SOMETHING that Scotland has been traditionally poor at is using our top sports people as role models. To not use some of them for school visits and similar activities seems like a missed opportunity, which makes an ambitious new initiative being launched by Gregor Townsend very welcome indeed.
In his post-rugby career at the Scottish Institute of Sport Foundation, Townsend's job title is programme manager. His role is multi-faceted – and includes his own development as a coach through his work with Andy Robinson at Edinburgh – but he admit
s he is particularly excited about one of his pet projects, which is about to come to fruition, initially as a pilot in West Lothian but with long-term plans to extend it to the rest of the country.
The 'Role Models' scheme will see ten of the country's top sports people sign up to make school visits. But not just one-off visits. As Townsend explains: "I did school visits as a rugby player, and I remember athletes visiting us, but it was usually to present prizes in assembly. Kids can be hugely inspired and motivated by sports people, but there's no real gain from one-off contact.
"This programme won't be just school visits, it'll be about kids forming a relationship with the athletes.
The athletes will initially sign up to four visits, with parents invited to the fourth one, so they can see what it's about."
He added: "We're trying to change young people's behaviour. If we get the athletes to really buy into the programme, and believe in the impact they can have, then it could be really successful."
West Lothian has been chosen, says Townsend, because the local council is one of the most progressive in Scotland in terms of supporting talented young sports people. Its Excellence School Sport Programme (ESSP) provides high quality coaching within a flexible curriculum.
Medal frenzy predictedWHILE the British Olympic Association refuses to make public its medal targets for the Beijing Olympic Games, others are not afraid to speculate. UK Sport has said that 41 medals is the "stretch" target – whatever that means – but another estimate, conducted by an Italian statistician, has said Team GB will return with 48, 18 of them gold.
What's more, according to Luciano Barra, Britain will finish fourth in the medals table, behind USA, China and Russia. That will put them four years ahead of schedule, with that fourth place one of the key targets for the London Games. Apart from Barra, most think it is completely unrealistic in London, never mind in Beijing.
Barra bases his prediction on performances.
But it is interesting that the one body that refuses to say in public how many medals Britain might win is the BOA. Then again, it is the BOA who select the team.
Acrobats hit GlasgowLAST Friday marked 100 days to go until the final of the 21st Acrobatic Gymnastics World Championships, now being held in Glasgow after Moscow pulled out of hosting them. It will be the first world championship in any sport to be staged in Glasgow since the city won the right to host the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
If you are struggling to imagine what acrobatic gymnastics is,
then think of the Audi advert that features teams of people acting out the engine parts. That is acrobatic gymnastics. October will be a busy month for gymnastics in Glasgow, with the Gymnastics Grand Prix following the acrobatic championships, also being held in the Kelvin Hall.
Tickets for the latter event went on sale at the end of the week. From a home perspective, Sarah Cameron from Kilmarnock has qualified, having finished second, with her partner Nick Illingworth, at the World Cup in Evian last month.
Andersons flourishing THE younger sister of Commonwealth Games gold medal-winning boxer Kenny Anderson has been appointed captain of the British under-20 basketball team.
Rose Anderson seems to have plenty of her brother's ambition and – channelled – aggression, with her long-term goal being selection for the British team at the London 2012 Olympic Games. Before then, she is heading to the United States, to the University of Central Oklahoma, an area she knows well after previously studying at the Oklahoma Junior College.
Though relatively short – 5ft 9ins – for a top-class basketball player, she admits that "plenty of power and aggression" mean she punches above her weight. Metaphorically speaking.
The 20-year old says she's "over the moon" to have been appointed captain of the under-20s.
The full article contains 760 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
