Lionesses manager Sarina Wiegman was awarded the Great Coaching Moment of the Year at the 25th annual UK Coaching Awards for her part in ending England’s agonising 56-year wait for a major trophy.
Held in Leeds on Tuesday evening, the prestigious event recognised the most impactful coaches across the country and celebrates their unflagging efforts in supporting athletes on their sporting journey, promoting physical and mental health on a national scale and their invaluable contributions in high performance sport.
And after a remarkable year at the helm of England Women’s team, in which the squad are relishing a 26-game unbeaten run under the Dutch manager while dousing the 56-year silverware drought on home soil, Wiegman was crowned champion of the Great Coaching Moment of the Year award by a public vote in recognition of her role in England’s Euro2022 glory.
On receiving the honour, the 53-year-old Dutch coach said: “I feel very honoured to have been nominated for this award amongst other fantastic coaches, and I am very grateful for everyone who voted for me.
“I can’t say it enough, but all the credit goes to our group of players and staff.”
Among the impressive list of coaches honoured, British Cycling’s Simon Watt was handed the High Performance Coach of the Year award while legendary UK Athletics coach Aston Moore received the Lifetime Achievement Award and the coaches of Great Britain hockey player Laura Unsworth MBE won the 2022 Coaching Chain award.
UK Coaching CEO Mark Gannon said: “What an honour it was to see so many inspirational coaches be recognised for their outstanding contributions to coaching.
“These coaches, and all our UK Coaching Awards finalists, don’t just support more people into physical activity and sport, they also change lives, tackle inequalities and help build communities. They also have an insatiable appetite to be the best versions of themselves in order to help their participants.”
The Lionesses capped off an incredible 2022 without a single defeat under Wiegman and aspirations are now fixed on establishing themselves as the undisputed top side on the international stage as eyes land on next summer’s Women's World Cup in New Zealand and Australia.
England were drawn in Group D alongside Denmark, China and a play-off still to be seen, that will come from Senegal, Haiti or Chile.
For a full rundown of the road to Australia and New Zealand for the 2023 Women's World Cup, click here.
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