CBS’s Kirby named Coach of the Year

By Staff/August 12, 2021

Allison Kirby of Conception Bay South was among the winners during the announcement of the Sport Newfoundland and Labrador annual awards last month.

“Sport NL’s annual awards celebrate the highest level of sporting achievement in Newfoundland and Labrador,” said Chris Schwartz, president of Sport Newfoundland and Labrador.

Kirby, a gymnastics instructor, was named the Coach of the Year, also known as the John Drinkwater Memorial Award.

Schwartz said Kirby is a familiar face on the gymnastic coaching scene in Newfoundland and Labrador. She holds a Level 4 international coaching certificate and has been coaching gymnastics for 24 years, specializing in women’s artistic gymnastics. She has coached at the local, provincial, national and international level.

“Although the Covid-19 pandemic has cancelled many competitions, Allison did not let that prevent her from working with her athletes,” said Schwartz. “She developed an online training program for athletes as well as organized virtual mock competitions and clinics. In 2020 Allison had 20 athletes qualify for Atlantic’s and 15 for Eastern’s; she coached Newfoundland’s first ever gymnast to the Canadian High Performance list and had athletes with first and second placings in the Canadian Aspire level at Gymnix. On an international level, four of Allison’s athletes qualified for Nationals Aspire Camp and she coached her team at the Sand Dollar Invitational in Orlando where they won eight medals.”