A SCHOOL rugby from west Wiltshire has been announced as a finalist for this year’s UK Coaching Awards.

Tom Bowen-Hall, the head of rugby for Mad Dog Sport at Melksham Oak Community School in Melksham, has been nominated for Children & Young People’s Coach of the Year. He is a level 3 RFU coach.

The showpiece event, seen as one of the most prestigious within the coaching community, will be held virtually on Thursday, December 3 to honour and reward the work of coaches across the UK.

The annual awards ceremony aims to recognise the contribution coaches make in transforming lives in communities nationwide – especially poignant this year, against the backdrop of the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic.

Mr Bowen-Hall was nominated for going above and beyond the call of duty for his students during lockdown, providing a fantastic virtual experience whilst face-to-face training and physical games weren’t allowed.

He said: “I take massive pride in being a finalist of the UK Coaching Children and Young People’s Coach of the Year.

"To be noticed by my colleagues and peers means a huge amount to me and is a real honour.

"I am incredibly lucky with the work that I get to do and to be around the young people that I get to coach on a daily basis.

"This isn’t a job that I do for awards or commendation but because I love the work and I love being able to coach on a daily basis - seeing people develop, gain confidence and become a better version of themselves whilst creating shared memories.

"Thank you to the players, coaches, mentors and family that have helped me to this point; it will always be appreciated.”

UK Coaching’s director of coaching Emma Atkins, added: “The UK Coaching Awards is a true highlight of the year and although December’s event will look slightly different, it is more important than ever to recognise the outstanding contributions of coaches in communities across the country this year.

“Over three million people regularly coach across the UK and I’ve been absolutely blown away with how quickly coaches were able to adapt during the pandemic to continue meeting the needs of their participants, from grassroots to elite level.

“I would like to offer huge congratulations to Tom and all of those who have been nominated for awards. The standard of nominations we received this year was extraordinary, demonstrating the impact that great coaches have had this year.

“Thank you to all our coaches across the UK, and to our finalists. We are all looking forward to celebrating your achievements in December.”

To find out more about all of this year’s finalists and how to book tickets for the virtual event go to www.ukcoaching.org/coachingawards.