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Tessa Jowell Backs Boost to Coaching in Britain

120/06

Plans announced today to boost sports coaching throughout the UK were welcomed by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Tessa Jowell.

 

A UK centre of coaching excellence is to be set up, backed by a new network of coaching centres in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the English regions.  This drive to raise coaching standards is led by Sports Coach UK in partnership with the sports councils of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Ms Jowell said:

“Coaches are the backbone of our sporting nation.  They play a pivotal role in inspiring and motivating people in sport - young and old, from grassroots to elite.

“These new coaching centres will provide coaches with state-of-the-art education and training, giving athletes top quality coaching to help them excel, no matter what their level of sporting ambition. The new centre of excellence and the national network will ensure that we can bring the best coaching standards closer to our talented young athletes, wherever they live.  Clubs and schools in communities throughout the UK will benefit.

“Looking to the London 2012 Games and beyond, we want to establish the best coaching system in the world – setting up these centres is major step towards this.”

Notes to editors

1.  The new initiative was announced today by Sports Coach UK

2.  The regional centres will be established on a partnership basis between Sports Coach UK and a higher education agency, working with sports councils in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Sports Coach UK will lead the work on developing the centres, which will guide, facilitate and monitor the coaching system to increase sports participation and support the development of talent.

3. The development and running costs associated with the centres in England will be funded by Sports Coach UK and Sport England in partnership with the higher education agency involved.

4.  Centres will be identified and selected on the basis of an open competition in which existing institutions will be invited to bid against a prospectus. It is envisaged that the network of coaching centres will be phased in between April 2007 and June 2008.

5. The UK centre of coaching excellence in sport and disability sport will act as a focal point for the education and further development of coaches to the highest level.

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