A winter wonderland for young talent
Tuesday 23 October 2001
With four months to go until the Olympics in Salt Lake City, curling medal hopes Team McMillan, are currently in Bern taking part in the WCT Bund Trophy Tournament in preparation for the ultimate showdown in February. The GB curling squad, made up entirely of Scots, will no doubt be a source of inspiration for the young talented winter sport athletes who are celebrating awards from the sportscotland Lottery Fund.
"This is only the second time that curling has been included as an Olympic sport..."
Awards totalling £80,000 have been made to two groups through the Lottery Fund’s Junior Groups programme, which aims to help young people to progress to senior, national and ultimately, international level, through participation in comprehensive training and competition programmes.
A far cry from its 16th Century roots played on frozen marshes, the national sport of curling benefited from a £40,000 award. The Royal Caledonian Curling Club, founded in 1938, will use the award to support 160 athletes identified on the programme, the majority at regional squad level.
The programme includes a series of training sessions at curling rinks across the country where juniors are given coaching on delivery technique, tactics, sports science and preparation for competition. Gaining good international experience has often been difficult in the past, but it is a crucial part of the development for teams who hope to represent Scotland at international level. For example, selected national junior squad teams will compete at international competitions in Switzerland or Sweden.
Chris Hildrey, Director of Development, of RCCC, said: “This is the second season that we have secured funding for our National and Regional Junior squads and we are already seeing great improvements in the depth of talent in Scottish Junior Curling. We thank the support of the sportscotland Lottery Fund and the enthusiasm of our local volunteer coaches who have made such quick progress possible. However, it is important we sustain the good work being done and achieve our ultimate goal of regularly winning medals at the World Junior Championships.
“We are very proud and feel it’s a great achievement that the entire GB squad for the Olympics in 2002 is made up of Scots curlers and we look forward to making that a tradition.”
Snowsport Scotland, the National Governing Body for all snow sports including snowboarding, alpine, freestyle and nordic skiing, will use its award of £40,000 to help 30 junior international level athletes (22 alpine and eight snowboarding) participate in competitions, speed, technical and pre-competition camps plus fitness, training and assessment sessions.
Operational for 38 years, Snowsport Scotland aims to develop the sport in Scotland by providing young alpine skiers and snowboarders with the opportunity to receive high level coaching and appropriate competition in a structured environment.
Bruce Crawford, Development Manager of Snowsport Scotland, said: “The Junior Groups award will enable the most talented young skiers and snowboarders to access the best possible training in Scotland and abroad. This is part of a long term strategy that culminates in the Winter Olympics, and Snowsport Junior Groups programme is part of the planning for the games in 2010 and beyond. Right now, Scotland is in a stronger position than ever before with seven Scottish senior athletes in the running for the 2002 Olympics in USA and there is some real medal potential among them.”
Alastair Dempster, Chairman of sportscotland, said: “It is vital to our development as a sporting nation to support our young athletes on their way to the top. Future champions will not emerge without the help of funding bodies and structured training programmes.
“This is only the second time that curling has been included as an Olympic sport and credit should be given to our national players who have been selected to represent the entire British team. By supporting talent at an early stage, we are hopefully preparing the way for more Scottish athletes to represent their country and become the stars of the future.”
- To date the sportscotland Lottery Fund has awarded £2,596,070 to Junior Groups Programmes.
- Junior groups Programmes provide support to groups of talented young people participating in a co-ordinated programme of coaching and competitive events over a minimum period of six months.
- Those eligible to apply for support are governing bodies of sport through the National Programme and local authorities through the Regional Programme.
- Applications for the following costs are considered for funding: facility hire, coaching fees, accommodation, travel, equipment and competition entry fees.