FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 15, 2016
Portsmouth, R.I. – US Sailing’s Olympic Sailing Committee (OSC) today announced that the nomination period has opened for the 2016 US Sailing Coach of the Year Awards. The OSC will honor American coaches in five categories who have done outstanding work 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 2015, the US Sailing National Coach of the Year Award was given to David Ullman (Newport Beach, Calif.) for his work with US Sailing Team Sperry Olympic hopefuls, with Steve Keen (Stamford, Conn.) taking home US Sailing’s 2015 Development Coach of the Year award for work with youth dinghy athletes.
How to Nominate:
Each nomination should include the following information:
- Which of the five coaching awards (see below) the individual is being nominated for
- The nominee’s 2016 coaching record
- Honors or recognitions received by the nominee in 2016
- A description of the nominee’s service and support to the sport in 2016
- 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 2016. Please note that multiple nominations have no bearing on the selection process unless they provide additional information about the candidate.
Awards:
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 US Sailing’s National Coach of the Year Award include David Ullman (Newport Beach, Calif.), Morgan Reeser (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.), Greg Wilkinson (Rockport, Mass.), Mark Ivey (Tiburon, Calif.), Michael Callahan (Washington, D.C.), 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 (New Orleans, La.).
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 Todd Fedyszyn (St. Petersburg, Fla.), 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 a disabled sailing team 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.
About the US Sailing
The United States Sailing Association (US Sailing), the national governing body for sailing, provides leadership, integrity, and growth for the sport in the United States. Founded in 1897 and headquartered in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, US Sailing is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization. US Sailing offers training and education programs for instructors and race officials, supports a wide range of sailing organizations and communities, issues offshore rating certificates, and provides administration and oversight of competitive sailing across the country, including National Championships and the US Sailing Team Sperry Top-Sider. For more information, please visit www.ussailing.org.
Contact: Will Ricketson, Olympic Communications Manager, 401-683-0800 x621, willricketson@ussailing.org