The man responsible for cultivating the talents of a fleet of world class swimmers has been awarded the top honour at the annual Sports Council for Wales Coach of the Year awards.

City of Cardiff Swimming Club Head Coach, Dave Haller was awarded the ‘Coach of the Year’ award at a glittering ceremony held at the Sports Council’s Welsh Institute of Sport in a year which has seen his protégées shine on the international swimming circuit.

Appropriately, it is at this Cardiff venue that the 61-year-old former top sprint freestyle swimmer has long been cultivating the talents of one David Davies - Olympic Bronze medallist and 2006 Commonwealth Games gold medallist at 1500m freestyle and bronze medallist at 400m freestyle.

And Davies is quick to highlight the contribution his mentor has made to his flourishing career:

"My medals are as much Dave’s as they are mine. He is with me at every training session, he’s a great motivator and we are so lucky to have him here in Wales – his experience is second to none, his knowledge is superb and more importantly he’s an understanding coach and a great person."

And the 21-year-old champion from Barry is in good company as those formerly under Haller’s wing include Mark Foster and Olympic champions David Wilkie and Duncan Goodhew.

Indeed, Cowbridge based Haller is no stranger to winning the award. The very same honour was bestowed upon him in the year that saw the then 19-year-old Davies splash onto the scene with that swim that secured the bronze medal in the 1500m freestyle in the Athens Olympic Games in 2004.

Since then - and under Haller’s ever watchful eye - Davies has become a formidable freestyle force on the international stage.

His gargantuan tussles with 1500m speedsters Grant Hackett and Larsen Jensen have catapulted him to the upper echelons of swimming sovereignty and his bronze medals in Athens and at the 2005 World Swimming Championships in Montreal have confirmed that Haller may indeed have a budding Olympic gold medallist on his hands.

Haller HQ has also attracted Davies’ Olympic stablemate and Melbourne multi-medal winning Scotsman Gregor Tait.

Tait relocated from the Scottish capital to Cardiff in 2004 to team up with Haller in the build up to the 2006 Commonwealth Games where he secured two individual golds and a bronze medal together with a medley team bronze at the Melbourne Aquatics Centre. His total added to Davies’ two equates to a magnificent tally of six commonwealth medals for their coach.

Needless to say, Haller’s career is dotted with a host of highlights. He retired from competitive swimming in 1965 and embarked on the beginning of his 41-year coaching career.

Highlights include his appointment as Olympic coach for both the 1976 and 1980 Games. During his tenure, Team GB finished second at the Men's World Championships and won BBC Sports Personality’s Team of the year award. His talent took him to Honk Kong for a period of ten years, before his return to take charge of the City of Cardiff Club based at the Welsh Institute of Sport.

Other coaches collecting their accolades today included:

FEMALE COACH OF THE YEAR

Sue Parry, Swimming, Abergele

Sue has devoted almost ten years to the running of Abergele Swimming Club in which she has fulfilled many roles, both administrative and coaching. The club is the only voluntary organisation in the UK to achieve the coveted Investors in People Award – and Sue was one of the key players in helping to put all the key pieces in place to ensure a successful outcome in which the club secured this award.

Sue has progressed through the ASA education system to become a level 3 club coach and has recently registered for the level 4 qualification. Sue has coached swimmers to great success at the National Age Groups in Sheffield, in which they have won numerous gold, silver & bronze medals and have made many improvements on previous years.

This year alone 72 medal successes have been gained ranging from novice meets to international. In addition to the physical demands of coaching Sue devotes many hours per week to planning and the preparation of differentiated training programmes covering five swim squads and travels to Manchester on a weekly basis where the performance squads benefit from vital long course training. Approximately 105 swimmers with abilities ranging from the novices to World Class potential benefit from her expertise and ability each week.

2005-06 has been the most successful the club has seen to date and this success has to be attributed to the enthusiasm Sue generates within the squads and her ability to push athletes to their limits. As well as working full time, Sue devotes 28 hours to the club each week.

VOLUNTEER COACH OF THE YEAR - PERFORMANCE

Darrell Maynard, Athletics, Cwmbran

Darrell has made the switch from athlete to coach in a relatively short period of time. Over the last two years he has had an extraordinary successful time with his athletes. Both Darrell’s confidence and coaching has seen two athletes progress dramatically in their individual fields. Richard Hill (800m runner) who is placed top of the British rankings for 2006, earned himself a place in the British team for the European Championships and David Greene - who medalled at the European Junior Championships in 2005 - this year secured a place in the European Senior Championships.

Darrell has also coached 400m sprinter Gareth Warburton to success in the World Indoor championships.

In addition to this Darrell has worked extensively with athletes with a disability, who have also made excellent progress. Darrell was selected as Team Coach to the Welsh Commonwealth Games team for athletes with a disability in 2006. He was also team coach for the GB team competing in the IPC World Championships in Assen, Holland. He has coached John McFall (European Bronze Medallist, IPC World Silver Medallist 2006 and ranked number two in the World), Lloyd Upsdell selected for 100metres in IPC World Championships and coached Tracy Hinton back from injury helping her to return to World Class Funding.

Darryl has without question committed time and provided quality coaching. His efforts have been rewarded by the outstanding medal successes and records broken.

VOLUNTEER COACH OF THE YEAR – COMMUNITY COACH

Glyn Walters, Tennis, Bridgend

Glyn joined Garw Valley Tennis Club in 1973, initially starting his involvement with the three court club as a valued member of their 1^st team. Glyn became Chairman of the club in 1995 and has worked tirelessly for the club and the young people of the local community since.

Glyn spends 15-20 unpaid hours per week working for the tennis club and the local community. As well as coaching he provides maintenance to the playing facility as well as maintenance work on the club house. Glyn has raised £21,000 towards the resurfacing of the courts, also securing the future of his by taking over the lease on the courts from Bridgend County Borough Council.

Garw Valley is a junior focused club which runs a comprehensive coaching and competition programme for its youngsters which Glyn coordinates as well as taking up the coaching role. The programme runs over three nights a week during the spring, summer & autumn months and caters for 4-18yr olds and has a Junior Membership of 50.

Glyn works in partnership with the Sports Council for Wales’ Dragon Sport scheme and provides Dragon Sport at the club as well as regular tennis festivals for local schools. He also provides a huge amount of community focused tennis activity for the local primary school – Gyngarw Infants and also visits the Pontycymmer adult day care centre once a week to provide tennis activities for adults who are recovering from mental illness. He has recently become involved with Disability Sport Wales festivals for schools, and helps to provide tennis activities for young people with a range of physical activities.

Glyn is highly regarded in Pontycymmer by both parents and children alike. He is providing the type of community activity through tennis that keeps young people off the streets and gives them an opportunity to play a sport which has physical fitness, health, psychological and social benefits. Glyn’s enthusiasm for the sport is driving tennis at Garw Valley Tennis Club and ensuring tennis provision continues within the community for the next 80 years.

COACH TO DISABLED SPORTSPEOPLE - PERFORMANCE

Neil Smith, Cycling, Newport

Neil has mentored and encouraged athletes to some of the greatest Paralympic heights in British Cycling. His cyclist Jody Cundy has befitted from Neil’s excellent coaching and feels that Neil has been paramount in his transition from Paralympic swimmer to cyclist. Neil has provided the skill, encouragement and leadership in the lead up to competitions which has helped Jody to win two IPC Paralympic Gold Medals, two UCI World Records and become IPC World Record holder in the 1km Sprint.

He spends many hours a week coaching at Newport, where he not only coaches Jody but lends his experience and knowledge to a squad that includes Nathan Tyrell and James Brookman - two talented Welsh Juniors who are number one in GB.

Neil is a fantastic coach and a great motivator who cares passionately for his individual riders.

COACH TO DISABLED SPORTSPEOPLE - PARTICIPATION

Matthew Broadbent, Swimming & Boccia, Penarth

Matthew has given over three years of his time to helping very special children achieve great success in disabled sports (Boccia). Matthew is and always has been a very supportive volunteer coach and without his help, the Boccia Blasters club could not manage to run.

Matthew joined Bridgend Sharks Disabled Swimming Club as a volunteer coach in 2003. The club hosts twice weekly training sessions and Matthew - who is a wheelchair user himself will always be present poolside - often travelling some 30 miles by public transport. Matthews coaching commitment has enabled new swimmers to participate in galas around England and Wales.

As well as the beginners, other members of the club have benefited from Matthew’s coaching. Scott Brown has now joined the Bridgend County Squad, Alan Davies is hoping to be selected for the DSE Senior Nationals in November and Chris Perry is training with the FDSW Swimming Academy Junior Squad.

TEACHER COACH OF THE YEAR - PRIMARY

Satu Haikala, Nantmel Primary School, Llandrindod Wells

During the last eight years Satu has worked tirelessly to develop a wide variety of after school sports for Nantmel Primary. There are 65 children in the school and over half of the Key Stage One and Two pupils take part in sport after school and at weekends. These sports include netball, hockey, football, rounders, athletics, kwik-cricket and cross country.

As the school has no hall to facilitate the various sports during the winter months, the pupils meet after school once a week at the local leisure centre where they have the opportunity to play in matches against other schools - both after school and at weekends and take part in a variety of tournaments.

Satu has encouraged an enthusiastic group of parents to help and willingly gives up her free time despite a very heavy teaching commitment in a village school.

Satu is also an athlete in her own right and has managed to combine the two roles effectively.

TEACHER COACH OF THE YEAR - SECONDARY

Tracy Davies, Blackwood Comprehensive School, Blackwood

Tracy has worked as a PE teacher at the school since 1995. Following a staff re-structure she was appointed as joint Team Leader for PE in the school, which has developed an outstanding reputation for sports and outdoor education within the LEA and beyond.

In 2005 the PE department of the school was the inaugural winner of the Dr Sue Noake Memorial Award nominated by Caerphilly Sports Association for the school that does the most to promote sporting participation in a range of sports amongst its pupils.

Tracy has held the highest esteem, not only by the staff and pupils of the school, but by staff and pupils across the Islwyn Cluster schools and the LEA, due to her enormous impact on school sport.

Although she has coached individual pupils to the highest levels of success, it could be argued that she deserves the accolade even more for the phenomenal range of activities she has initiated for pupils at all levels, especially for those who would otherwise almost certainly be non-participants. Tracy’s involvements include hockey, netball, rounders, gymnastics, dance, tennis athletics, cross country, skiing, football, rugby, fitness clubs, outdoor education and Dragon Sport; all of which she has contributed to pupils achieving district, county and international standard.

The work that Tracy does at the school is inspiring greater participation, increased levels of fitness and promoting sport and physical activity to develop a healthy lifestyle, particularly amongst girls, providing a solid base for future development when pupils proceed to further education or as part of their working lives in the future. She has been instrumental in helping pupils raise huge sums for Cancer Relief taking part in the ‘Race for Life’ and locally the ‘Relay for Life’ appeal.

Sports Minister Alun Pugh who made today’s presentations said:

"Without the valuable contribution of coaches, both professional and community based, we would not be able to fulfil the aspirations of Climbing Higher, our sports and physical activity strategy. This is why we are investing £3.9m in the Coaching Plan for Wales.

"We want to increase the number of voluntary and professional coaches and leaders and instructors in Wales. We are also striving to improve the quality of coaching through education and training to create more opportunities for all people in communities throughout Wales to take part in sport and physical activity, in response to Health Challenge Wales"

For further information about how you can get involved in coaching at all levels, visit the Coaching Wales website at www.coachingwales.com or contact 0845 045 0904 / email: coachingwales@scw.co.uk