A Washington schoolteacher is celebrating being named as the Performance Development Coach of the Year at the UK Coaching Awards – despite not even knowing he had been nominated.

Royal Yachting Association national coach Martin Boatman was honoured at a special ceremony at Holiday Inn, Wembley on Tuesday evening, celebrating the work, dedication and achievements of the country’s top coaches.

The 32-year-old has been working with a cohort of young sailors in the Laser 4.7 sailing class, even taking a group to European Championships, where 15-year-old Matilda Nicholls won gold.

But receiving the award proved a surprising moment to Boatman, also a primary school teacher, more than most, admitting it’s a shock that will take some time to sink in.

“I didn’t even realise I had been nominated, my bosses did it without my knowledge then rang me a couple of months ago to get some video pieces of me coaching. That was the first I knew of it,” he said.

“You don’t coach for the accolades, you do it because you enjoy it and you love what you do.

“With each squad we’re looking to get them onto that next stage of development, and while we’re only one part of that it’s important for us to get that right.

“It’s been an absolute honour, meeting Princess Anne has been a completely new experience and it’s been fantastic.”

The UK Coaching Awards is an annual celebration, organised by Sports Coach UK, honouring sports coaches and coaching organisations who have demonstrated outstanding success over the previous 12 months, with HRH The Princess Royal on hand to present the awards.

Boatman’s work has also included getting more girls involved with sailing, with the Laser 4.7 class among the toughest to compete in in the world.

And with the success of Team GB’s Olympic and Paralympic Games stars growing with each cycle, the importance of coaching across both genders is now higher than ever, with Boatman hopeful the next generation can ride on the crest of the Rio 2016 wave.

“I started coaching ten years ago at a regional level and then a national level and took on a girls’ squad to try and get a 50/50 gender split which is something we’re really pushing for,” he added.

“The biggest change from a few years ago is the psychological difference, we’re really thinking about our coaching and what makes our athletes so successful, and that’s where the girls are flourishing.

“They’re beating treated more and more as individuals, and when they build up that confidence – which is a huge thing in itself – then they are flying, and I imagine they’ll be expecting some praise from me for this award when I get back!”

The UK Coaching Awards honours sports coaches and coaching organisations that have demonstrated success over the previous 12 months.

This year’s winners came from 11 different sports – highlighting the very best of coaching from high performance to community, from children to disability.

Find out more about coaching in the UK at www.sportscoachuk.org