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Rochford District Sports Awards 2011 – 13th October 2011 – Some Reflections

I am aware that in this particular area of activity, the population is divided into three groups. There are the sportsmen and women who ‘do the stuff’, there is the much bigger group who watch them (and a few of whom encourage and train or coach them) and a probably slightly smaller group who are left utterly cold by sports and look forward with dread to 2012.  Well this is not the place for the latter group although you may wish to read our ramblings to appreciate slightly more something of what happens on the other side of the fence.

Possibly, in an article like this, I ought to confess my own standpoint. One of my sons high jumped and became a local champion, a county champion, jumped for Cambridge and even jumped on one occasion as a junior for Britain. I appreciate a little of what goes in to making champions. Vet and writer James Herriot (now deceased), once wrote a graphic account of sitting in a hall while his son attempted the lofty heights of a particular piano piece. His skill as a writer conveyed the incredible tension he felt as his son performed in public. I can testify to the same thing watching a junior high jump champion in the making.

I hesitate to let this sag into a dreary account of what took place but if you are ‘looking over the fence’ then you will not know what happens at such events as these, and as Rochford Life constantly seeks “to reveal the community to the community” there needs to be some factual account at least. Once everyone was seated around tables in the hall, the proceedings were kicked off by Ben Fryer of BBC Essex who ably compared the evening. Telling what he did in a week, by way of introduction, he included covering local football and asked if there were any Southend fans there. One person replied!  Most of these people are too busy doing what they do in sport, I reflected, to take time to follow Southend. Not a poor reflection on Southend!  He commended those who make such a ‘song and dance’ in the district about our athletes, encouraging them, and noted how this event had grown over four years. He also noted that the night’s awards lead on to the Essex Sports Awards organised by Sports Essex which will be taking place on the 16th November. Special Guest of Honour, Gail Emms, we were told, had broken down some two hours drive away and just wasn’t going to make it.

Ben was followed by Chairman of the Council, Simon Smith, who welcomed us and noted the growth of the event, needing a larger venue. Simon, even as I have just done, pointed out that it was not only an evening for those who excelled in their sports, but also for those Clubs, groups or individuals who supported and encouraged and helped them to achieve. He, like Ben, like Alan Titchmarsh at the Chelsea Flower Show, reminded us and thanked the sponsors without whom the evening would not be happening.

There were seven awards to be made and, true to this sort of proceedings, each award was announced, the (usually) three nominees for that award announced, and then one by one, the reasons why they had been nominated, and finally the award winner announced. The (mainly) young person then made their way up to the stage where the particular Sponsor’s representative and Simon Smith presented them with their awards. The other two were then recognised for their achievement of distinction and they likewise went up to receive their certificate. As each person or team went up, the official photographer grouped and photographed them and no doubt the Council will be issuing those photos soon.

This was not an evening for long distance photos in dimmed lighting so anything we’ve included here is just for atmosphere and we leave the individual and groups to the Council photographer. This was an evening for the young people who we have listed below. At the end I was asked if I would like to interview one or two of them but that seemed like it would demean the others who we didn’t cover. Although there is a slight razzmatazz to events like this, I always feel they actually fail to really honour the work that has gone into these young people’s achievements.

Of course it is not only individuals, for Stambridge United Football Club got ‘Sports Club of the Year’ and Rayleigh Skate Council got the ‘Rochford 2012  Respect Award’ (I don’t know why it was 2012 and not 2011) but whether it is a group, organisation or individual, it seems that such an event hardly goes beyond the surface in honouring the time, energy, effort and commitment that goes to create the achievement. I assume that, as was commented, judging was sometimes a very difficult exercise and I wondered (not in any way belittling it) how, for instance in the first award, the Sports Club of the Year, one club prevails over another, especially when you hear all of their credits!

As an outsider looking in, as you’ll know from the general tone of Rochford Life, it was people, the individuals, that I found interesting. Forgive me if I miss you but these are just a few of the thoughts I had.  For instance when Doug Drake went forward I thought, how ordinary – and yet not. Doug didn’t look like a sporting hero yet he’s put in twenty five years of coaching!  How many sporting successes are down to the hours he’s put in to them? But then there was Mel Spicer, only a runner up for the Respect Reward, looking as if she would be at home sitting next to James Bond at a roulette table, I find out she is there for her judo and kick-box skills! What?? But it gets worse! The award for Young Sports Personality of the of the Year is announced as Danny Reason and when he gets up and comes forward I look at this diminutive figure and think, Black Belt Judo? Silver in national championships?  World Champion in addition to securing silver and bronze medals???? No way! But clearly, yes. Congratulations, Danny.  Would I have spotted Jo-Jo Cranfield for a Disability Sports Personality of the Year and a swimmer?  Possibly, though I’m not sure.

 Looking round the table from me would I have guessed that young, slightly nervous looking, eleven year old Gabby Quigley (runner up for Young Sports Personality of the Year)  competes in cross country, hockey, handball, football, net ball and karate (!!!) as well as being successful at county and regional levels of swimming? No, definitely not! At eleven, I guess she certainly has a future ahead of her!  I suppose it was being overwhelmed by so many capable young people that I was completely taken by surprise when the winner of the Sports Personality of the Year, Philip Harper, went up. Not quite so young, but as a local swimming club member, with gold, silver and bronze medals at the British National Masters Championships, and a clear inspiration to younger members, obviously deservedly so!  I liked the shout from the back, presumably from a family member, “Well done, dad!” That said it all – pride in achievement, pride in others, and deservedly so!  And that’s a comment for all the nominees, whether they got the final award of just the Distinction Certificate.

A couple of closing thoughts. First of all, this was a good occasion, one worth remembering. Yes, I’m sure there will be photos coming forth, but here’s a question for the Council. Having a large website already, and presumably more than a couple of techies managing it, shouldn’t something like tonight’s event be fully documented and accompanied by all the photos taken as a lasting reminding, on an archive dedicated web page? Aren’t we in an era when these things, well set up, well run and fully recorded by a photographer at least, can be easily given a more permanent record on the Council site; these young people deserve it.

And a final comment, just for reflection. I don’t want to take away anything at all from the really great achievements of these people honoured tonight – and they deserved honouring – but, without sounding crusading, how about a thought for those young people who, for whatever reason, aren’t achievers, aren’t being encouraged, and are finding a future without jobs pretty miserable. What could we do for them?  For those of you there tonight – brilliant! Keep going for greater things! You’ve done good.  And again for those who sponsored, those who set the evening up (yes, I know it was your job!) and those friends, families, and club mates who were the coaches and encouragers, good one!

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Sports Personality of the Year
sponsored by Wells Legal Solicitors and Wells Legal Homes
AWARD  to Philip Harper                
Jo-Jo Cranfield             
Lee Watson                   

Disability Sports Personality of the Year
sponsored by Waters & Stanton PLC
AWARD  to Jo-Jo Cranfield              
Nathan Benee               
Jessica-Rose Newson   

Young Sports Personality of the Year
sponsored by Southend United Community & Educational Trust
AWARD  to Danny Reason             
Josh Prentice                 
Gabby Quigley               

Chairman’s Award
AWARD to Jason Ox

Services to Sport
sponsored by The Co-operative Funeralcare
AWARD  to Doug Drake                  
Richard Moore             
Rick Webb                   

Rochford 2012 Respect Award
sponsored by Mother Scrubbers
AWARD  to Rayleigh Skate Council 
Jonathan Caley               
Rochford Disability Football Academy    
Mel Spicer