Fife's Claire Morrison is crowned Coach of the Year at awards

Morrison has helped a number of boccia players to international success including Paralympians Scott and Jamie McCowan, Stephen McGuire, Patrick Wilson and Kayleigh Haggo (the latter three qualified for Paris 2024 and McGuire became Paralympic Champion in the men's BC4 category).

After being named winner, she said how proud she was to be a positive influence on all her athletes, adding: “As a coach, yes it’s hard work. But they do the harder part, performing day in and day out and under a lot of pressure and for me that’s a real testament to the work that we put in.

"And for me to know that I have played a part in that makes me really proud.”

This year marked Morrison’s fourth Paralympics as a coach.

She has worked with a number of her athletes for the duration of her coaching career and has been dedicated to nurturing them throughout their journeys, whether achieving golds at world level or recovering from injuries.

Morrison attends all competitions with them, meaning that she is away from home more often than not.

She has worked hard with retired athletes (Peter McGuire, Scott McCowan and Jamie McCowan) to ensure that their involvement in high performance boccia continues.

The three have progressed up the coaching pathway thanks to Claire's work with Scottish Disability Sport on the Coaching Futures Programme. The trio now provide focused coaching to Paralympics GB athletes, ensuring that they have continual support and enabling Claire to oversee both the coaches' and the athletes' development.

When Morrison is not travelling the world, she is often found at domestic events promoting boccia.

She attends numerous regional parasport festivals and Girls in Boccia events where she introduces the game to new participants and talks to participants, parents and carers about the benefits of boccia.

Boccia is a Paralympic sport that involves throwing or rolling coloured balls as close as possible to a white target ball, called the jack.

The game is played on a flat, indoor court and is similar to bowls. The term boccia comes from the Italian word for "bowl".

The full list of winners named at Glasgow Science Centre were:

School Sport Award – Newbattle High School; Club Sport Award – North Ayrshire Table Tennis Club; Sustainability in Scottish Sport Award – Melissa Wilson; Scottish Governing Body Award – Judo Scotland; Community Hero Award – Lauren Deacon; Coach of the Year – Claire Morrison (boccia); Young Athlete of the Year – Aidan Lennan (kickboxing); Moment of the Year (sponsored by the University of Edinburgh) – Glasgow Warriors Winning BKT United Rugby Championship; Male Athlete of the Year – Duncan Scott MBE (swimming); Female Athlete of the Year – Beth Potter (triathlon); Female Para Athlete of the Year – Samantha Kinghorn MBE (athletics); Male Para Athlete of the Year – Stephen McGuire (boccia); Team of the Year – Scotland women’s cricket team; Sportsperson of the Year – Duncan Scott MBE (swimming); Scottish Sports Hall of Fame Inductees – Jim Anderson OBE, Colin Montgomerie OBE and Dame Katherine Grainger DBE.

Chair of sportscotland, Maureen Campbell, said: “A massive congratulations to all the winners at this year’s Scottish Sport Awards.

"There have been so many incredible achievements across Scottish Sport over the last 12 months and nights like these are a great chance to recognise and celebrate together.

“Every year the Scottish Sports Awards reminds us of the power of sport and its ability to inspire and unite.

"It is evident, with this list of winners, that the success of the Scottish Sporting system is a result of talent, hard work, dedication, and a determination to reduce inequalities in sport at every level.

"This wouldn’t be possible without continued Scottish Government and National Lottery investment. Every time someone buys a National Lottery ticket, they are supporting talented athletes, local clubs, and initiatives across the country, creating opportunities for everyone to get involved in sport and changing lives every day.”

Chair of Commonwealth Games Scotland, Ian Reid, said: “This has been a fantastic celebration of a remarkable year of sporting achievement, from the success of our Olympians and Paralympians in Paris to the many local heroes who continue to go above and beyond to help sport to flourish in clubs, schools and communities across Scotland.

“In the third year of our partnership with sportscotland to jointly host this inspirational event it continues to go from strength to strength – working together to celebrate the best of Scottish sport.

“Congratulations to all the winners and finalists, and a huge thank you to our partners and sponsors, whose support has made this special night possible.”