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Derbyshire School Sports Awards celebrate pupils’ achievements

25 September 2009

The event is organised by the Derbyshire Schools’ Sports Association (DSSA), and was hosted by the University of Derby at The Dome in Buxton.

The University of Derby supported the awards by providing the venue for the event.

More than 150 guests, including teachers, pupils and their families, gathered to see awards presented for individual and team achievements in a wide variety of sports, including athletics, hockey, badminton, football, snooker and ice skating.

The valuable contribution made by student and adult volunteers was also recognised, and several young promising stars received John Bainbridge Award Grants of £50 each.

Guest of honour was World Bobsleigh Champion Nicola Minichiello, from Derbyshire, who presented the awards to the individual winners. 

This year’s Sportsperson of the Year (Secondary) was 13-year-old Hannah Jones (pictured), from Ecclesbourne School, for her achievements in snooker.

Hannah, currently No.10 in the world rankings, won the World Ladies Junior Championship in 2007 and 2008 and also won the World Ladies Doubles Championship in 2008.

The Sportsperson of the Year (Primary) was Sophia Nasser from Gorseybrigg Primary School in Dronfield.

Nine-year-old Sophia competes nationally in ice figure skating, and skated to her first gold medal position in April, having won bronze medals at three previous competitions.

Highly commended in the Sportsperson of the Year (Secondary) category was boccia player Beth Foster from Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School; Luke Sayles from Anthony Gell School who has achieved success in basketball, fencing and table tennis; kickboxer Craig Canning from Shirebrook School; shot putter Yasmin Spencer from Lady Manners School and Emma Erskine, from Highfields School, who competes in kickboxing and cross country.

Highly commended in the Sportsperson of the Year (Primary) category was badminton player James Pinder from Gorseybrigg Primary School, and Matthew Redfern from Overseal Primary School, who competes in race walking.

A joint award for Team of the Year (Secondary) was presented to the U17 girls county hockey team, and the Derbyshire intermediate girls athletics team.

The U17 girls county hockey team was crowned National Champions for the second year running after triumphing at the finals in Cannock, having previously won the Midlands tournament. The team included players from various schools including Ecclesbourne School, Highfields School, Lady Manners School, Anthony Gell School, Tupton Hall School and Derby High School.

Meanwhile the Derbyshire intermediate girls athletics team won the team title after scoring the most points at the English Schools Championships in Birmingham last year.

The winner of the Team of the Year (Primary) award was the Walter Evans C of E Primary School football team. The team was undefeated in 20 games in the five-a-side Derbyshire Primary Schools Tournament before going on to win the regional final. The team also won an U11 six-a-side competition which saw more than 80 schools compete, and made the final of a regional competition – finally being defeated on penalties.

Highly commended in the Team of the Year (Secondary) category was the Derbyshire intermediate boys athletics team, who were runners-up in the English Schools intermediate octathlon team competition.

Highly commended in the Team of the Year (Primary) category was the Holmgate Primary School tag rugby squad, which was crowned county champions for a third successive year in April.

The award for Student Volunteer of the Year went to Oliver Hooper, from Brookfield Community School, who was highly commended in the same category last year.

Oliver, (17), was one of six young volunteers nationally to be chosen to go to Olympia, home of the Olympic Games in Greece, with the Youth Sport Trust. He was chosen in recognition of his work as a Young Ambassador and Sports Leader, which includes managing and coaching Brookfield’s Year 7 netball team who were recently crowned district champions.

Oliver has also set up a successful cheerleading club at the school and is a member of the England Netball Advisory Group.

Highly commended in the Student Volunteer category was Rebecca Bryan from Highfields School, who has given up more than 350 volunteer hours in the past year, and Christopher Rushworth from Buxton Community School who has various volunteering roles including coaching athletics and helping deliver sports festivals in local schools.

Three adult volunteers were also recognised for their contribution to school sport.

Simon Ord from Chellaston School won the Adult Volunteer of the Year (Secondary) award for his work over a number of years, which includes organising the Derby City Athletics Championships and city-wide basketball camps, and serving as a member of the Derby City School Sports Association and Derby Schools Rugby Association.

In the same category Jerry Hall from Noel Baker Community School was highly commended for his work in athletics, which has seen him managing teams, coaching individuals and organising events for many years.

Lorraine Brailsford from Firs Estate Primary School won the Adult Volunteer of the Year (Primary) award in recognition of her work, which includes coaching netball and organising High 5 leagues, netball workshops and the annual Firs Estate Sports Festival.

The evening also saw John Bainbridge Award Grants of £50 each presented to some of the county’s most promising young sports stars.

They were:

• Rizwan Akhtar (Boxing) – Bemrose School, Derby

• Emma Erskine (Kickboxing) – Highfields School, Matlock

• Yasmin Miller (Athletics) – Saint Benedict Catholic School and Performing Arts College, Derby

• Sophia Nasser (Ice Skating) – Gorseybrigg Primary School, Dronfield

• James Pinder (Badminton) – Gorseybrigg Primary School, Dronfield

• Matthew Redfern (Race Walking) – Overseal Primary School, Swadlincote

• Emily Thoday (Cycling) – Highfields School, Matlock

• Beth Foster (Boccia) – Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School, Ashbourne

• Luke Sayles (Various) – Anthony Gell School, Wirksworth

• Hannah Jones (Snooker) – Ecclesbourne School, Belper

The grants are awarded annually in memory of John Bainbridge, who died of a heart attack in 2004 aged 51. John was head of sport and recreation at Wilsthorpe Community School in Long Eaton and played a leading role in setting up the Derbyshire School Sports Awards.

The awards celebrated the achievements within school sport in Derbyshire, and all those nominated were put forward by their schools.

Chair of DSSA Suzanne Meehan said: “This has been a fantastic year for school sport in Derbyshire and it is important to recognise and celebrate the talent and achievements of young people across the county.

“These awards are also a great way of rewarding the hard work and dedication of some of the dedicated volunteers, without whom many of the sporting opportunities enjoyed by young people in our schools would not be possible.”