MSA announces Young Driver of the Year award

MSA announces Young Driver of the Year award

Posted: March 6, 2010 7:53 PM

The Motor Sports Association (MSA) is delighted to announce the creation of the MSA Young Driver of the Year award, to be presented annually to a student enrolled on the MSA Academy’s Advanced Apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence (AASE) programme.  

The inaugural MSA Young Driver of the Year – to be decided by a panel of MSA judges based on overall sporting and academic achievement within this year’s AASE programme – will collect a trophy and a cheque for £1000 at the MSA’s prestigious Night of Champions ceremony at the Royal Automobile Club in Pall Mall next January.  

MSA Performance Director and 2001 WRC Champion co-driver Robert Reid said:
“The AASE programme is no easy ride; it’s a highly effective training programme for those serious about their future careers in the sport. We wanted to recognise the commitment the students are putting in and give them an incentive to keep pushing themselves. The winner will be earmarked as someone with the talent and determination to succeed and that’s a pretty strong accolade for any up and coming athlete.”  

The new award was announced this week as the AASE students gathered in South London for their third residential session. In attendance were 27 students currently enrolled on the programme drawn from racing, rallying, karting, motorcycle racing or motocross.  

As part of their BTEC Nationals in Sport studies, the AASE students focused on a number of topics: the effects of personality and motivation on sports performance; the relationships between stress, anxiety and sports performance; group dynamics in sports teams, and the planning of psychological skills training programmes to enhance sports performance. Lead tutor Stuart King was assisted by MSA Academy Coordinator Greg Symes and by NVQ assessors Tom Gaymor, James Wozencroft and Mark Hucklebridge.  

Hugh Richards, Sport and Performance Psychology lecturer at the University of Edinburgh, then offered the students an introductory insight into various aspects of sport science. Richards, who also works with the MSA’s Team UK national squad, covered topics such as nutrition, physiology and attention control, before fielding questions from the AASE students.  

An introduction to communications and the media was delivered by Ben Taylor, the MSA’s Communications Consultant and a former F1 press officer. Taylor explained how the various aspects of the print, broadcast and electronic media can help the students to promote themselves better, covering such topics as interview techniques, presentations and press releases and explored the importance of creating a good impression.  

Formula BMW Euro Series driver Mackenzie Taylor said:
“As we get further into the AASE programme it becomes more and more obvious how valuable it is to me as a driver. It is laying down strong foundations on which to build my career.”  

Reid said:
“We have had a great couple of days and the feedback from the students has been really positive. They are starting to see the benefits of being on this programme, as they are getting access to the kind of expertise that ordinarily they would never have the chance to meet. They are benefitting from the same MSA-backed resources as the Team UK squad and it’s going to help them develop as competitors.”     

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The Advanced Apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence (AASE) is a government funded, performance enhancing course that aims to develop students into elite athletes. It is a part of the MSA Academy initiative and caters for 16 to 18-year-old drivers and riders (in conjunction with the Auto-Cycle Union), though candidates of up to 24-years-old are considered.  

The Advanced Apprenticeship is fundamentally a human performance programme, but because it also recognises the educational learnings of the students, it allows motor sport driving to be a legitimate and responsible career choice.  

Students receive three separate qualifications within the AASE framework: a Level 3 NVQ in Achieving Excellence in Sports Performance, a Level 3 BTEC National Certificate in Sport (Performance and Excellence) and an MSA Level 2 Certificate in Coaching Motor Sport. Should they wish, candidates are able to continue studying for their A levels at school in place of the BTEC qualification.  

AASE has been running since 2004 and is now active across a range of sports, including football, tennis, golf, athletics and swimming.  

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The MSA Academy is a framework for the MSA’s investment in the training and development of young drivers.  

Under the direction of the MSA’s Performance Director and 2001 WRC champion co-driver Robert Reid, the Academy creates a development pathway that takes competitors from the entry point as young as eight years of age up to national level and ultimately onto the world stage. It provides training, advice, guidance and information for talented young competitors through a series of programmes, including MSA Junior Master Classes, the Advanced Apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence and the MSA Team UK national squad.  

Yet, as well as creating champions, the MSA Academy also underlines the MSA’s commitment to the education of young drivers and to providing a safety net at every level for those that ultimately don’t make the grade as world class competitors.