Nomination period open for US Sailing’s 2014 Coach of the Year Awards

by Will Ricketson on 5 Dec 2014 US Sailing’s Olympic Sailing Committee (OSC) today announced that the nomination period has opened for the 2014 US Sailing Coach of the Year Awards. The OSC will honor coaches in five categories who have distinguished themselves at the youth, national and international levels.

The awards are a part of the United States Olympic Committee’s (USOC) Coach Recognition Program, which highlights the accomplishments and contributions of U.S. coaches who train athletes at all levels of Olympic and Paralympic sports. In 2013, the National Coach of the Year Award was given to Mark Ivey (Tiburon, Calif.), who won it for a second time.

'Good coaching is a critical component of building the base of sailing talent in the US, and the OSC is privileged to hand out these awards each year,' said Benjamin Richardson, Chairman of the US Olympic Sailing Committee. 'After a year in which American sailors distinguished themselves on many levels of the sport, we expect to have some very strong nominees.'

Nominations will be accepted from the public until December 31, 2014, via e-mail to nominations@ussailing.org.

Each nomination should include the following information:

• Which of the five coaching awards (see below) the individual is being nominated for
• The nominee’s 2014 coaching record
• Honors or recognitions received by the nominee in 2014
• A description of the nominee’s service and support to the sport in 2014
• Contact information, including a phone number and email address, for both the nominator and the nominee

All accomplishments eligible for review by the panel are required to have taken place in 2014. Additionally, each nominee must be actively coaching in 2014, or be less than one year removed from their date of retirement.

National Coach of the Year nominations fall into five categories:

1. National Coach of the Year

A National Coach of the Year nominee is a coach of an Elite Level Club, Collegiate, Pan-Am Championship or Olympic Games coach or the coach of an elite athlete who competes at the highest level in sailing. Nominations should include details about the performance of the nominee’s athletes, including national and world championship medals, the caliber of the wins and/or the extraordinary measure of the wins. Previous winners of sailing’s National Coach of the Year Award include Michael Callahan (Washington, D.C.), Mark Ivey (Tiburon, Calif.), Betsy Alison (Newport, R.I.), Bill Ward (Newport Beach, Calif.), Zachary Leonard (Branford, CT), Rollin 'Skip' Whyte (Wickford, R.I.), Roger 'Scott' Ikle (Geneva, N.Y.), Serge Jorgensen (Sarasota, Fla.), Jay Glaser (Long Beach, Calif.) and Luther Carpenter (La Porte, Texas).

2. Volunteer Coach of the Year

A Volunteer Coach of the Year Nominee is a coach who does not receive payment in any form for their involvement in coaching at any level. Previous winners of sailing’s Volunteer Coach of the Year Award include Greg Koman (Burlington, Vt.), Carrie Rohde (Richmond Hill, Ga.), Matt Dubois (Grosse Ile, Mich.), Ryan Hamm (Charleston, S.C.), Susan Kaseler (Bainbridge Island, Wash.) and T. Park McRitchie (Port Clinton, Ohio).

3. Development Coach of the Year

A Development Coach of the Year nominee is a coach of youth club, high school or junior-level coach, or a coach directly responsible for coaching athletes to the junior and/ or elite level. Previous winners of sailing’s Developmental Coach of the Year Award include Steve Keen (Stamford, Conn.), Jay Kehoe (Annapolis, Md.) Ryan Minth (New York, N.Y.), Brett Davis (Naples, Fla.), Ben Glass (Seattle, Wash.), Duffy Markham (Wellesley, Mass.), Tom Coleman (Hixson, Tenn.), Rob Hallawell (Marblehead, Mass./Coronado, Calif.), Brian Doyle (Darien, Conn./Hanover, N.H.), Amy Gross-Kehoe (Bayville, N.Y.), Adam Werblow (St. Mary's, Md.) and Mike Zani (Bristol, R.I.).

4. Paralympic Coach of the Year

A Paralympic Coach of the Year nominee is a coach of an Elite Level Club, Collegiate, Pan-Am, World Championship or Olympic Games coach or the coach of a Paralympic class athlete who competes at the highest level of sailing. Nominations should include details about the performance of the nominee’s athletes, including national and world championship medals, the caliber of the wins and/or the extraordinary measure of the wins.

5. 'Doc' Counsilman Science Award

The nominee for this award is a coach that utilizes scientific techniques/ equipment as an integral part of his/her coaching methods, or has created innovative ways to use sport science. The 'use of science in sport' includes, but is not limited to, biomechanics, nutrition, psychology, strength and conditioning, exercise physiology, etc.

In early 2015, the OSC will announce the winners of US Sailing’s 2014 Coach of the Year Awards. The committee will then submit the list of honorees to the USOC for potential recognition as Coach of the Year Awards recipients across all Olympic and Paralympic sports. The USOC will announce the National Coach of the Year Award sometime in the late spring.

The goals of the USOC’s Coaching Recognition Program are to recognize the accomplishments and contributions coaches make to sports at all levels of athlete development and to elevate the status of coaching as a profession.

For more information about these awards or to submit a nomination, please e-mail nominations@ussailing.org.