Cycling coach Jessie Ansell up for UK Sports Coaching award

Some of the brightest talents in sports coaching will be honoured at the UK Sports Coaching awards next week, and among them will be 19-year-old cycling coach Jessie Ansell.

Jessie is in the running for the Heather Crouch Young Coach of the Year award at the prestigious ceremony.

Ansell followed both her grandfather and father into the sport, and after racing with the Wolverhampton Wheelers from an early age, began coaching at the age of 13. From there, she completed British Cycling’s young volunteer programme before gaining her first coaching badge at the age of 16.

Jessie explains: “I then completed my level 2 qualification as soon as I turned 18. As injury was keeping me off the bike, I found that coaching was another way to remain in the sport, and I enjoyed it just as much as I did the racing!”

Jessie is now studying for a degree in Sports Coaching and Sports Therapy and Massage, while continuing to coach regularly in her home city of Wolverhampton.

“I’m trying to learn as much as I can and develop my knowledge to make myself a better coach. I hope to make coaching my full-time job and be able to help riders progress in their cycling careers.

“I’m extremely grateful to be nominated for this award. Most of my coaching work has been on a volunteer basis, so to be acknowledged is something I am humbled by. I feel honoured to be nominated, let alone to be chosen as a finalist.

“I would encourage anybody thinking of getting involved in coaching cycling to go ahead of do so. I have grown so much as an individual and learnt so much by getting involved in coaching. Helping others, whether it’s just ensuring they have fun riding their bikes or helping them progress further by developing their skills is such a rewarding experience.”

The Young Coach of the Year award was won last year by Andrew Pink, who has just started a new role as a para-cycling foundation coach with British Cycling. In addition to Jessie’s nomination this year, British Cycling is up for National Governing Body of the Year, while Great Britain Cycling Team head coach Iain Dyer is in the running for High Performance Coach of the Year.