NES College students hailed as Game Changers
04 April 2014
North East Scotland College was presented with the sporting contribution award at a prestigious awards
ceremony in Glasgow last night. The Game Changer Awards is a unique scheme run by Universities Scotland and
Colleges Scotland to recognise and celebrate the many contributions that staff and students in Scotland’s further
and higher education sectors are making to ensure that Glasgow 2014 is a fantastic success and will deliver an
enduring legacy for Scotland’s people.
The award was presented to the College’s HND Coaching and Developing Sport students for their 2014 Legacy
Coaching Schools Project. Last year, students from the College provided over 1500 coaching hours to 46 schools
and clubs across Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire where over 820 pupils experienced a range of sports including
football, golf, basketball, gymnastics, swimming and rugby. Recently the students have also undertaken coaching
of disability groups, further enhancing the diversity they will experience in the world of coaching and helping to
demonstrate to these young people the opportunities that are available to them through sport.
One project that second year HND Coaching students are heavily involved with this year has been to support
Middleton Park Primary School and their neighbouring schools in Oldmachar in preparing their pupils to
participate in their ‘Oldmachar Commonwealth Games’. Having secured funding from the “Celebrate” fund, the
school is working towards engaging 525 young people in over 240 hours of quality sports coaching to build skills,
confidence and enthusiasm to help empower them to compete in the ‘Games’.
The culmination of all this work is the “Oldmachar Commonwealth Games” which will be a high profile event held
at the Aberdeen Sports Village in June. The 525 young people will be organised into teams representing different
Commonwealth Countries and will start the day with their own Torch Parade before taking part in a full day of
sporting events. Students from North East Scotland College are taking on the responsibility of coordinating the
final event as part of their course and other students from across the whole sport department will be engaged as
referees, assistants, coaches and supervisors on the day.
Jenny Watson, Head Teacher of Middleton Park Primary said, “This is a very well deserved award. The second
year students are doing a fantastic job as our Events Management Team for the Oldmachar Commonwealth
Games. As well as organising the high profile Games at Aberdeen Sports Village on the 6th June, they are also
organising and leading coaching sessions for the 525 pupils in the Oldmachar Primary Schools. Already we are
noticing the impact, as our pupils are equipped with new skills, confidence and enthusiasm for taking parts in a
wide range of sports.”
Trish Swan, Faculty Manager for Hospitality, Sport and Animal Care at North East Scotland College said, “We are
so pleased that the commitment demonstrated by our students to coaching throughout the city and beyond has
been recognised in such a positive way. Coaching in schools is an excellent way for students to develop essential
knowledge and skills key to being successful in the sports industry. We hope that such partnerships continue to
thrive beyond the Oldmachar Games and Glasgow 2014.”
ENDS - 04 April 2014