Gary Muirhead, a dedicated member of Cluarankwai Judo Club, has been honoured with JudoScotland’s Club 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.
Having dabbled in judo as a child Gary spent decades away from the sport until his son Adam expressed an interest in joining the local club. After watching from the side of the mat for a year, Gary took the leap to get back into judo, and he hasn’t looked back since.
After being encouraged to join a coaching course years ago by club members Gary can now be found at the club regularly leading upwards of 6 sessions a week for Juniors and Seniors and has become a pillar in the club community.
Gary has been described as one of the cornerstones of the club, often stepping in when other coaches are injured and is constantly looking for innovative and fun games to play during sessions to link in with judo techniques they are working on.
Speaking about what coaching means to him, Gary said:
“The main thing I get out of coaching is seeing the children come through the club, from juniors into seniors and seeing them grow in confidence. For a lot of people, it’s a big thing to step into that senior environment, but we just encourage them and bring them along and you can see a real difference in them.”
Gary champions inclusion, often finding ways to support families financially who may be struggling to attend events or competitions. He has helped to ensure a positive reputation of the club in the community, often holding open days at the dojo and school taster sessions with local primary schools to showcase the benefits of participating in judo.
Members at Cluarankwai Judo Club had nothing but the highest praise for Gary as he was presented with his award during a training session this week emphasising his dedication to creating a welcoming environment at the club. One parent said:
“My children have not only learned judo techniques but have also gained confidence, focus, and a real love for the sport thanks to his patient, clear, and encouraging coaching style. The atmosphere at Cluarankwai is one of belonging, and that is because of Gary’s leadership and values.
“It’s clear to me that Gary sees coaching not just as a sport, but as a way to build life skills and community. His impact has been both personal and far-reaching, and I believe he is truly deserving of this recognition.”
Another parent credits Gary for them stepping onto the mat: “He is the reason I took up Judo 2 years ago at age 39. I attended the club with my daughter and after joking it was too late for me, he told me how he restarted his journey at a similar age and it inspired me to take up the sport.”
Following his award presentation Gary reflected: “I can’t believe I won this award. Maybe you don’t realise what you’re doing and how people are looking at you, but for me I just go on the mat, and just switch on to coaching mode.
We have a good team here that work really well together and we have a lot of good families as well and that’s what makes the club what it is.”
Gary was presented his award at Cluarankwai Judo Club by JudoScotland Club Support Officer, Sam Ingram on Monday 13th October.