21 Mar 2009 - Club Awards

This has been an exceptional year for the club with every athlete eligible in some way or another for an award. During the summer we were sending an email every weekend to poor Martin as another record went, again and again and again on the track. Athletes won on the road too, across the county and even abroad on holiday. But it is perhaps the cross country season that has seen the greatest success story. Tonight we are one week away from winning both u11 team events. Individual athletes are confirmed medalists in three categories and we still have the chance to win at least one other category. Our athletes have represented their country, their county, they have won county championships, raced in regional and national championships.
Those born and bred Foresters, like myself know, there isn’t magic in the woods. It’s the result of the hard work of loads of people.
So before we get to our awards: Many, many thanks to.
The coaches especially Ann and Dave who do it for the love of it not because they are parents of athletes in the club.
Claire for getting this evening together for us and also for all the work she has done to bring the Nustarz squad to what we have today, and all the help we get from parents, especially Simon and Simon and Simon, but especially Simon.
Steve for the website, Gloria for getting our bureaucracy in order, Rachel for her work and responsibility as the Child protection officer and Jim for coach coordination.
The club committee for all the hard work behind the scenes on our behalf.
Everyone involved in the Clubmark award
The mums and dads who double as logistics managers, sports nutritionalists, sports psychologists, kit launders, sponsors, PR agents and die hard fans – who are the vital link in our success as a competitive club. Unlike some clubs we work very had to keep the whole coaching circle complete –> coach-family-athlete.
And of course the athletes - who work so hard, support one another and never seem to fall out in any significant way or show any envy or contempt for their team-mates.
Tonight we present our awards. The coaches decide theses awards and we are strict in the way we consider our athletes. We are intensely aware that often the medals and the awards go to the same athletes and that doesn’t always feel fair in this age of equal opportunities. But we remind ourselves that this is a sport with winners and losers – but the glory of our sport is the way we value each and every competitor and participant just the same.
It would be patronizing and the athletes would see straight through any attempt to share out the awards in a scenario like one of Dave’s special races where everyone draws. In that case it might be because Dave can’t quite remember who actually did win. We want our awards to carry a real sense of achievement.
It has been such a successful year, every award could have been given to any of three or four athletes. It has been so extraordinarily difficult to decide this year that it took several hours of quite intense discussion and lots of head in hands moments.
Each athlete is considered for an award based on three categories:
(1) their training attitude – how often they train, their dedication and concentration.
(2) their appearances in competition for the club – often this means giving up a day off from school just to support other athletes and to enter one event
(3) and of course it would be artificial and patronizing if we didn’t award based on ultimate competition performance.


Primary Newcomer
Joint award to Emily and Josh Dowle
These two twins have made a big impact in the short time they have been competing for us. She has quickly established herself among our extraordinary u11 girls she was 2nd in the Glos League, 2nd in the County Championships, she is the only athlete in the region who scares Phoebe, she has been getting closer and closer all the time and even Phoebe knows – its only a matter of time!

He has found himself plunged into the highly competitive u1 boys cross country races this winter has seen. Josh is strong and a fierce racer and has beaten Andrew this season – he comes to the fore in bad conditions, like the mud at Plock Court for example when he lead the team home to victory.                                   .

Secondary Newcomer
Sadie Melhuish
It feels like this athlete has always been around the club. She is a runner with a lot of talent and a hatred of training – who races with the ability of very few athletes. For many years no one has come close to the resident star but she does – and she can beat her two. A superb friendly, but very very intense rivalry has developed between them and its really to close to call on who has the upper hand. This athlete has made a really significant impact in the club…… just don’t mention sportshall field events, ahem.

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Nu Starz Boys:
Harry
The club enjoyed spectacular results at a recent Chepstow Harriers fixture. With wins by Lily Crawley Harriet Katie Kearsey, Charles Heaman, Lauren Wallis, Harry Powell, Sadie Melhuish (in two races). All of these except Sadie started out and still attend Nu Starz. Such was the dominance of the Nu Starz athletes that of the 20 athletes who ran everyone came home with a medal. There was no more sensational victory than that of one yr 5 boy. He only managed the one cross country race this season. On that day he finished 5th in front of some of our established cross country runners.

Runner Up Charles Heaman
The future of the club distance running is in safe hands was another impressive winner at Chepstow. He will not be old enough to run in the league until January next year although he would probably be in the top half of the runners now.

Nu Starz Girls
Laura Taylor
This athlete has been a loyal NuStar for many years, always smiling, always willing to have a go and never a problem. This athlete a fashion sense to match the elegance of her running style. At Oxford last year she ran her heart out and beat everyone. When she believes she can win – she can and when she grows she will. Her time will come and I have a suspicion that this athlete will be the one that can dominate the older age groups.

Runner Up Tara Sladen
When the weathers not to good everyone can look happy. WE rely on this athlete to lighten up the mood with that smile. No matter how hard the training gets or whatever is happening there is one thing we can all rely on - the flying pixie will still be smiling at the end

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Multievent Girl
Amber Probyn
We all know about her as the track star and sportshall queen – but a cross country runner too! Once she gained confidence and understood what was going on, she found she was just as good as that as the track and helped the u11 girls team to the gold medal….. oh yes and she jumps and throws with the best of them too.

Multievent Boy
Jonathan Evans
Record after record went this summer, running, jumping sprinting and now distance too, What more is there to say other than he is a truly awesome all round athlete and horribly, horribly, modest about it all.

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Track Girl
Phoebe Crawley
Without doubt the coolest athlete of the lot, This athlete’s nonchalant shattering of u11 record after record. She makes it look easy, she makes it looks like she isn’t bothered by it all. But it isn’t easy and judging by her focus in training she is very very bothered by it and is quietly calmly dedicated to winning.

Track Boy
Jonathan Evans
On the track this year he dominated the sprints at Radley and at Yate. Although he perhaps doesn’t know it, he is one of the athletes the others look to for team leadership. He is good at cricket too, but what is the point of that?  

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Cross Country Girl
Fenella Madley
Never discount this athlete, just when it looks like her crown is slipping, she has a habit of coming back. Last winters horrible knee injuries a thing of the past, she hit this seasons cross country races as a younger u13. Suddenly it all went wrong, she had a team mate who could beat her and a heel injury that wouldn’t go away. Was this it? Of course it wasn’t she came back to the next race and beat her team mate, at the next race she beat everyone, in the Schools County championships she beat everyone – by over half a minute! She stands on the brink of winning the Glos league and she is still in the younger age group.    

Cross Country Boy
Andrew Evans
Its never easy being a distance specialist, it hard to find enough events to suit you. This athlete broke the u11 600m record this year and then lost it to a short distance specialist. In the cross country races he has lead the u11 home and is now in with a chance of winning the Glos league. It isn’t easy, but he specializes in making it look hard even when he wins easily.
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Most improved Boy
Jake
This athlete has really found a focus this year. His speed and power is now awesome, he looks like an athlete and trains like one too. His potential began to show towards the end of last Summer’s season, but over the winter he has grown in stature even more – this Summer promises to be something to see.

Runner Up Rhys
Its been such a long struggle for this athlete, but he has just kept plugging away, running cross country always doing OK but never losing his enthusiasm nor his good natured attitude. Then suddenly he has begun to look like maybe the best 800m runner in the club. Over that distance he is strong and fast. To cap it all he came back from the SW Sportshall final with an individual medal too.

Most improved Girl
Lauren Wallis
Sometimes people forget how young this athlete is, she seems to forget it too. Often pitched up against athletes a year older than her. When she runs against athletes her own age, she is perfectly capable of leaving them standing. When she first began to train regularly she looked to be a long way from being a competitor. But now she is unrecognizable, she flows around the track with a rare power. She trains with dedication, all she needs now is a chance to shine in her own spotlight.

Runner Up Becky Russell
Throughout the year this athlete has shown great enthusiasm and commitment. When she started she had an incredibly uncomfortable and frankly unconvincing running style but thanks to her consistent training and cross country racing she is now developing into an athlete as elegant and powerful as any we have seen. We expect great things from her – with or without her jacket. Please, please check the kit you have at home someone has her jacket.
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Sportshall Girl
Amber Probyn
This can only have one winner she won the Pat Hussey Trophy for the Gloucestershire Sportshall Performer of the Year her measurable performance speaks for itself. What isnt recorded is her ability to lead her team mates and the respect she carries among them. Despite all her success she never loses her modesty, surely she must get grumpy sometimes. That never shows to the coaches although coach dad is on the end of it on the rare occassions things don't go as expected.

Sportshall Boy
Alfie Thompson
This semi-retired athlete, the worlds smallest hurdler and emerging footballer is noted by his football club for his speed and fitness and his explosive acceleration. He has found it so difficult in recent years his slight stature has counted against him, but it played in his favour in the sportshall. A medal at the SW Sportshall Championships was a just reward for a stalwart leadership of the u15/u13 team.

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Field Athlete
Ashley Andrews
His birthweight was 4 stone, he is a walking powerhouse who currently holds 5 club records, including a senior record, he trains six days a week now alongside the GB champion, a gentle giant and very shy but when he lets the hammer speak for him when he throws it for Wales. Our only international athlete.
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Girl Athlete:
Phoebe Crawley
This has to be our triple champion.
Lets just read out what she has achieved in 2008/9 and let her record speak for itself
Club u11 long jump record of 3.63
100 m club record
Won the pentathalon in Exeter with a club shot put record
Won all three xcountry races in the league
Won all the rounds of the schools xcountry including the county championship
Won the AAA county championship.

Boy Athlete:
Emmett Thompson
This athlete competes on the track, in the field, in sportshall, road races, indoors and over cross country too.
Two stunning 1500m runs at Yate signaled that he had moved to another gear as an athlete.
A club record at the Bristol mile where he has never failed to get a medal
He won on the road in Spain in 95deg,
Was a superb 4th in the schools cross country championship despite being in the lower age group.
He is the unbeatable runner up in the glos league.
Since Christmas its all gone a bit wrong, but he hasn’t lost his sense of humour, his eccentricity or dedication or his will to win. He has focused and got himself back together – tomorrow he runs in the National Schools Final - the ‘running machine’ doesn’t stop.

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Athlete’s Athlete
Sasha Herman
You don’t get to be athletes’s athlete just by being good looking charming and fun – you have to have something else. Money to bribe the other athletes! That is unless you are someone who impresses your peers and the younger athletes in equal measure. This athlete has an abundant sense of fun, a dry sense of humour, resilience in the face of injury and an ability to surprise everyone with his speed. Not many older lads could expect to get the votes of older and younger athletes alike – maybe he is a heartthrob – who knows.