22-04-2014, 07:36 PM
Folks,
The structure of support for juniors aged approx eleven and above seems to be in place, mostly in the shape of online coaching. The juniors receiving this coaching appear to be very active and successful players at congress level and to a fair extent at international level. They also have very supportive families which is extremely important.
However, there seems to be a gap in Scotland in general about supporting younger juniors, say aged six to ten.
There have been initiatives in some regions to simply get quantities of juniors competing at a local school and county level. Of course, that's great, but how do we move on to support these young persons at national and international level?
In essence, how can that apparent gap in years be bridged? If, as a nation, we wish to be competitive at all ages and genders, does a long term plan need to be considered?
The structure of support for juniors aged approx eleven and above seems to be in place, mostly in the shape of online coaching. The juniors receiving this coaching appear to be very active and successful players at congress level and to a fair extent at international level. They also have very supportive families which is extremely important.
However, there seems to be a gap in Scotland in general about supporting younger juniors, say aged six to ten.
There have been initiatives in some regions to simply get quantities of juniors competing at a local school and county level. Of course, that's great, but how do we move on to support these young persons at national and international level?
In essence, how can that apparent gap in years be bridged? If, as a nation, we wish to be competitive at all ages and genders, does a long term plan need to be considered?