Wednesday 29th November 2000
sportscotland's lottery fund has awarded 73,700 pounds to a highly successful Tayside Youth Sport Programme, which is now into its fourth year of funding.
The IMPACT (Improving Performance and Coaching in Tayside) programme was set up by Tayside Sports Development Group in partnership with Dundee City Council, Angus Council and Perth and Kinross Council. It involves nearly 400 juniors, most of who compete at district level in eight different sports. The programme has produced nearly 100 Scottish national junior squad members in athletics, badminton, basketball, cricket, hockey, rugby, swimming and tennis.
The funding is part of sportscotland lottery fund's junior groups programme that offers financial support for groups of talented young people participating in co-ordinated programmes of coaching and competitive events. Ian Robson, Chief Executive, sportscotland, said: "We are determined to broaden sporting opportunities for the youth of Scotland. The benefits of sport are enormous.
"Programmes such as this not only assist in producing stars of the future but provide healthy, sociable, educational and fun recreational activities for kids. That can only be a good thing."
Pete Bing, executive Manager, Perth and Kinross Recreational Facilities, said: "Ongoing sportscotland lottery funding has been instrumental in establishing clear developmental pathways.
"The twin approach of performance and coaching development embodied in the IMPACT model has proved to be a sustainable mechanism for providing opportunities and raising standards."