Major events' legacy must not be allowed to dissipate

Sports writer

Saturday 2 March 2013

THE doomsayers who were sceptical about aspects of the impact of the Olympic legacy are being obliged to eat their negative words.

Athletics in Scotland is experiencing massive growth as this image from the start of last year's Bank of Scotland Great Scottish Run highlights. Picture: SNS

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Doug Gillon

When the deadline closed this week for those wishing to volunteer for Glasgow 2014, a staggering 50,811 people had signed up for some 15,000 places. That's not only more than the biggest Scottish Premier League crowd this season, it also tops the number of volunteer applications for both the 2002 and 2006 Commonwealth Games in Manchester and Melbourne.

Don't ask about the Delhi 2010 volunteer programme. Said to involve 22,000, around half allegedly went AWOL, defecting with their uniforms and sports shoes. This may not be accurate. Corruption around Delhi was rife and it was argued there were no missing volunteers, and that it was simply a scam to cover illicit sale of kit.Whatever, the Glasgow programme marks a record high, and also underlines the extent to which sport is now volunteer-dependent. When the 1986 Games were staged in Edinburgh, just 591 volunteers were used, and were outnumbered by salaried staff.Lord Coe, in Glasgow this week, was helping promote the city's 2018 Olympic Youth Games bid. To go from hosting the Olympic Games to Commonwealths and then YOG would be unique, and not just for the UK. With major championships in a range of sports from European to world level, as Coe said: "There's not a set of nations on the planet that can boast that."The sport which made Coe's name is riding high after a remarkable Olympics. Britain will host the 2017 World Athletics Championships and Glasgow has the European Indoor Championships on its shopping list.With the Ryder Cup at Gleneages next year bringing a unique participation opportunity to every primary-five child in Scotland, it is increasingly hard to deny that hosting major events does not inspire legacy.Since the beginning of last year, 24 Scottish athletics records across all age groups, male and female, indoors and out, have been improved. Performance apart, the passion and enthusiasm for track and field is developing legacy at a more fundamental level which will make sceptics squirm.UK and Scottish athletics is experiencing unprecedented growth. Every Scottish national championship in the past 12 months has seen an increase in entries – 68% up on last year for the McCain National Open in January, the largest entry for 16 years at the national cross-country in Falkirk last weekend, and 849 entries (up 52% on last year) for the McCain Age Group championships (under-14 to under-20) this weekend at the Emirates Arena.Scottishathletics launched the Club Together programme in July 2011, specifically geared to 2012 legacy and coping with increased demands on clubs. Staff are employed specifically to take control of recruitment of athletes, coaches, volunteers, officials and ultimately to help retain athletes. In just nine months to December, 204 new coaches were recruited across 17 clubs, plus a further 398 volunteer helpers, 285 coaches qualified and trained to a higher level, and more than 2000 athletes recruited to those 17 clubs. In the 12 months from January last year, the total increase across all classes of members is 1370.Jogscotland, the national recreational programme run by scottishathletics and the NHS, reports truly remarkable growth. It was launched in 2002, and has expanded from 8474 participants in December 2008 to 28,595 in January this year.Billy Mitchell, head of the programme, says he is very conscious of the need to ensure they are ready to meet increased demand as a direct result of 2014, and is currently engaging with more than 2100 Jog Leaders for their views. "Volunteer buy-in and recognition is crucial," he says, "but this must be supported by a structured coach education programme. I'm confident that jogscotland can deliver in this respect."Given that Run England, jogscotland's southern counterpart, has "just" 36,000 members, the Scottish figure is staggering.UK Athletics, however, can also claims significant increases. They point to England's Active People Survey figures in December, which showed more than 2m adults taking part in at least 30 minutes athletics per week – up 400,000 over four-years. Annecdotal evidence suggests large increases in membership which they expect to be confirmed when club affiliation renewals start next month.Scotland has a unique chance to enjoy the double bounce of 2012 and 2014. Maybe even a treble if the 2018 bid succeeds. A climate of elite events is exactly what inspires youngsters, but this must be given appropriate follow-up. Without that, it is like winning a war and losing the peace. Lachie Stewart, Ian Stewart, Ian McCafferty, Jim Alder, Bill Sutherland, Rosemary Stirling and Rosemary Payne were the athletics medallists of 1970. Only twice since then has any other Scot won a medal in their events, and in three of the six disciplines they contested, the native record remains the one set in Edinburgh back in 1970.

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Major events' legacy must not be allowed to dissipate

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