Cumbenauld sport stars among award winners

Cumbernauld-based basketball club NL Chiefs took one of the top awards when it was named Club of the Year.

The Young Volunteer Award went to Greenfaulds High School pupil Shannon Stewart while handball coach Mark McGuinness picked up the Young Persons Coach of the Year accolade.

The awards ceremony took place at Motherwell Football Club and was compered by Tam Cowan.

NL Chiefs have over 160 members and 10 teams based in the Cumbernauld area and participate in their own development league, regionally and nationally.

Their nomination highlighted how they had established a ‘Girls on the Warpath’ programme which has created three new girls’ teams and undertaken a massive training programme to upskill their players to become coaches and officials.

Senior Greenfaulds pupil Shannon’s accolade was in recognition of volunteering 10 hours a week at lunchtime and afterschool clubs, helping with a variety of activities including, volleyball, cross country, trampolining and the school netball team, of which she is captain.

Described as Cumbernauld’s ‘Mr Handball’, Mark McGuinness delivers 20 hours on handball coaching a week within six primary schools, including lunchtime and afterschool clubs.

He also coaches the afterschool handball clubs at Our Lady’s High School and Cumbernauld Academy, organising additional joint training sessions for them at the Tryst Sports centre.

He was praised for supporting several events throughout the year, including fundamentals and girls festival where over 250 pupils got a chance to try handball, as well as officiating at the regional handball competition for both primary and secondary schools.

Other shortlisted Cumbernauld nominees who just missed out were -

Official of the Year - Debbie Johnston, Jump Gymastics development coach.

Community Coach of the Year - Rachel Henderson, Jump Gymnastics

Extra-curricular Coach of the Year (Primary School staff) - Margo Kiernan, Cumbernauld Primary School

Extra-curricular Coach of the Year (Secondary School staff) - Rachel McArthur, Cumbernauld Academy; Jamie Parker, Cumbernauld Academy

Club of the Year - St Maurice’s Basketball, Cumbernauld; Jump Gymnastics, Cumbernauld and Airdrie

Young Persons Coach of the Year - Stephen Wallace, Cumbernauld AAC

Primary Sports School of the Year - Cumbernauld Primary

Secondary Sports School of the Year - St Maurice’s High School, Cumbernauld; Cumbernauld Academy.