Motorsport UK Academy and Loughborough College coach Adam Gould has been nominated for ‘Talent Development Coach of the Year’ in the 2021 UK Coaching Awards. Adam was selected for his athlete-centred approach, focusing on individual development and giving every driver the right level of access to equipment through his black book of industry experts, including iZone Driver Performance.

The awards aim to showcase the diverse work of coaches from all walks of life, helping people improve their well-being and empower, inspire, and connect people from different communities. New statistics by UK Coaching highlighted the significant role of coaches as we emerge from the global pandemic, with 72% of the British public expressing the importance of support to get back into physical activity.

Throughout the last 12 months, Adam has been delivering his programme online due to COVID-19 restrictions. He has made the sessions as interactive as possible by innovatively integrating simulation work to keep motivation high. As a result of his guidance, coaching and support, three of his athletes became 2020 Champions and progressed through the talent pathway. Luke Browning secured the 2020 British F4 certified by FIA driver title and was invited onto the Team UK Futures programme. The 2020 British GT3 Champion Sandy Mitchell and Porsche Carrera Cup Junior Champion (2020) Harry King were selected to join the Team UK programme, the pinnacle of the Motorsport UK Academy.

As part of Adam’s ‘Stay at Home Challenge’, drivers designed various reaction and coordination tasks using everyday household items. And he maintained regular communication with the Motorsport UK Safeguarding Team, supporting the mental well-being of impacted drivers by the national and regional lockdowns.

Adam provides coaching for over 50 athletes in group and 1:1 sessions, going above and beyond for his drivers. For example, he committed a significant amount of time to ensure the UK’s top young drivers graduated from the Motorsport UK Academy DiSE programme at Loughborough College with the qualifications they deserved following incredibly pressurised racing obligations. He also plays an integral part in delivering the ‘Young Driver of the Year’ award, which is an incentive for the drivers to engage and become the best version of themselves.

Adam said, “It means a great deal to me to be put forward for this award by Motorsport UK. We have a brilliant Academy team who have supported me over this past year, and I am proud to have played a small part in the career development of some of our young drivers.”

There are 11 award categories – eight for coaches and three in support of coaches – all honouring and celebrating great coaching. For more information on the awards, click here, or head over to the Motorsport UK Academy website to find out more about young drivers’ national talent pathway programmes.