TWO members from Solihull Blossomfield were honoured at the 2019 edition of the Solihull Sports Awards.
Denise Fountain from the hockey department at Blossomfield, won the Solihull Coaching Achievement Award, while John Boyce, from the junior cricket side of the club, was awarded the Solihull Service to Sport Award.
Fountain, a life-long member at the club, gave up playing to coach the ladies’ teams and quickly made her mark by leading the ladies first and second teams to promotion as champions.
She has achieved the feat by sticking to her principles of demonstrating commitment, being positive, enjoying the game and always looking to improve.
Those traits were clear to see during numerous games in the 2018/19 campaign, with goals often being scored late on and the ladies spurring each other on until the final whistle.
Meanwhile, Boyce, on the back of his Outstanding Contribution award from Warwickshire Cricket Board this year, has tirelessly promoted girls cricket ever since forming a girls section at the club in late 2012.
From working with a small group of 12 in the first year of the section, Boyce has ensured the club operate under-9, under-11, under-13 and under-15 teams today, with views to form a womens side in the next year – all while continuing his role as boys head coach.
During his time working on junior girls cricket in the area, he has overseen Laura Smitten being named as Warwickshire Women and Girls Player of the season in 2017 and the under-13s team winning the WCB U13 league with home grown talent.
Elsewhere, Melanie Smith, lead PE and Year 4 teacher, and Kieran Humpherston, a PE Support Assistant, from St. Anne’s Catholic Primary School, were recognised for their efforts in promoting PE and sport at the school.
