Claire Shiach a dedicated coach at ProJudo, has been honoured with JudoScotland’s Player Development Coach of the Year Award. This prestigious award is part of the JudoScotland Community Awards, a national initiative that recognises the hard work and commitment of judo volunteers across Scotland.
This award is presented to a coach who has made an outstanding contribution to long-term athlete development aligned with the JudoScotland Player Development Framework.
As a Commonwealth Games silver and bronze medallist herself, Claire brings not only elite-level experience but also a deep understanding of what it takes to succeed at a high level to all the judoka she coaches.
At ProJudo, Claire delivers weekly sessions which are technically detailed to ensure that each judoka is being challenged both physically and mentally throughout the sessions.
With multiple judoka from ProJudo having also made their way onto National Squads and competing internationally, Claire shared how coaching has impacted her life:
“I love all the kids coming along and seeing the difference from when they were tiny babies and now, they’re all taller than me, stronger than me, faster than me and can throw harder than me. It just brings me a lot of joy when they come in. They bring that energy, they show up, they work hard, and really that’s what I get out of it. Watching them enjoy judo.”
Claire leads a structured Strength & Conditioning (S&C) programme at ProJudo, delivered within the JudoScotland framework, which supports athletes’ physical development alongside their technical and tactical progression. While simultaneously promoting the judo moral code, she is helping athletes to grow into confident individuals both on and off the mat.
Claire explains that finding that balance between being challenging and caring as a coach is key to ensure athlete success:
“I have a hard exterior that keeps them in line, but I’ve got a big soft heart inside because I love them all. I push them and challenge them, but I keep them safe as well. They absolutely love the challenge, so I really have to hold them back.”
“I find it quite easy to find the balance of keeping them, in the right place, at the right time, because I know as a high-performance S&C coach what’s right for them. I know when to say, “You can take that extra bit of weight ” or I say, “No – your form’s a bit off”, I can keep them safe and challenge them at the same time.”
Providing a large range of opportunities at the club from training camps to regional competitions to bespoke development days, Claire actively encourages judoka to push their boundaries and exposes them to high-performance environments that accelerate their growth.
Reflecting on what winning the award means for her as a coach, Claire said:
“It was an absolute surprise. But when I started to think about it, I thought it was really nice to have this particular award, the Player Development Coach of the Year, because that’s what I do. It’s what it says on the award itself, and I’ve done it all my life and I love it, and I don’t do it for any other reason than the joy that the kids bring me, the energy, I absolutely love it, and I don’t think I’ll ever stop doing it until I can’t.”
Claire was presented his award at ProJudo by JudoScotland CEO Judith McCleary and JudoScotland Chair Marc Preston, on Tuesday 14th October.