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2008 Finalist Coaches Announced
Sport Northern Ireland received hundreds of nominations for the 2008 Coach of the Year
Awards, sponsored by Podium4Sport.
Three finalists in each of the five categories have
now been chosen and will attend a gala awards dinner on Tuesday 10th June at the
University of Ulster, Jordanstown. The overall Coach of the Year winner will be announced
on the night, but one nominee, Jim Berry of Carrickfergus Special Olympics Football Club says it’s an honour to have been nominated.
“I had no idea a colleague had nominated me and I think that was the case for many of the
coaches. It was lovely surprise, and then to hear that I had been shortlisted as a finalist is
just superb. The awards dinner will be quite emotional and it’s a fitting tribute to all the
coaches and volunteers across Northern Ireland who give up their spare time to help
athletes of all ages and all abilities.”
The five Coach of the Year categories are: Youth sport; Young Athlete Development;
Performance Athletes; Disability; and Lifetime Contribution.
Eamonn McCartan, Chief Executive of Sport Northern Ireland, commented: “The Coach of t
he Year Awards aim to raise not only the profile of coaches, but also to acknowledge and
ommend the contribution that they make to the success of sportsmen and women. Their
dedication and inspiration helps build more active and healthy communities and it is vital
that we recognise their achievements.”
Finalists for the 2008 Coach of the Year Awards sponsored by Podium4Sport are:
Youth Sport
Joe Norwood – Football
Carl Bailie – Swimming
Owen Lambert – rugby
Young Athlete Development
Dr Ian Walker – Volleyball
Greg McCann – Orienteering
Jacqueline Portis – Netball
Performance Athletes
Patrick McKillop – Athletics
Jing Yi Gao – Table tennis
Brendan Mulhulland – Swimming
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Disability
Gerard McAnulty – GAA
Jim Berry – Football
Patricia Fearon – Trampolining
Lifetime Contribution
Jim Nelson – GAA
William Robert Hollinger – Athletics
Brian Walsh – Cricket
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