. We want to acknowledge our dedicated partners who work with us to make a programme with ‘something for everyone’ possible.”

Paul Bush OBE, Chair, Commonwealth Games Scotland said: “Community Hubs, clubs and schools sit right at the heart of Scottish sport, hugely benefiting their local communities in terms of 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 3 October at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre.

With just three weeks to go until nominations close for Volunteer of the Year, Hub, Club or School of the Year and Governing Body of the Year, now is the time to nominate your Team Scotland Scottish Sports Awards 2019 winners and make sure your choice gets the recognition they deserve.

Nominate Here

The Scottish public has come out in force and there has been a flood of nominations for outstanding performances by Scottish athletes, clubs and teams in what has already been a truly great year for Scottish sport.

But sport is not just about the medal moments and top stars. There are thousands of groups and volunteers across the country putting in countless hours to give people their first experience of sport, nurture future stars and provide vital services in the community. We want to recognise these behind the scenes heroes and time is running out with less than a month to go until these categories close.

Make sure you let us know your choice by 23:59 on Wednesday 31 July and help us find the volunteers and organisations that are making a real difference in their community!

This is your chance to ensure the people who work tirelessly behind the scenes are recognised and have their moment in the limelight. Are you inspired by a dedicated volunteer or proud of a sports group in your community? Does your local school go above and beyond for its pupils? Nominate someone today and tell us why they should be rewarded for their success, dedication or impact on Scottish sport.

Once nominations close, those in the running will be passed to our expert judging panel and up to three finalists in each category will be short-listed and invited as guests of Team Scotland to the Awards – a star-studded celebration of Scottish sport on Thursday 3 October 2019.

The Team Scotland Scottish Sports Awards welcome some of the biggest names in Scottish Sport and business for a special evening of sporting celebrations. Guests are in for a treat this year as we celebrate sporting greats of the past alongside our current stars, whilst enjoying a drinks reception, dinner and entertainment. The event also gives back to the next generation with a major aim of the evening raising funds for the Scottish Commonwealth Games Youth Trust who support Scotland’s starts of the future.

Nominations for Male Athlete, Female Athlete, Para-Sport Athlete, Young Athlete, Coach and Team of the Year will close on 1 September.

Join us at the Team Scotland Scottish Sports Awards – book online on our Awards Tickets page or contact us on Tel: 01786 466 480 or Email: info@teamscotland.scot

As part of Team Scotland’s recently launched themed year ‘Celebrating Our Past, Building Our Future’, the Team Scotland Scottish Sport Awards 2019 will celebrate some of the greatest moments in Scottish sporting history, while looking to those young athletes who will continue to put Scotland on the sporting map for years to come.

A huge celebration covering recent and past achievements across all 25 sports in which Scotland has competed at a Commonwealth Games, the Awards will recognise Team Scotland stars past, present and future in an evening of inspiration and entertainment.

This year the Team Scotland Scottish Sports Awards will help celebrate the 30^th anniversary of the Team Scotland Youth Trust and we are proud to be raising funds to support Scotland’s aspiring young athletes on their sporting journey.

CELEBRATING OUR PAST, BUILDING OUR FUTURE

The list of past Scottish Commonwealth Games champions reads like a ‘who’s who’ of Scotland’s sporting greats, including boxer Dick McTaggart, swimmer David Wilkie, sprinter Allan Wells, distance runner Liz McColgan, shooter Alister Allan and cyclist Chris Hoy.

At recent Games the baton has been taken up by stars like gymnast Dan Purvis, cyclists Katie Archibald and Neil Fachie, swimmer Duncan Scott and athlete Eilidh Doyle – all of whom have also won Olympic or Paralympic medals. Our success at the past two Commonwealth Youth Games also augers well for Scotland’s sporting future.

MAKE IT A DATE

Thursday 3rd October – make it a date in your diary and play your part in shaping our nation’s sporting future by joining us for the 2019 Team Scotland Scottish Sports Awards.

The impressive world-class facilities at EICC will host this special evening of sporting celebrations, drinks reception, three course dinner with wine and entertainment
Mingle with some of the biggest names in Scottish sport and business
Support Scotland’s stars of the future as we raise funds for the Team Scotland Youth Trust which is celebrating 30 years of assisting young athletes on their sporting journey
Late bar for those who want to network and continue the celebrations a little longer.

THE AWARDS

Join us as award categories across performance and community sport are decided, amidst a memorable night of inspiration and entertainment, building to a crescendo with the presentation of the Emirates Lonsdale Trophy, awarded to the best of the best – the 2019 Scottish Sportsperson of the Year. Look out for nominations opening in May.

With athletes, officials, clubs and schools across the country preparing to make an impact over the coming year, we are certain there will be lots to celebrate as we recognise those that give stand out performances across the breadth of Scottish sport, reflecting the Team Scotland values of Proud, United, Ambitious, Inclusive and Inspirational.

BOOK EARLY

With last year’s event a 600 sell-out, don’t miss out! Book now to take advantage of our early bird discounts for those booking by the end of June 2019.

Following an outstanding season that saw him become Scotland’s most successful athlete ever at a single Commonwealth Games, with six medals in Gold Coast, followed by four medals at the European Championships in Glasgow, Duncan Scott added to his accolades tonight as he lifted the Emirates Lonsdale Trophy as 2018 Scottish Sportsperson of the Year, at the Team Scotland Scottish Sports Awards.

With a host of sporting stars, including medallists from the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games and recent European Championships in attendance, the evening was an inspirational celebration of their outstanding achievements, as well as the success of individuals, schools, clubs and teams across the whole of Scottish sport.

Named Male Athlete of the Year for the second year in succession, Duncan added the title of Scottish Sportsperson of the Year, putting his name on the Emirates Lonsdale Trophy alongside past winners such as Sir Chris Hoy, Sir Andy Murray and Dame Katherine Grainger. His gold in the 100m Freestyle was the undoubted highlight of an incredible haul in Gold Coast, 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.

Duncan’s success came on a superb night for the University of Stirling swimming programme, as Duncan’s coach Steven Tigg took the Coach of the Year award. Alongside Duncan’s phenomenal record, Steven also coached England’s Amiee Wilmott to Commonwealth Games gold in the 400m Individual Medley, as well as Craig MacLean and Scott McLay who made their senior Commonwealth Games debuts, swimming the heats for Scotland’s bronze medal winning 4x100m Freestyle Relay.

Laura Muir’s sensational season, which saw her claim three global medals and win the overall Diamond League crown over 1500m, alongside successfully completing her veterinary degree, gave her the nod for Female Athlete of the Year. She topped an extremely strong shortlist, which included diver Grace Reid and cyclist Katie Archibald who both did the Commonwealth and European Championships gold medal double.

Cycling had a hugely successful night as, alongside Katie’s nomination, they were winners of Governing Body of the Year, in addition to Neil Fachie, with pilot Matt Rotherham, being named Para-Sport Athlete of the Year, after winning two gold medals at the World Para-Cycling Championships and repeating the same double just two weeks later at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.

Para-Cycling was in the spotlight once again, as 2012 Paralympic gold medallist David Smith MBE took the Team Scot of the Year award in recognition of his incredible drive and determination in the face of adversity. A true ambassador for Team Scotland and Scottish sport, his fight to continue to compete at the top level, despite a recurring spinal-cord tumor and residual paralysis following surgery, has inspired many people, both in Scotland and around the world.

There were huge receptions for both Scotland’ men’s cricket and rugby teams, popular winners of Sporting Moment of the Year and Team of the Year respectively. Cricket’s historic win over England in their One Day International, including Calum MacLeod’s whirlwind 140 off 94 balls, was the moment that captured the heart of the nation and majority of the public vote. Rugby’s Calcutta Cup heroics gave them the nod over Team Scotland’s Basketball and Lawn Bowls teams from Gold Coast and Celtic FC for Team of the Year.

Scotland’s most successful athlete in Commonwealth Games history, after winning a record fifth gold in Gold Coast, Alex Marshall MBE was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of an outstanding, and still ongoing, career. A Scottish international since 1987, Gold Coast was an incredible sixth Games appearance for Team Scotland. He also holds the record for the most World titles with 20, beginning with three gold medals at the 1992 World Outdoor Championships and continuing all the way through to a record sixth World Indoor Singles title in 2015.

In contrast, at the start of his career and selected to represent Team Scotland in Gold Coast at the age of just 16, Lucas Thomson was the winner of the Sir Peter Heatly Trophy as Young Athlete of the Year. He had a phenomenal 12 months, finishing fifth in two finals in Gold Coast and going on to win a silver and two bronze at the European Junior Championships, four medals on the senior FINA Diving Grand Prix Series and gold at the World Junior Diving Championships.

Individuals and organisations driving success at all levels of Scottish sport were also honoured, with Jim Hay named as Volunteer of the Year for his work in Squash, while SAPC Community Sports Hub took Community Hub, Club or School of the Year.

With 2018 designated the Year of Young People, there was also a special award, presented by Young Scot, for 18 year old Kamil Cybulski, recognising his outstanding volunteer work, including founding Glasgow Devils Basketball Club and guiding them to third place in the league.

Paul Bush OBE, Chair of Commonwealth Games Scotland, said: “Tonight has been a fantastic celebration of what has been and continues to be a golden year for Scottish sport, with our athletes excelling across a packed schedule of championship events.

“A huge thank you to our partners and sponsors, whose support has made this fantastic event possible and enables us to properly recognise the achievements of the individuals, teams and organisations that help to put Scotland on the sporting map.

“There is much to look forward to in 2019, with Scotland welcoming world-class athletes to the European Indoor Athletics Championships and the 2019 Solheim Cup. I am quite sure we will be celebrating our athletes’ achievements at these and other major events this time next year.”

Over 550 people joined the celebrations at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre, where the evening was hosted by highly respected TV presenters Hazel Irvine and Dougie Vipond, with funds raised for the Scottish Commonwealth Games Youth Trust.

2018 AWARD WINNERS

Scottish Sportsperson of the Year – Emirates Lonsdale Trophy: Duncan Scott, Swimmng

Male Athlete of the Year – sponsored by Brand Oath: Duncan Scott, Swimming

Female Athlete of the Year – sponsored by J Thomson Colour Printers: Laura Muir, Athletics

Para-Sport Athlete of the Year – sponsored by sportscotland: Neil Fachie with Matt Rotherham, Para-Cycling

Young Athlete of the Year – Sir Peter Heatly Trophy, sponsored by Scottish Commonwealth Games Youth Trust: Lucas Thomson, Diving

Team of the Year – sponsored by PSL Team Sports: Scotland Men’s Rugby

Coach of the Year – sponsored by University of Stirling: Steven Tigg, Swimming

Sporting Moment of the Year – sponsored by Aberdeen Standard Investments:

Scotland’s win over England in One Day International Cricket

Volunteer of the Year – sponsored by QTV Sports: Jim Hay, Squash

Governing Body of the Year – sponsored by Eden Mill and Fever Tree: Scottish Cycling

Community Hub, Club or School of the Year – sponsored by Active Scotland: SAPC Community Sports Hub

Lifetime Achievement – sponsored by Commonwealth Games Scotland: Alex Marshall MBE, Lawn Bowls

Team Scot of the Year – sponsored by Commonwealth Games Scotland: David Smith MBE, Para-Cycling

Year of Young People Award – sponsored by Young Scot: Kamil Cybulski, Basketball

The finalists have been revealed in ten hotly contested award categories, as anticipation continues to mount ahead of the Team Scotland Scottish Sports Awards at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre on Thursday 13 September. From dozens of nominations received and thousands of votes cast in an online poll, the top contenders in the running for awards have been named.

A host of Scotland’s top athletes will be in attendance on the evening, including many of the medallists from the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games and the recent European Championships. They will be joined by leaders from the worlds of sport and business to celebrate a golden year for Scottish sport, recognising the stunning achievements of individuals, schools, clubs and teams across the whole country. This special night of inspiration and entertainment will be hosted by respected television presenters Hazel Irvine and Dougie Vipond, with funds being raised for the Scottish Commonwealth Games Youth Trust.

Awarded to the individual athlete whose achievement represents excellence in sport at the highest level, winners of Male Athlete, Female Athlete, Para-Sport Athlete and Young Athlete of the Year will go forward with a chance to add their name to the historic Emirates Lonsdale Trophy as the 2018 Scottish Sportsperson of the Year. The winner will follow in the footsteps of past recipients including six-time winner, Sir Chris Hoy.

In the running are swimmer Duncan Scott, whose six medals in Gold Coast make him Scotland’s most successful athlete at a single Games and bowler Alex Marshall MBE, whose record fifth gold medal on the Australian greens makes him Scotland’s most successful Commonwealth Games athlete of all-time. They are joined by a host of Commonwealth Games and European Championships medallists, including fellow Gold Coast history maker Grace Reid, whose Diving gold was Scotland’s first for 60 years and a first ever in the women’s events and cyclist, Katie Archibald.

Scotland’s emerging stars create a strong line-up of finalists for Young Athlete of the Year with diver Lucas Thomson and triathlete Erin Wallace, who both made their senior Commonwealth Games debut in Gold Coast, joined on the shortlist by European Youth 1500m champion Kane Elliott and World Youth Windsurfing champion Islay Watson. Scotland’s team sports have also been in fine form, with Rugby, Football, Basketball and Lawn Bowls represented on the shortlist for Team of the Year.

As we honour Scotland’s sporting heroes, those who have worked behind the scenes to guide them to unprecedented success over the past 12 months will also step into the limelight, with outstanding candidates named as finalists for Coach of the Year.

Also recognised are the organisations and individuals making a difference to Scottish sport from the grassroots to international level. The standard of nominations for Governing Body of the Year, Community Hub, Club or School of the Year and Volunteer of the Year were particularly strong with tough decisions faced by the judging panel to narrow it down to just three finalists.

The Scottish public have come out in force to vote for Scotland’s Sporting Moment of the Year in an online poll to decide which Scottish sporting performance over the last 12 months deserves to take the title. From a shortlist of seven, the winner will be announced on Awards night.

Paul Bush OBE, Chair, Commonwealth Games Scotland, said: “2018 has been a standout year for Scottish sport, with a packed schedule of major events including the Commonwealth Games, Winter Olympics and Paralympics and a European Championships on home soil in Glasgow.

“From athletes performing at the highest level to the organisations helping people take their first steps into physical activity, the individuals and teams shortlisted represent the absolute pinnacle of achievement in sport. I look forward to celebrating with them at our very own Scottish Sporting Oscars, on what will be a memorable and inspirational evening.”

Category Finalists

Male Athlete of the Year – supported by Brand Oath

Alex Marshall MBE (Lawn Bowls)

Duncan Scott (Swimming)

Mark Stewart (Cycling)

Jake Wightman (Athletics)

Female Athlete of the Year – supported by J Thomson Colour Printers

Katie Archibald (Cycling)

Laura Muir (Athletics)

Grace Reid (Diving)

Para-Sport Athlete of the Year – supported by sportscotland

Neil Fachie with Matt Rotherham (Cycling)

Alison Patrick with Hannah Drewett / Nicole Walters (Triathlon)

Toni Shaw (Swimming)

Team of the Year – supported by PSL Team Sports

Team Scotland Basketball, Gold Coast 2018

Celtic Football Club

Team Scotland Lawn Bowls, Gold Coast 2018

Scotland Men’s Rugby

Young Athlete of the Year – supported by the Scottish Commonwealth Games Youth Trust

Kane Elliott (Athletics)

Lucas Thomson (Diving)

Erin Wallace (Athletics/Triathlon)

Islay Watson (Windsurfing)

Coach of the Year – supported by University of Stirling

Lesley McKenna (Snowsports)

Steven Tigg (Swimming)

Andy Young (Athletics)

Volunteer of the Year – supported by QTV Sports

Kamil Cybulski (Basketball)

Janice Eaglesham (Disability Sport)

Jim Hay (Squash)

Community Hub / School / Club of the Year – supported by Active Scotland

SAPC Community Sports Hub

Team East Lothian Athletics Club

Tryst Community Sports Hub / Larbert High School

Governing Body of the Year

Cricket Scotland

Scottish Cycling

Scottish Disability Sport

Sporting Moment of the Year – supported by Aberdeen Standard Investments

Cycling: Mark Stewart wins Points Race gold at Gold Coast 2018, beating five-time World Champion Cameron Mayer.

Lawn Bowls: Scotland’s Men’s Fours snatch victory over Australia in the final end of the Gold Coast 2018 final, a record fifth Commonwealth Games gold for Alex Marshall MBE.

Diving: Grace Reid nails her final dive of the Gold Coast 2018 1m Springboard final to take Scotland’s first diving gold for 60 years and a first ever in the women’s events.

Cricket: Scotland stun England in One Day International Cricket with a historic victory on home soil over the number one ranked side in the world.

Swimming: Duncan Scott wins 100m Freestyle gold in Gold Coast, coming from behind to beat Australian Olympic Champion Kyle Chalmers and multiple world and Olympic medallist Chad Le Clos.

Athletics: Laura Muir, newly qualified as a vet, storms away from the field to take 1500m gold at the European Championships, her first outdoor major championship title.

Triathlon: Marc Austin takes Scotland’s first medal of Gold Coast 2018 in impressive style, dropping World and Olympic medallists the Brownlee brothers on route to the podium.

Gold Coast 2018 Badminton athlete, turned coffee company owner, Patrick MacHugh will be a proud event partner at this year’s Team Scotland Scottish Sports Awards.

Patrick’s successful Badminton career took him to his second Commonwealth Games earlier this year on the Gold Coast. He also took gold in both Men’s and Mixed Doubles at the 2017 Scottish Championships and began 2018 with silver at the Swedish International.

Now taking the hipster world of coffee by storm, Patrick, along with his brother Finlay and British Curling athlete Ross Patterson, set up Power Press Coffee back in February.

We caught up with Patrick to hear all about it:

Congratulations on starting your own business. My first question has to be, why coffee?

“I started drinking coffee, maybe 3 years ago now and could feel myself more alert in training after having one. On top of this my brother, Finlay and also Ross all drank coffee and we just started to do a bit of research in to the effects of caffeine for performance. As we are all involved in sport, it was something that was really interesting for us.”

What’s it like switching from being a full time athlete to a business owner?

“The main thing I have noticed is that my days are a lot less structured. For the previous 8 years I was in the routine of training from about 8am-11am followed by a lengthy lunch break and then back to training 2pm-4pm. But I am enjoying the odd longer lie in and the freedom to meet a whole variety of people throughout the week. Going in to the business world it is a new challenge and one that I am so far really enjoying getting stuck in to. As our coffee is designed towards sports people, a lot of our events so far have taken place in gyms, in particular CrossFit gyms, so I have joined in sessions while doing these and they have been very tough but enjoyable trying something else out as well.”

Do you miss being a full-time athlete?

“As an athlete I was very fortunate to be able to travel to a number of different countries (some that I probably wouldn’t have thought I’d ever go to) so I will miss seeing these places and the people you meet, not only in the badminton world, but through the sportscotland Institute of Sport as well. For me though, I had done everything I had wanted to do within the sport and I was looking forward to this new challenge of running the business – we set it up in February of this year so we got the ball rolling with it before I stopped playing.”

What is your average day like now?

“My days are so varied which keeps it really interesting. Some days I am out doing events, coffee tastings with prospective clients, networking events, meeting with suppliers – these are the parts I particularly enjoy as I get to meet a whole range of people and share our product and idea with them. The other side of things, and one I’m getting used to doing more often, is accounting related things (I tried to avoid this when I was at uni). A lot of time is also spent contacting people via email or phone but we have been fortunate with our backgrounds in sport that we have been able to connect with a lot of businesses and people relatively easily.”

Coffee is so hipster/Instagram cool these days, what makes you stand out in the market from everyone else?

“That is probably the main question I get when I am out at events is “what makes you different?” For us, the presence of the hipster coffee shop has increased hugely on the high street which I think is great – it’s creating a whole new culture in young people to meet in places like these. Where we are different is that we are gearing it more towards the sporting and business environments with the aim of using caffeine to get the best out of your day in the office or your session in the gym.

“We have been working closely with The University of Strathclyde to get our coffees tested for their caffeine content. We have just got these results back, so on the back of that people will be able to time their coffee consumption prior to their session or important meeting in order to be at their most alert. Something that isn’t considered much is finding a consumption of coffee that works for you so you don’t have a massive spike in energy then crash later on in the day. People watch calories in their diet and time consumption of food before training, so effectively it is the same that needs to be done for your coffee consumption. On top of that, it is a natural product with nothing added to it to bring the different flavours out and we want to encourage people (especially sports people) to use it as their pre session drink over the likes of pre workout supplements or energy drinks that are often full of chemicals or sugar.”

What is your five year plan?

“The five year plan is to continue growing Power Press Coffee – we are still at the very early stages of this and especially over the next 6 months we will be looking to raise awareness of the brand and company. Which is why opportunities like coming to the Team Scotland Awards are so valuable for us. Currently, we are in the process of making a cold brew coffee (100ml bottle) that will be released shortly. Going forward we will be looking to start attending more large events, both in the fitness industry and business environment.

“For me personally, I am still doing some badminton coaching on the side of day-to-day running of the business and look to gain some other work experience in marketing, hopefully within the sporting world. Even having done a marketing degree at university, every day I am faced with new challenges. Expanding my own knowledge is something I think is key to growing myself as a person and in turn helping grow the business.”

Finally, do you have any wise words of wisdom for anyone thinking of starting their own business?

“Just do it!! If you’ve got a good business idea then I think it is a great step to take. In the 7/8 months we’ve been going it is so satisfying when you achieve things, however small or large. Don’t get me wrong, there are of course times when you are working and working and the reward is minimal, but I think having been an athlete prepares you very well if you start your own business – you know and are willing to put in the hours to get the rewards – and an added bonus is I’ve stopped waking up every morning with my body in all sorts of pain from training!”

Patrick and his team will be at the EICC on the 13 September for this year’s Team Scotland Scottish Sports Awards, where you can try Power Press Coffee for yourself.

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).

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