06 November 2009

At the end of his first full week in post, new scottishathletics Head Coach Laurier Primeau has introduced financial awards to the foremost Scottish volunteer coaches of up to £5000 a year in the countdown to London 2012 and Glasgow 2014 to assist with travel, accommodation and equipment expenses while engaged in coaching Scotland’s elite athletes.

The programme seeks to support volunteer coaches who can clearly demonstrate that they: possess outstanding technical knowledge and can demonstrate the ability to pass it on to their athletes; can deliver outstanding results and Olympic Games, World Championships, Commonwealth Games and European Championships; have the capacity and willingness to mentor Scotland’s less experienced coaches; support and participate in scottishathletics and UK Athletics (UKA) elite coaching programmes and support their athletes’ participation in scottishathletics initiatives.

Primeau said: "It is important for scottishathletics to demonstrate that we are attacking our Six Year Plan with action items, and this programme is an obvious one to start with. We want the bursaries to be received not only as a reward for coaching excellence in the past, but also as an investment in our coaching future. The Home Grown Coach Programme addresses both sides of the equation by simultaneously recognising those who have already produced top level talent and engaging them in assisting with the next generation of coaching and athletic excellence."

Frank Dick, scottishathletics Chair added: "Winning athletes don’t just happen, neither do winning coaches. In both cases, the relevant talent must be there in the first place. Thereafter it needs the will to be the best, and both challenge and support to get them there. The Home Grown Coach Programme is about providing that challenge and support for talented Scottish Athletics Coaches who intend to be the best. That’s the kind of coach our athletes need to fight for medals in the international arena. This is the kind of programme to get them there."

Additional notes

* Coaches must be able to demonstrate all or most of the following:

1. Currently coach to at least one Scottish athlete ranked in the top 10 in the Commonwealth (or, in the case that there are fewer than 10 athletes in the event, ranked in medal position). The ranking is based on a maximum of three athletes from each member nation

2. Both the coach and athlete are based in Scotland, and the athlete possesses Scottish citizenship

3. Both the coach and athlete are current members of scottishathletics

4. Is committed to work for the benefit of the National Programme

5. Coaches, or is willing to take on, at least two athletes between ages 18 and 22

6. Has an open minded, progressive and innovative approach to coaching

7. Takes a positive approach to their own education and self development by keeping up to date with current trends and practices and/or provides research/discussion papers for the benefit of other coaches

8. Is prepared to enter a one-year contract to be funded as a Home Grown Coach and abide by an agreed upon Code of Conduct.

* ‘Homegrown’ Coach Bursaries arent available to full time employees of scottishathletics, UKA or sportscotland

* Applications may only be submitted by the coach applying and not on behalf of the coach by any other person or institution and close on Friday 6 December 2009 at 5pm

* Full details of the application criteria and deadlines are on the scottishathletics website.