Rugby great joins leading charity to tackle shortage of school sport coaches
Friday, 30 July
Sir Ian McGeechan will help tackle the huge shortage of coaches working in school sport after being appointed Coaching Ambassador by the Youth Sport Trust.
The British Lions chief has teamed up with the national charity to address key issues in school sport, including the lack of qualified coaches in Olympic and Paralympic sports which could result in missed opportunities for young people inspired by London 2012.
As a former PE teacher, international rugby player, four-time British Lions chief and one of the most respected figures in sport, McGeechan’s credentials to lead on this coaching work are unrivalled.
The key areas on which Sir Ian will focus in his role as national Coaching Ambassador with the Youth Sport Trust are:
• Enhancing the quality of coaches working in school sport, ensuring they inspire young people to take up sport and help them develop early confidence and competence
• Prioritising the recruitment and training of more coaches in all sports, but particularly Olympic and Paralympic sports to meet the demands schools will face following London 2012
• Creating ways for young people to move more easily from leadership into coaching
• Ensuring there is a diversity of coaches so that all young people can identify with a coach as a positive role model
• Supporting and training members of the school workforce to become sports coaches
• Encouraging more people to take up a coaching role within schools in their communities
Sir Ian McGeechan said: “I am delighted to have been asked by the Youth Sport Trust to join them as their national Coaching Ambassador. I hope that by working with the Youth Sport Trust I can encourage more young people and adults to become coaches in their schools and communities. Inspiring young people to play sport and sustain a lifetime involvement is such an incredibly rewarding opportunity, which everyone can experience by becoming a coach.”
The Youth Sport Trust is the independent charity responsible for working with schools in England to create a world-class PE and sport system for all young people.
Baroness Sue Campbell, Chair of the Youth Sport Trust, said: “School sport and PE have undergone a huge transformation over the last decade with more young people participating, leading and performing in school sport than at any point in our history. Clearly the desire and enthusiasm among young people to participate is there. The concern now is that we mustn’t miss, through a lack of coaches involved in school sport, the marvellous opportunities which London 2012 will create to inspire even more young people to participate in PE and sport. We are delighted to announce our partnership with Sir Ian, who will help us deliver a vital area of the Youth Sport Trust’s work to create a world-leading PE and sport system for all young people.”