Sheffield athletics coach nominated for national award
A Sheffield athletics coach has been nominated for a prestigious UK Coaching award, recognising his success in inspiring young athletes.
Alex Wilson has been announced as a finalist for the UK Coaching Young Coach of the Year Award. The honour recognises rising stars making an early impact in their coaching careers.
Alex creates inclusive, athlete-led environments where children feel safe, heard, and empowered. As an athletics coach, he supports development across all ability levels. His flexible coaching style adapts to individual needs, balancing fun and focus to build confidence and motivation – especially impactful for neurodivergent and disabled athletes.
Sessions are co-designed with children, embedding key skills into engaging games. Older athletes are given agency over their training, fostering autonomy and resilience.
Alex prioritises physical and mental well-being, tailoring intensity and communication to suit each child. His openness about his own ADHD builds trust and authenticity. Whether supporting high performance or social participation, Alex’s approach nurtures a lifelong love of activity through patience, intuition, and respect.
The UK Coaching Awards is regarded as the most prestigious event within the coaching community, established to recognise the invaluable role coaches play in building a happier and healthier society.
Previous award winners include Judy Murray and Aston Moore (Lifetime Achievement award), Lionesses manager Sarina Wiegman (Great Coaching Moment of the Year), and the coaches behind Lucy Bronze and Katarina Johnson-Thompson's path to success (Coaching Chain award).
UK Coaching’s CEO, Mark Gannon, reflecting on the breadth of coaching talent announced as this year’s finalists, added: “We are excited to announce the finalists of the 2025 UK Coaching Awards. Each year, we recognise some truly remarkable coaches from across the UK at every level, and it is always a challenge to select our finalists from an incredible group of nominations.
“Coaches across the nation can all be proud of the valuable contribution they make to the health and wellbeing of the nation.
“Following a phenomenal summer of women’s sport this year, there has never been a better time to celebrate coaches who make it all happen.”
The awards will be held on December 4 at The Queens Hotel in Leeds.
Find out more about this year’s finalists and the awards by heading to www.ukcoaching.org/events/our-awards.