NEW name, new lease of life. Barely two months old in its present guise, Winning Scotland Foundation (WSF) is swiftly becoming one of the best-known bodies in Scottish sport.
Formerly known as the Scottish Institute For Sport Foundation, it is an independent charity which wants to change the culture within sport, and as a consequence across society more generally. One of its chief vehicles for doing so, the Positive Coach
ing Scotland (PCS) programme, has just got under way in five areas around the country, and more are set to follow.
The foundation aims to transform attitudes across sports, and yesterday saw the launch of PCS at the Sports Village in Stirling, a venue which, when it opens next year, will include facilities for badminton, curling and swimming among many other activities. As by far the biggest sport in the country, however, football has a big role to play, and details of the foundation's involvement in the national game will be announced today.
Tommy Boyle, the former coach of international athletes Susan Scott, Tom McKean and Yvonne Murray, is the manager of the PCS programme. Speaking at Stirling yesterday, he explained he was aware that an attempt to change the mindset of a nation could not succeed overnight, but appeared confident of making a big difference.
The key, according to Boyle, is to get rid of the "win at all costs" mentality which, he argues, is shared by many coaches and parents alike, and leads to many young people giving up sport too early. Although necessary at elite level, it is, he believes, counterproductive for the bulk of young people.
"For my first six years as a coach I had that win-at-all-costs mentality, but then the penny dropped," he said. "I realised if I was ever to succeed as a coach I needed to spend more time teaching every young person I coached good technique and hard work.
"A lot of coaches latch on to kids who do well at a young age, who mature earlier physically and mentally, and that's part of the problem. But more importantly, there are other kids there who might not be getting the proper lessons."
The Scottish programme has been developed from the Positive Coaching Alliance, an American organisation founded by Jim Thompson, a teacher, coach and businessman who is in the country this week to oversee the launch. The PCS scheme has been adapted to suit local circumstances, but the aims and ideals are the same.
Since its inception ten years ago the alliance has defined its task as "transforming youth sport so sports can transform youth". Boyle believes that can be done by getting coaches, backed up whenever possible by parents and teachers, to continually emphasise the positive.
"There are three simple messages, really. One is honouring our game – playing fair. Another is redefining what a winner is, encouraging kids to put in effort and learn from their mistakes, rather than conducting regimented coaching sessions. And the third is fill them with positive vibes."
Those principles may sound idealistic, but they have also been proven in practice, according to Thompson. The founder of the alliance knows that the sporting landscape is not the same here as it is in New York City or Chicago or the other US venues where the programme has been up and running for some time, yet he thinks his ideas can adapt pretty easily.
"It's all about a relentlessly positive approach," Thompson said. "The people I've dealt with here are really positive.
"Scotland has some real advantages, such as a centralised sports system and the fact the government are behind it. I'm looking for some really wonderful things to happen here, although it really depends on local leadership."
The full article contains 636 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
