The Mussabini Medal was a sports award recognising the coaches of British sports people and teams, named after Sam Mussabini. Mussabini, who died in 1927, is considered to be the first professional (paid) coach in sport, breaking the occupation's amateur (voluntary) public school roots. Introduced in 1998, it was awarded annually as part of the UK Coaching Awards organised by sports coach UK (the National Coaching Foundation) until 2007, when the 2008 awards categories onwards were renamed and expanded as part of the launch of the UK Coaching Framework.
History and significance The Mussabini Medal celebrated "the contribution of coaches of UK performers who have achieved outstanding success on the world stage." Along with the Mussabini Medal, there also existed The Dyson Award, for "individuals who have made a sustained and significant contribution to the development and management of coaching and individual coaches in the UK". This award was named after Geoff Dyson, the first chief national athletics coach, who died in 1981.
The Mussabini Medal was introduced in conjunction with the launch of the Coaching Hall of Fame. The medal and associated awards were launched to raise the profile of coaches, and increase the financial backing to enhance the profession, still seen at the time as a largely amateur vocation in spite of Mussabini's pioneering example. Speaking at the inaugural presentation the patron of the Foundation the Princess Royal stated that "Coaching and the work of individual coaches lies at the heart of sport, Yet all too often the role and contribution of the coach remains unrecognised and unacknowledged".
The Mussabini Medal was awarded to solely British coaches in the first two years, with 2000 being the first time foreign coaches of British athletes were recognised.
Winners YearMussabini Medal winnersDyson Award winnersRef2007 Ian Armiger – Director of Swimming, Loughborough University Billy Graham – Boxing Coach (Ricky Hatton) Kevin Bowring – Head of Elite Coach Development, Rugby Union Susan Woodhouse – Squash Coach2006 John Griffiths – Dragon Boat Racing Gill Watson – Equestrian Amanda Kirby – Gymnastics Chris Gowers – Sailing David Clarke – Archery Anne Baker – Hockey2005 Troy Cooley, England Fast Bowling Coach – Cricket Yogi Breisner, British Eventing Team Performance Manager – Equestrian Kenneth Clawson, British Eventing Team Show Jumping Coach – Equestrian Tracie Robinson, British Eventing Team Dressage Coach – Equestrian Mike Ruddock – Welsh Rugby Union Coach Ron Needs – Amateur Rowing Association Coach Christine Still – Director of Coaching for Scottish Gymnastics Bobbie Trafford – Coach Developer Penny Crisfield – Coach Educator Gordon Lord – Coach Educator, Cricket2004 Terry Edwards – Boxing Eric Farrell – Canoeing Duncan Fletcher – Cricket Jurg Gotz – Canoeing Simon Jones – Cycling Steve Perks – Athletics Paul Thompson – Rowing Malcolm Willstrop – Squash Derek Allison – Orienteering2003 Terry Denison – Swimming Lyndon Lynch – Football Jane Goldsmith – Equestrian George Gandy – Athletics Colin Hood – Paralympic Swimming David Shaw – Rugby Lloyd Readhead – Gymnastics2002 John Anderson – Athletics Mike Hay – Curling Russell Keiller – Curling Wilf Paish – Athletics John Jacobs – Golf Doug Dailey – Cycling Penny Chuter – Rowing Jenny Bott – Gymnastics Adrian Stan – Gymnastics Ray Williams – Rugby Union2001 Alan Edge – Canoeing Roland Lawler – Canoeing Ron Roddan – Athletics Rosemary and Alex Stanton – Athletics Tom McNab – Athletics Micky Stewart – Cricket Chalkie White – Rugby Union Craig Brown – Football Howard Wilkinson – Football Heather Crouch – Netball Rex Hazeldine – Coach Rod Thorpe – Coach Educator2000 Jenni Banks – Paralympic Athletics David Pearson – Squash Neil Harvey – Squash Ray Knight – Paralympic Athletics Peter Stanley & Norman Anderson – Athletics Charles van Commenee – Athletics Jan Bártů & Istvan Nemeth – Modern Pentathlon Tony Burns – Boxing Ian Coley – Double Trap Shooting Mark Littlejohn – Sailing John Derbyshire – Sailing Dave Howlett – Sailing Martin McElroy – Rowing Jurgen Grobler – Rowing Anne Pankhurst – Tennis Ann Cutcliffe – Paralympic Dressage Clive Durran – Paralympic Swimming David Tillotson – British Paralympic Association Rod Carr – Sailing Peter Keen – Cycling David Tanner – Rowing1999 Billy Cusack – Judo Jim Telfer & Ian McGeechan – Rugby Union Malcolm Arnold – Athletics Peter Keen – Cycling Sir Alex Ferguson – Football Steve Pullen – Judo John Atkinson – Gymnastics Geoff Good – Canoeing Maeve Kyle – Athletics Tom Cartwright – Cricket Sir Walter Winterbottom – Football Don Rutherford – Rugby Union1998 Ron Pickering – Athletics Sir Alf Ramsey – Football Peggy Potts – Hockey Kevin Hickey – Boxing David Whitaker – Hockey Mike Spracklen – Rowing Allen Wade – Football Betty Galsworthy – Netball Betty Callaway – Ice Skating Helen Elkington – Swimming Jim Greenwood – Rugby Union Frank Dick – Athletics
See also List of sport awards Sport in the United Kingdom UK Sport (public body)
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