Skilled coaches at all levels are essential in order to develop the potential of young people, ensure the enjoyment of adults and improve standards of Scottish sport. Quality coaching is vital if Scottish sport is to be successful. It helps athletes gain more confidence, self reliance, adaptability, and helps them deal with success and failure.
The 1991 publication 'Coaching Matters' set the scene for the development of coaching in the UK. It aspired to have coaching professionalized and its position centralised in the development of sport and individual athletes by 2012.
Coaching Scotland
In 2005 sportscotland began a research and consultation project to update the national framework for coaching in accordance with the aims and objectives of the national strategy for sport. A research report and strategic framework, Coaching Scotland, produced through this project is planned for summer 2007.
Coaching Scotland has four main objectives:
- To provide a lead in the development of coaching strategies in Scotland;
- To support the development of coaches at a national and local level in conjunction with major partners;
- To increase the quality and quantity of coaches working at all levels in sport; and
- To ensure that effective use is made of the coaching skills and expertise available to the coaching workforce of Scotland.
UKcc
The UK coaching certificate is being developed to offer coaches a nationally recognised and transferable qualification. It is quality assured and operates at 5 levels, independent of the sport, to create parity between national governing bodies coaching qualifications.
This new qualification should make it easier for coaches at the grassroots levels to move between sports (i.e. as their children move between sports) or coach at multi-sport clubs. It will also result in a clearer, more progressive pathway for those embarking on a career in coaching and an improved quality of experience for all participants.
Further Information
Further information on the current state of play of coaching in Scotland, and the support programmes available, can be found on sportscotland's Coaching WebPages.
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