Kirsty shares national sports coaching award
Fort William’s Kirsty Delaney has been crowned joint winner of the Young Coach of the Year at the 2019 2019 Highland Coaching, Officiating and Volunteering Awards.
Hosted at Highland Rugby Football Club’s premises at Canal Park, Inverness, this month, the awards are run by High Life Highland in partnership with sportscotland to recognise the outstanding contribution and significant impact of local coaches.
This year organisers received 36 nominations, the most across all 32 local authorities in Scotland.
Two young leaders from Nairn – Benjamin Dudley and Corrie Bell – read out the winners’ accomplishments, and trophies and certificates were presented by Steve Walsh, chief executive for High Life Highland.
As part of the Active Schools programme, Kirsty – who shares the award with Inverness tennis coach Jana Brady – regularly coaches football, shinty, gymnastics and multisport, as well as running sessions for autistic children and helping to mentor young sports leaders.
She also coaches shinty at Lundavra Primary School as a volunteer and selects and manages school team which attends interschool competitions.
She is a talented coach and sports woman and was described as having ‘a wonderful manner with young people and is able to bring out the best in them’.
The awards ceremony heard Kirsty is respected by the youngsters she works with and, by making training fun, is able to inspire them to work harder and achieve more.
She is the captain of Lochaber Camanachd Club women’s team and is an inspiration to her team-mates on and off the field.
She encourages younger players to get involved, offering transport and other support to those too young to drive. Four primary aged pupils who attend Active