The fifth annual School Sport Coaching Project for Perth and Kinross secondary schools is being launched today, Monday 9th June 2014.
Organised by the Perth and Kinross School Sport Planning Group, with funding from The Gannochy Trust, the project aims to build capacity in extra-curricular and club sport through developing youth sport coaches, encouraging leadership skills and promoting volunteering. To date over 500 young people have benefited from taking part in this project with another 115 signed up for this year.
A four-day programme has been created by the Group to enable senior secondary school pupils to gain introductory sport coaching awards.
This year’s programme builds on the success of previous years with an emphasis on how being a sports leader and volunteer helps to develop skills for learning, life and work. We welcome Perth College students and staff who will deliver sessions on Further Education, as well as Live Active Leisure and Sports Development staff who will deliver sessions on employability in the sport and recreation industry. The participants will also have the opportunity to learn about ‘Street Sport’ taking part in Street Soccer as well as Street Dance.
At the opening ceremony today, guest speaker Rachel McLean, Women’s Programme Coordinator for Street Soccer Scotland, will share her experiences of how the power of sport and football in particular have helped transform her life. Established in 2009, Street Soccer Scotland is a non-profit social enterprise that delivers a range of football related services to socially disadvantaged adults and young people across Scotland. Rachel’s story will no doubt inspire many of our young leaders as they start on their coaching and volunteering journey.
Councillor Bob Band, Convener of the Council’s Lifelong Learning Committee, welcomed the continued success of the School Sport Coaching Project and said: “This programme has been going from strength-to-strength over the last four years and I am pleased to see it returning with such a strong uptake from young people across the area. This project not only serves to introduce young people to a possible career in sports coaching but it also demonstrates the benefits of volunteering and how rewarding that can be for someone who gets involved. “
