25/01/12 - Justin Tomlinson MP Champions Role Of Sport's Coaches At Sports Coach UK Event

Footballer John Barnes in action coaching youngsters at the Swindon Football Festival
last year

North Swindon MP Justin Tomlinson says excellent coaching has a key role to play in boosting sporting participation in the UK – a key legacy aim of the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics.

Justin said: “Having the right coaches with the right qualifications in the right places increases the number of people who participate and stay in sport - and improves performances.”

Justin was speaking following a Westminster reception hosted by sports coach UK - the United Kingdom’s central agency for coaching – where he met inspirational coaches and heard from England Women’s National Football and Team GB Coach Hope Powell.

Justin also learnt about areas of sports coach UK’s work, including Coach Inspire 2014, a new High-Performance Coach-Development initiative designed to increase Home Country medal success at the 2014 Commonwealth Games. The sports coach UK programme, supported by UK Sport and the Home Country Sports Councils, will provide a stepping stone for coaches to elite and world-class programmes and help retain high-performance coaches.

He also joined guests in celebrating the positive impact of the UKCC on the development of the coaching systems of more than 30 sports.

And there was a chance to speak to award-winning coaches about the importance of excellent coaching so that everyone can enjoy sport, and realise their talent.

Justin Tomlinson MP said "I am a great advocate of the positive role sport can play in the lives of our young people.  We should be paying these fantastic coaches to put on sessions on a Friday or Saturday evening, to get young people out running around, keeping active and building on their sporting talents."