Lisa Bates Honoured With BSCA Coach of the Year Award 2025
Lisa Bates has been honoured with the BSCA Coach of the Year Award 2025 in recognition of her role in guiding Ben Proud to the only individual medal claimed by Great Britain at the World Championships in Singapore.
Bates is director of swimming and head coach at Chelsea and Westminster SC based at pools across the British capital. It was at the Aquatics Centre that Bates coached Proud after the Olympic 50 free silver medallist made London his training base.
Proud won silver in Singapore behind Cam McEvoy, one of two medals claimed by the British team along with the men’s 4×2 gold.
Weeks later he shocked the sport by joining the Enhanced Games, leaving the likes of Bates in his slipstream.
Brian McGuinness & Lisa Bates: Photo Courtesy: BSCA
The BSCA (British Swimming Coaches Association) said: “Congratulations to Lisa Bates (Chelsea & Westminster SC) who is awarded the BSCA Coach of the Year Award 2025! Lisa was coach to the top individual performance by a GB swimmer at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, doing this in a Club programme in central London.
“Lisa is an experienced programme leader with exposure on GB International Teams, most recently at the Paris Olympic Games 2024 & World Champs in Singapore this year. She has coached a variety of International medallists and has a proven track record with the development of Age Group swimmers to senior level (Siobhan Marie O’Connor, Aimee Willmott, Sophie Taylor).
“Lisa held a variety of high profile coaching jobs before joining CWSC, including Performance Programme Head Coach at the London Aquatic Centre, Director of Swimming at Middlesbrough ASC and University of Bath Head Age Group/Youth Coach.
“Well done Lisa another stalwart of women coaching in GB!”
The BSCA has announced several awards this past week, honouring coaches from elite to club level.
Dave McNulty was given the Lifetime Achievement Award as well as the BSCA Coaching Award of Excellence 2025 for his role with the men’s 4×2.
Ryan Livingstone, who guides the likes of Matt Richards and James Guy at Manchester Performance Centre, also received the Coaching Award of Excellence for his work with the 4×2.
Mike Peyrebrune was handed the Lifetime Membership Award for his work as a coach and sports scientist and a man with input into the success of many Olympic and world medallists.
Keiron Piper was appointed head coach of Millfield School in March 2025 and is named BSCA Youth Coach of the Year as well as receiving the Coaching Award of Excellence for his work with Filip Nowacki.
Nowacki won the 100/200 breaststroke double at the European Junior Championships with a continental junior mark of 2:08.32 in the latter while his 59.59 PB in the 100 comfortably bettered the British age group record previously held by a certain Adam Peaty. There was also silver in the 50. The Jersey swimmer followed that up with eight golds at the Island Games before he again completed the 100/200 double at the world juniors, going 2:07.32 in the longer race to go within 0.02 of Ross Murdoch’s British record of 2:07.30 from the 2014 Commonwealth Games. It was quicker than Qin Haiyang’s winning time of 2:07.41 in Singapore.
Filip Nowacki: Photo Courtesy: World Aquatics
Nathan Jegou, who guided Nowacki from his time as an age-group swimmer in jersey, is also recognised with the Coaching Award of Excellence.
So too is Laura Bowie of Aberdeen Dolphins for her work with Dean Fearn who won the 50 fly title as well as 100 bronze at the world juniors in Otopeni, Romania.
Patrick Miley was named Para Coach of the Year following his work with Faye Rogers who a gold and five silvers at the World Para Swimming Championships.
Nick Thompson received the Para Youth Coach of the Year Award for his work with William Ellard who won four golds at the World Para Swimming Championships in Singapore.
