Gillette team up with sports coach UK to support coaches
15th May 2012
With the London 2012 Olympic Games just months away, Gillette has launched its ‘Great Start’ campaign which aims to celebrate coaches and inspire the next generation by encouraging people to get involved in coaching. The campaign will feature Sir Chris Hoy and swimmer Liam Tancock as ambassadors, who will highlight the integral role that coaches have played in their professional careers.
The London 2012 Olympic Games is set to boost sports participation and inspire the next generation of future Olympians, but their success depends on the support of the nation’s coaches.
Sir Chris Hoy said “I’m delighted to be involved in a campaign that celebrates the fantastic work coaches do. I know first-hand just how inspirational a great coach can be and it’s important we support those looking to get the next generation off to a great start.”
There are as many as 1.1million people involved in coaching (according to sports coach UK) with 76% of these being volunteers, confirming that the UK is a nation of people willing to get ‘stuck in’!
As part of the coaching campaign, Gillette have produced a report that includes contributions from organisations such as sports coach UK, the British Olympic Association (BOA) and UK Athletics. One of the key findings of the report is that there are two “peak entry” ages into coaching: 16-18 years old and around 30 years old. More broadly, the report highlights the potential impact on medal performance of a country after hosting the Games. For example, Korea went from achieving one gold medal in the two Olympics Games prior to hosting in 1988, to 19 in 1996, two Olympic Games after hosting.
Gillette is partnering with sports coach UK to sponsor a significant number of coaching qualifications by awarding ‘Great Start’ grants in 2012. The grants will be available to both existing and new coaches who are starting out, with applications made via www.facebook.com/GilletteUK. When you 'like' the Gillette Facebook page, you can apply to have your qualification funded - sports coach UK will process the applications.
