Active Schools Virtual Awards: Young Coach of the Year

Tom Griffin

Tom delivers the School of Basketball at Tynecastle HS as part of West Edinburgh Warriors Basketball Club working with pupils who have low attainment and attendance but have an interest in sport. The Warriors Academy is a project in the cluster primaries which sees Tom working with groups of targeted P6/P7 pupils.  The purpose of these sessions is to develop concentration and team work skills. The club also run programmes during holiday periods for both primary and high school children where Tom is lead coach.  He has educated and trained many of the HS senior pupils to assist with basketball sessions within the cluster. The Club has supported these pupils to gain their coaching qualifications. Basketball is the most established sport within the cluster, due to the hard work of Tom and the West Edinburgh Warriors Basketball Club.  

Nicole Kosman

Nicole is a former Holy Rood RC HS pupil who has supported the Volleyball after school club for several years. Nicole has really made a difference by increasing the high school sessions to accommodate different pupils’ timetables outside of school. Nicole is a kind and reliable coach with outstanding organisation and time keeping skills. She takes great pride in her sessions and comes prepared to deliver with her passion for volleyball shining through. Nicole has helped gain funding for new indoor and outdoor equipment for the high school. She has contributed a great deal to growing volleyball within the cluster and enjoys seeing pupils participating at all levels.  She is a positive role model to many pupils and is committed to sharing her knowledge of the sport for all who want to learn.

Katie Finlay

Katie became involved with Active Schools as a Young Ambassador (YA) and has excelled in every role she has taken on.  Katie led the Young Ambassador group at Forrester HS and was instrumental in organising events, clubs and setting up new activities.  Katie is a former pupil of Broomhouse PS and continuously inspires other pupils from her area to realise what can be achieved with hard work.  She regularly volunteers to return to the school and leads events and programmes for all pupils.  Katie is an amazing young coach and gives up so much time to volunteer in many different ways.  She is an outstanding role model due to her dedication, commitment and ethos in sport.  She shows initiative and takes on every task with a positive attitude no matter how challenging the situation is.