Antony Martin a dedicated member of Hamilton Judo Club Inclusion, has been honoured with JudoScotland’s Disability 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.
Judo has always played a large role in Anthony’s life as he first stepped on the mat 17 years ago during a judo taster session at his primary school. It wasn’t long before he joined Hamilton Judo Club and was a regular down at the club and competing in judo competitions across the country.
Antony has started to take a step back from judo and was contemplating giving the sport up completely just as the Covid-19 pandemic hit. Having some time away from judo during lockdown helped Antony to decide his next step. The perfect opportunity presented itself when one of his old coaches approached him to get involved with coaching disability sessions with the launch of Hamilton Judo Club Inclusion.
Reflecting on his coaching journey, Antony said: “It was actually a strange thing for me because I was starting to fall out of love with judo and I was starting to lose a bit of interest in it and then the coaching actually is what brought me back.
“Once the disability sessions started, I just fell back in love with it, getting to see the kids progress and come to class smiling and even seeing the parents have a break, and seeing them relax a bit is amazing. That’s what’s mainly in it for me, seeing the positive impact on other people.”
A Level 2 Coach, Antony currently leads both Junior and Senior Disability/Additional Support Needs (ASN) sessions at Hamilton Judo Club Inclusion, earning praise for his strong communication and his ability to adapt his coaching style to meet the needs of each judoka.
Club members shared that Antony approaches his sessions with patience, empathy, and a genuine willingness to learn and be inclusive. Antony has successfully built trust and rapport with his students by showing empathy and a deep understanding of their individual experiences and challenges.
Antony doesn’t think twice about changing his coaching approach, training methods or even making adaptations to the training environment to ensure that every person who comes to the club can be accommodated and take part in judo.
His enthusiasm is infectious and inspires students to push beyond their perceived limits. By embodying these qualities, Antony fosters a positive environment for individuals with disabilities, empowering them to thrive and achieve their full potential.
Anthony shared why he feels it’s important to break down barriers to participation and create a safe space where everybody can thrive while being physically active.
“I think judo is such a good sport. It breaks down social barriers because you’re having to be in close contact with people. I’ve seen kids come in who refuse to be within two feet of somebody else and they’ll hit and scratch but then after some time you see them turning into judo players, they’re throwing and doing randori.
“It’s brilliant to see wee groups forming and they’re becoming pals and they’ll talk in school, and it grows their confidence a bit more too.”
Antony has also built strong relationships with young volunteers in the club who assist him in delivering sessions and he encourages them to explore their future potential as coaches or young leaders in the club.
Reflecting on his award, Antony shared: “I’m really honoured, I didn’t get into this for awards so it’s nice to get acknowledged for what you do, because it’s not something that crosses your mind when you’re coaching. You don’t think “I want an award, I’m doing this for awards” so it is nice to be recognised for just something that I do every week.”
Antony was presented his award at Hamilton Judo Club Inclusion by JudoScotland Disability Development Officer Stephen Somerville on Thursday 9th October.