Two of the world’s most respected sports coach mentors are heading to Argyll and Bute in February 2013.

Coach Academy is part of the Successful Coaching Champions sports coaching programme run by Argyll and Bute Council in partnership with sportscotland. It is designed to give sports coaches and teachers focussed on coaching primary school age to mid teenaged athletes an in-depth set of resources to work with in their sports club or school.

The council’s Lead Councillor for Sport, Douglas Philand said, “As a keen follower of sport myself, it is heartening to see the ongoing success of this project which is now in its sixth year. It also underpins our commitment to the campaign to get involved in the Glasgow Commonwealth Games. We recognise that for ‘Scotland’s Games’ we want to use the opportunity to grow volunteers, coaches, officials and athletes who can be part of this great event in 2014.”

Former Olympic and national coach Kelvin Giles and Scottish rugby hero, British Lion and now talent manager at the Scottish Institute of Sport Tony Stanger, will be hosting a Coach Academy in Oban on 1 – 3 February for any sports coaches working with young people, helping them identify the relationship between coaching and the young athletes' progression and long term development. The Coach Academy will also inform coaches how to instil a positive mind set in athletes and how to recognise talent.

Kelvin Giles will spend a day in Oban as part of Coaching Champions working to raise standards and understanding. Tony Stanger will lead a session on talent identification and mind set to help coaches give their athletes, no matter the sport, every opportunity to achieve their best.

Coaches and teachers enrolling on Coach Academy will be given free access to the Double Goals Coach Workshop, delivered by Positive Coaching Scotland on Sunday afternoon to complement their quality Coach Academy experience.

Courses will run between January and April across Argyll and Bute with a concentration on the weekend of 1 to 3 February 2013 in Oban.

Bookings are currently being taken and further information can be found at :

www.argyll-bute.gov.uk/coachingchampions