Salto Gymnastics Coach David Carleton has been named Sport NI’s SportMaker Performance Pathway Coach of the Year.

Transcript

00:00 You're the Sporting Rhone-Lyreland Pathway Coach of the Year

00:02 and it's with real pleasure that we're presenting you with that

00:05 and we'll get your athletes in a wee second, well done.

00:06 No worries, thank you.

00:07 Bit of a surprise?

00:09 Yes.

00:10 Brilliant, fantastic, over the moon.

00:16 Definitely a big surprise and hit him well by my boss and other people at work I suppose.

00:21 It means so much after all the hours of work that me and the girls and the team all put in

00:27 and it's just really nice to receive this award.

00:30 So my coaching ranges across a lot of the different areas within Salto.

00:35 My role is the head coach of the Women's Artistic Programme

00:37 and we have kids from the age of 5 all the way up to 18 across our programme.

00:43 So I'm in charge of all these kids essentially and their pathway across gymnastics

00:47 and that ranges from local competitions and regional competitions in Northern Ireland

00:51 all the way to international competitions in Sweden where we've had athletes go to Germany and things like that.

00:58 It is a team that creates an environment for success and with David leading that

01:09 I think he's a great leader and very inspirational.

01:13 I think just his overall enthusiasm and willingness for the gymnasts to do well

01:20 has an impact on the coaches coming through because he does spend time with them.

01:24 He values all the team that works with him and ensures that he gets the best out of them as well.

01:31 I love coaching just because it's all about the kids and making them progress

01:39 and seeing how much they get out of the sport and it's about their love for the sport.

01:42 Gymnastics is one of these sports where impossible is nothing.

01:46 You can achieve whatever you believe you can achieve and it's up to me as the coach

01:50 to get the best out of my athletes and their own performance.

01:53 It's all about how I can motivate and push them and that's why I do my job

01:58 because at the end of the day it's all about them and helping them achieve their potential.

02:03 I'm in the club.

02:04 I'm in the club.

02:05 (upbeat music)

02:08 (upbeat music)