Pat Sharples wins coach award at UK Sport PLX awards

GB Snowsport Head Coach Pat Sharples’ work in driving Britain’s high-performance ski and snowboard programmes was recognised at the 2023 UK Sport PLx Awards.

Pat Sharples, who was named in a shortlist of three British high-performance coaches, was voted winner by the Awards judging panel after a year in which Britain delivered a record number of World Cup, World Championships, and X Games podiums across the 2022/23 season.

The Coach Award, which recognises a current coach who has challenged themselves to achieve exceptional and inspiring performances in the past year, is one of the highest levels of recognition within the British high-performance sport community and provides richly-deserved recognition of the impact of Pat’s work on British skiing and snowboarding.

Pat Sharples said: “I’m just gobsmacked, I wasn’t expecting this at all. For me coaching is the greatest job in the world; if it wasn’t my job, I’d still be doing it in my free time. I’ve loved the whole journey, coaching youngsters on the dry slopes right through to being able to do this at the highest level.”

Pat also paid tribute to the wider high-performance coaching community, he added: “I don’t think I’d be up here without the coach leadership course by UK Sport, all of the support that I got from the coach developers, the people who ran that course, who put that on for me and all the other coaches who were on the programme. They’re all now friends, and I know I can reach out to them at any time. It’s a real team effort.”

Dame Katherine Grainger, Chair of UK Sport said: “What a year of fantastic performances from incredible individuals.  I’d like to thank, and congratulate, every nominee, every winner, as well as the amazing array of people who played a role in helping to create these special moments. With the Olympic and Paralympic Games just around the corner, the past year has been crucial for all sports heading into Paris 2024 and for those on the journey to Milan 2026, a very busy one too. It can be too easy to keep moving forward with the increasing momentum, so it’s important that we take the time to pause, to recognise and celebrate.

“It has been another inspiring sporting year with world-class events taking place in the UK and world-leading performances on show from British athletes. Much of this has been made possible thanks to the support of The National Lottery.

“We’ve also seen a positive change in putting social impact and sustainability at the heart of sporting operations and activity. As ever there is so much to celebrate and also to look forward to.”

Header image: Pat Sharples GB Snowsports wins the Coaching award 2023 UK Sport PLx awards. Credit: Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com