Scott Hastings kicks off push to create sporting heroes

FORMER Scotland rugby player Scott Hastings is spearheading a new drive to get more children and students playing sport.

The ex-British Lion yesterday launched a "manifesto for sport" produced by the Scottish Sports Alliance (SSA), designed to create tomorrow's heroes and improve the nation's lamentable health record.

Entitled Scotland's Sporting Chance, the manifesto was presented to politicians of all parties. It demands that legislation should be brought forward to ensure that young Scots maximise their opportunities to participate in sports.

It also urges that the Scottish Government's target to deliver two hours of physical education a week for all pupils at school and pre-school should be achieved by 2014, when the Commonwealth Games arrive in Glasgow.

Research published last month revealed that only 35 per cent of primaries and 17 per cent of secondaries have met that target.

The SSA, an umbrella organisation representing the Scottish Sports Association, Scottish Association of Local Sports Councils and Scottish Universities Sport, said there should be physical activity reports to monitor exercise taken by primary seven pupils.

The document, which represents the views of more than 100 of the country's sporting bodies plus 12,000 sports clubs, said

more volunteers should be given the chance to qualify as coaches.

And more flexible working arrangements should be introduced to enable them to devote more time to sport. School sporting facilities ought to be opened outside school hours and a commitment should be made to make facilities more affordable.

Mr Hastings, who was once Scotland's most capped rugby-player, said: "Scotland is a great country, it has some fantastic talent out there.

We need to put more resources into schools to give kids opportunities.

"We need more PE teachers. Some kids can't even meet government health guidelines in terms of their physical fitness.

"If we can't start with our young kids and encourage them into sport, then we ain't going to improve our health across the nation."

Recent data shows that one in five children starting school in Scotland is overweight.

Liz Smith MSP, the Conservative sports spokeswoman and a former cricket internationalist, said: "This is a great idea from the SSA and I warmly welcome their involvement.

"With the Olympics in our own back yard and the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in 2014 all our children must have the chance to be inspired and they must have the facilities."