Scottish volunteer coaches will be given up to £5,000 to assist with travel, accommodation and equipment expenses while engaged in coaching Scotland's elite athletes.

The programme seeks to support volunteer coaches who can clearly demonstrate that they: possess outstanding technical knowledge and can demonstrate the ability to pass it on to their athletes; can deliver outstanding results and Olympic Games, World Championships, Commonwealth Games and European Championships; have the capacity and willingness to mentor Scotland’s less experienced coaches; support and participate in Scottish Athletics and UK Athletics elite coaching programmes.

The initiative will be welcomed by Scottish coaches especially as Primeau, a former decathlete, only took over his new role at the start of this week having been recruited from Canada in August.

He said: "It is important for Scottish Athletics to demonstrate that we are attacking our six-year plan with action items, and this programme is an obvious one to start with.

"We want the bursaries to be received not only as a reward for coaching excellence in the past, but also as an investment in our coaching future.

"The Home Grown Coach Programme addresses both sides of the equation by simultaneously recognising those who have already produced top level talent and engaging them in assisting with the next generation of coaching and athletic excellence.”

Frank Dick, the new chairman of Scottish Athletics, who was formerly the head coach of British Athletics and is still recognised as one of the world's leading experts.

He said: "Winning athletes don't just happen, neither do winning coaches.

"In both cases, the relevant talent must be there in the first place.

"Thereafter it needs the will to be the best, and both challenge and support to get them there.

"The Home Grown Coach Programme is about providing that challenge and support for talented Scottish Athletics coaches who intend to be the best.

"That's the kind of coach our athletes need to fight for medals in the international arena.

"This is the kind of programme to get them there."


Related stories
October 2009: Dick to be new chairman of Scottish Athletics
August 2009: Canada lose another coach to Britain