Nordoff Robbins Scottish Sporting Awards: Who’s nominated for Coach of the Year and Breakthrough Performance of the Year

IT is less than two weeks until the Nordoff Robbins Scottish Sporting Awards.

Over the past five weeks, we have brought you nominees from categories including Team Performance of the Year, Unsung Sporting Hero, and Parasport Personality of the Year.

This week, we asked you to find Scottish sport’s Breakthrough Performance of the Year, as well as its Coach of the Year – and they are invited to Prestonfield House Hotel in Edinburgh on Friday, March 23.

And you can join us next week when we reveal the Scottish sporting heroes who will be receiving our Outstanding Achievement in Sport, and Sporting Ambassador awards.

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Coach of the Year

Judy Murray

Her sons are British tennis superstars.

Now Judy Murray aims to set the nation’s daughters on the same path.

Her “She Rallies” initiative aims to create opportunities in tennis for women and girls from grassroots through to international level.

Judy’s passion makes her just the person to “rally” tennis’ female troops.

 

Andy Young

Laura Muir rightly receives the accolades.

But Andy Young is worthy of acclaim for his relentless work with the Scots star.

Over six-and-a-half years, Young has helped Muir become one of the top middle-distance runners in the world.

Her two medals at the World Indoor Championships are merely the latest products of a fruitful partnership.

 

Ann Dickson

After a lifetime spent coaching swimmers, Ann Dickson keeps delivering.

Two of the Perth City Swim Club stalwart’s athletes – Olympic silver medallist Stephen Milne and rookie Scott McLay – will represent Scotland at the Common-wealth Games next month. Ann will be there too as a Team Scotland coach.

 

Adrienne Hunter

Growing Glasgow Fever Basketball Club’s membership from 10 to 300 has taken eight years.

But Adrienne Hunter still isn’t finished.

Her determination to provide opportunities for more people – of every age, sex and gender – to get involved in sport ought to inspire us all.

 

Breakthrough of the Year

 

Josh Taylor

2017 was the year Josh Taylor’s world title dream came into focus.

Four fights, four wins, three successful Commonwealth title defences and a WBC Silver title victory got the boxing world believing the “Tartan Tornado” is ready for his shot.

But Scots fight fans know those just waking up to Josh are late to the party.

Bradley Neil

The pressure was enormous.

November 2017, Oman, the final event of golf’s Challenge Tour, and a four-foot putt stands between Blairgowrie golfer Bradley Neil and a precious European Tour card.

Most would have crumbled, but he kept his cool, sunk it, and earned his shot at golf’s big guns.

Tug-of-war team

They spent the year pulling their way to national titles.

Now Scotland’s tug-of-war team has hauled its way onto the international stage at the Indoor World Championships in China.

It isn’t a sport that hits the headlines, but that makes the impact these Scots have made all the more impressive.

Ieuan James

He’s a kid with “podium potential”, according to British Canoeing.

And Ieuan James is already living up to the billing.

The 18-year-old from Edinburgh became Britain’s first canoe sprint world junior champion in 22 years after relocating to Nottingham to train at the National Water Sports Centre.

His goal is to become Olympic champion.