Everyone at the club is immensely proud and celebrating after a fantastic night at Pride Park stadium on Friday, where Corinne Jones was officially presented with the prestigious Derbyshire County FA Coach of the Year (Female Pathway) Award.

This award is a thoroughly deserved honour and a wonderful recognition of the immense dedication, energy, and leadership that Corinne—alongside husband Aaron—has poured into our Women’s Development team over the past few years.

More Than Just a Coach
Alongside Aaron, Corinne leads our Women’s Development team from the touchline while also taking on the crucial role of team secretary. Beyond her designated duties, Corinne is always the first to step forward whenever the club needs a helping hand—whether that means organising fundraising raffles, supporting matchday admin, or making sure behind-the-scenes tasks run seamlessly.

As a relative latecomer to coaching, Corinne's passion for learning has been inspirational. She has constantly pushed to hone her craft, attending local Continuing Professional Development (CPD) events organised by the County FA and completing both her Introduction to Coaching and UEFA C qualifications over the last couple of years.

Transforming the Team's Legacy

• The award reflects an extraordinary journey of resilience and growth:
• Overcoming the Odds: Corinne and Aaron kept a struggling junior setup going despite going three full years without winning a match.
• A Bold Transition: Facing declining numbers at Under-16 level, they took a leap of faith by transitioning the squad early into open-age football.
• Proving the Doubters Wrong: In their very first season in open-age competition, the squad finished an impressive 4th in the league—a level of consistency and performance they proudly sustained last season.
• Inclusion & Empowerment: Their efforts have given up to 30 young women the chance to play competitive football. Many of these players had never played organised football before, while others had previously been turned away elsewhere.

A True Cornerstone of Our Club
To her players, Corinne is widely regarded as a supportive mother figure whose genuine care builds confidence both on and off the pitch. Her unwavering belief in empowering young women has built a team culture grounded in camaraderie, self-belief, and joy.

Corinne and Aaron embody the absolute best of grassroots football volunteering. Their dedication has reignited a passion for the sport across an entire squad of players, and we could not be prouder to see Corinne’s hard work recognised on the county stage.

„Giving players who may have been overlooked, knocked confidence or never really had the opportunity to play, and to watch them grow into confident women is incredibly rewarding and something I’m incredibly proud to have been part of” said Corinne, adding „I’d known about the award for a while and tried to prepare myself but standing on the stage knowing that my mum sister and daughter were watching me in the audience and thinking about the players, coaches, and everyone who has been part of the journey was a really emotional and surreal moment.”

„ I’m not always the best at accepting praise, so standing there and having that recognition for something I genuinely love doing was a little overwhelming.”

Please join us in giving Corinne and Aaron a huge round of applause when you next see them at the club!