What a positive, engaging and fun two days at Inverclyde for the first ever residential for the Young Start programme.
This involved coach mentees and the SDS Young Persons Sport Panel members, made possible by a grant from the Big Lottery Young Start Fund, and is a two year programme to mentor athletes to become coaches.
It was a fruitful and productive two days with workshops in leadership, influencing and communication. Though these workshops participants were given the opportunity to gain qualifications and learn new skills. This will help the group to become future coaches and leaders of the Young Start and Young Peoples Sports Panel. The young people shaped this agenda to meet their needs, aspirations and skills they wanted to develop further.
Aileen Neilson, GB Paralympic Wheelchair Curling Skip, joined the group on day 2 of the residential and was hugely influential in demonstrating, resilience, leadership and how to make the most best of all situations and instilling a can do attitude.
“I was blown away by the confidence, ethos, and atmosphere of the group. There is a great friendship and camaraderie that is apparent within the group as well as being athletes and coaches across a variety of sports.”
SDS are delighted to welcome Aileen as an ambassador of the Young Start programme and are looking forward to working with Aileen over the next 18 months of the programme.
Young Start member Hope Gordon said: “I learnt a lot from the weekend and it was great to work with the group for a longer period of time. I thought the workshops helped us improve the skills of leadership and communication and I hope to use the presentation and influencing skills moving forward with my involvement in the programme.”
The Young Persons Sport Panel will meet again in June and the Young Start Mentees will continue their mentoring and coaching programme before coming together as a bigger group in October.
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