Heroes honoured at Kettering Sports Awards 2017

The awards ceremony took place on Thursday, October 26, at Wicksteed Park.

Congratulations to all of the winners!

Young Leader of the Year: Harry Bolton, Geddington Cricket Club.

Harry Bolton has been with Geddington Cricket Club since 2009 in the under 11s and represented the 1st XI in the Premier Division this season.

Harry completed his ECB level 1 coaching badge and is now coach and manager for the under 11s team, where parents have commended him on his patience, dedication and ability to communicate with them at their level.

Nominees: Emma Storey, Harriet Palmer, Katie Gibson, Jodie Lovell.

Volunteer of the Year: Victoria Bell, Kettering Cycling Club.

Kettering Cyclones is dedicated to giving young riders of all ages, free off road cycling coaching.

In the past two years Victoria has helped raise funds for 30 bikes, coaching equipment, floodlights, a trailer, gazebos and venue hire.

She is the glue that sticks the whole club together, organising ClubMark processes and procedures, running events and tirelessly promoting the club.

Nominees: Amanda Short, Mark Toseland, Cherie Simson, Mike Oxford, Ricky Payne, Rob Parkes.

Sport School of the Year: St Mary’s Primary Academy.

St Mary’s Primary Academy compete in many local school competitions, winning Year 3/4 Tag Rugby, Year 5/6 dodgeball and district archery and have established strong links with local clubs Punching Pandas and Target craft archer.

St Mary’s arranged a wheelchair basketball day and a mentorship programme to encourage disabled pupils to try new sports.

At the school’s first Northamptonshire County Summer Games the archery team won bronze and 6 pupils competed in the multi-skills event, winning gold medals!

Nominees: Kettering Buccleuch Academy, Rothwell Junior School.

Long-time Contribution to Sport: Carol Sims, Kettering Amateur Swimming Club.

Carol has been involved with Kettering Amateur Swimming Club for more than 20 years, originally as a committee member and now as chairman, regularly traveling to galas and club competitions.

Carol was integral to the club achieving swim21 accreditation and is also the club’s secretary.

Nominees: Louise Storey, Mike Capps.

Team of the Year: Kettering Futsal Club.

Kettering Futsal Club have had their best year to date since the club was founded in 2010.

On the court, the men’s first team won Division 2 of the FA National Futsal League losing only one of their 14 matches, with a +87 goal difference.

The men’s development team won the Northants Premier Futsal League and the women’s team finished 4th in the Northants Women’s Futsal League.

Nominees: Kettering Hockey Club Ladies 3rd XI, Kettering Rugby Club Girls Teams.

Community Club of the Year: Kettering Cycling Club.

Kettering Cyclones was forged four years ago as a kids section of Kettering Cycling Club, providing regular free cycle coaching and exciting activities all year round to more than 120 kids.

The club has gained Clubmark status, its coaches and volunteers have received regional awards and the club won a British Cycling regional award, putting Kettering firmly on the cycling map.

Nominated: Burton Park Inter u8s, Desborough & Rothwell Running Club, Hawks Football Club, Kettering Futsal Club, Kettering Hockey Club, Kettering Town Football Club, Kettering Phoenix Basketball Club, Kettering Premier Judo Club.

Coach of the Year: Sam Hallett, Kettering Futsal Club.

Sam has devoted the past five years of his life to developing Futsal in Kettering and is head coach of Kettering Futsal Club, winners of the FA National Futsal League Midlands Division 2.

Sam has coached players who have gone on to represent England u19s and Desborough Town FC.

Nominees: Callum Galluzzo, Gary Williamson, Jacqueline Farrow, Russ Parker, Shaun Waite.

Get Active Award: Desborough Town Walking Football Club.

Desborough Walking Football Club now has more than 20 players each week, many who haven’t played any sport for 30 years.

The club has recently become constituted with a new committee and has successfully applied for funding for new equipment.

They’ve recently started a new outdoor session on the new 3G pitch in Desborough and are working with Corby Council to help establish their new community sessions.

Nominees: Katie Gibson.

Disabled Sports Achiever of the Year: Bruce Dee, Northampton Swimming Club.

10-year-old Bruce has achondroplasia, a form of dwarfism. At the National Junior Para-Swimming Championships Bruce won gold in the S6 classification 50m butterfly, bronze in the 50m and 100m freestyle events for swimmers aged 10-13. Bruce won 10 medals in the World Dwarf Games in Canada, including gold in the 25m freestyle, 25m butterfly, 50m butterfly, 100m individual medley swimming, football, team boccia, badminton doubles, silver in the boccia singles, and bronze in team basketball and 100m freestyle swimming relay.

Young Sportsman 2017: Ellis Panter, Burton Park Amateur Boxing Club.

Ellis started boxing at five years old and this has been his first competitive year.

He is undefeated after 11 bouts, competed five times to win the English National Championships at 38.5kg and boxing three times to win the prestigious Monks Town Box Cup in Ireland, a cup entered by hundreds of clubs from all over the world.

Nominees: Bruce Dee, Ellis Panter, Harvey Freemen, James Annable, Jamie Dean, Kaiden Ramsey, Robert Taylor, Rory Tyrell, William Robertson.

Young Sportswoman 2017: Emily Williams, Kettering Town Harriers.

Emily enjoyed a magnificent 2017, winning the most prestigious race in Britain, the English Schools Inter-Girls 800m.

She followed this up with victory in the Schools’ International for England and becoming the British & Irish U17 800m champion.

She also won individual bronze and team gold representing England in a cross-country international.

Emily is ranked No1 in the world at 800m & 1500m by the IAAF for athletes born in 2002.

She is also one of the highest ranked athletes in the UK all-time lists, ranked top five for both the 800m & 1500m.

Nominees: Annabel Thomas, Bernice Achou, Chloe Essam, Ellie Darnell, Katie Gibson, Lily Carlaw.

Local Sportsperson 2017: Sarah Franklin, Touring Cars.

Last year Sarah raced in the Michelin Clio Cup Road series.

She was the only woman in the championship and took pole position in the first five races, with wins and podiums throughout the year.

Sarah has moved up to the incredibly competitive race Clio cup series this year.

It’s been a huge learning curve but again, she has taken it in her stride.

Nominees: Katie Gibson, Sarah Franklin, Steven Wilson.

Sports Personality of the Year: Emily Williams.

Congratulations to Emily Williams for winning the Arthur Nicholson Award for Kettering’s Sports Personality of the Year on top of her Young Sportswoman Award.

She’s had a fantastic year and it is thoroughly deserved!