sportscotland is pleased to announce an investment of £294,606 in the sport of squash in Scotland.
The annual investment in Scottish Squash, of which £209,606 is from the sportscotland Lottery Fund, will benefit the sport from club level through to high performance. In addition to supporting club and grassroots development, the main focus for Scottish Squash in the future will be progressing players into Scottish senior teams who can win medals for Scotland in international competition. In particular, the Commonwealth Games in Delhi in 2010 and also the Games in Glasgow in 2014. Squash will also again be bidding for inclusion in the Olympic Programme in 2016 after falling at the last hurdle for the 2012 Games.
Announcing the investment in Scottish Squash, Louise Martin CBE, Chair of sportscotland said: “It is great to see a new generation of squash players being produced, who we will hopefully see compete for Scotland on the international stage. The £294,606 sportscotland investment will assist Scottish Squash in developing their performance plans and working with their clubs to help develop the sport at grassroots level, which can only strengthen the sport of squash in Scotland.”
Sports Minister Stewart Maxwell said: “The Scottish Government is committed to supporting and developing our athletes through sportscotland and this funding will help shape our stars of the future.
“I am confident the work being taken forward by Scottish Squash to develop the sport at grassroots level will encourage more young people to get involved and excel at this exhilarating sport.”
The investment includes support for Scottish Squash’s performance programme. The performance programme is a two-tiered system consisting of the Junior Performance Programme and the National Senior Squad. The men’s senior squad have had a successful 2008 so far, finishing seventh at the European Team Championships in the Netherlands. The squad is also working hard in preparation for the forthcoming World Doubles Championships in India in December this year.
One of Scotland’s rising stars, who led Scotland to their seventh place finish, is Alan Clyne. Alan, aged 21 from the Black Isle, has just won his first PSA title at the Charleston Challenge in America, beating top seed Jon Harford in an all-British final. Alan, the current Scottish No2, also recently captained a successful GB team to second place at the World University Championships in Cairo. Alan and the rest of the squad owe their achievements to hard work and the world-class expertise of Scottish Squash’s National Performance Director Paul Frank and National Coach Roger Flynn. Both have worked closely with the squads to develop the talents of Scotland’s most promising young players with the ongoing support of the Scottish Institute of Sport and Area Institute Network.
The investment will also help build Scottish Squash’s Performance Coach Development Programme, which is being co-ordinated with the first ever United Kingdom Coaching Certificate (UKCC) Level 3 coaching course in Scotland. The innovative programme is designed to identify and support Scotland’s future generation of performance squash coaches. It is one of a wide range of coach development opportunities being launched by Scottish Squash, supported by sportscotland, to assist with the continuing development and support of squash coaches in Scotland.
Scottish Squash will also be investing to further support a sustainable and proactive club structure in member clubs through a variety of new club development initiatives. A support pack will be produced to assist clubs develop the sport at grassroots level giving advice on membership, funding, working with junior players, coaching, child protection and supporting volunteers. Clubs will also be provided with a club membership database to make the administration of membership simpler for clubs and club members through a groundbreaking system developed by Scottish Squash and sportscotland.
Welcoming the investment from sportscotland Kim Atkinson, Chief Operating Officer, Scottish Squash said: “Scottish Squash has been working hard over a number of years to ensure that there are accessible and quality opportunities for players, coaches and volunteers of all abilities to get involved and enjoy this exciting sport.
“I am delighted that this has resulted in the development of such innovative and pioneering developments as the Performance Coach Development Programme and our new database project supporting members and clubs. This work, allied with the ongoing and invaluable support of sportscotland, has led to squash leading the development of coaching in Scotland through launching the first UKCC Level 3 course ever run in Scotland. Such leading developments and the ongoing support of our clubs continue to ensure an increasingly exciting future for squash in Scotland.”
Notes to Editors
- In 2007 sportscotland invested over £10 million in 54 sports governing bodies.
- The £294,606 investment in Scottish Squash is made up of £209,606 from the sportscotland Lottery Fund and £85,000 of sportscotland funding from the Scottish Government.
- The Scottish Institute of Sport is the high performance arm of sportscotland.