Highland and Islands 

Bank of Scotland Young Athlete Development Camp

What is it?

The new style Bank of Scotland Development Camps will be delivered in 6 regional areas: Highlands and Islands/Grampian/East/West/Central/Tayside and Fife.  The first camp taking place between October and December each year, with a regional follow on in March/April of the subsequent year.

In 2007 – 2008, throughout Winter and Spring, over 160 Under 15 athletes attended the six regional camps, a good start for the first year of the new camps.

The young athlete camp offers a tremendous opportunity to focus on more athletes at a regional level.

Athletes will be engaged in a range of activity based on the existing Young Athlete Camp format with event specific sessions and core training sessions.

The main aims of the camp are to:

Enable athletes to work with the scottishathletics coaches on event specific and core training sessions.

Identify and demonstrate the link between the Development Camp for Under 15s and the Bank of Scotland Talented Athlete Regional Squads for Under 17 athletes upwards.

Highlight the importance of the long term athlete development model and allow appropriate athlete development

Encourage the motivation and promote the retention of talented young athletes who have the potential to be future National Squad Members. 

Athlete Qualification

There are 3 main strands to qualification.  Athletes who meet the Under 15 regional Power of 10 thresholds will be invited to work with the coaching team.  In addition up to 2 athletes per club can be selected to attend the Camps and up to 60 athletes will be selected through the Scottish Schools Athletics Association.  Full details of the qualification criteria are below:

1. Power of Ten Standard

To be invited for regional camp you should:

Live, have been born, attend full-time education or be a member of club in the region.

Achieve the Power of 10 standards for Scotland (Power of 100 standards) for their event and age group in outdoor season 2008 or have achieved a medal in National or District Cross Country, National Road Race or National Hill Race Championships.

In the under 15 age group (be at least 13 years old) during 2008. 

2. Invited through Affiliated Athletics Clubs

In addition each affiliated Scottish Athletics Club can select a maximum of two athletes to attend.  Each club will be written to.  To qualify for selection athletes should:

Live, have been born in, attend full-time education or be a member of club in the region.

Be close to achieving the Power of 10 standards for Scotland (Power of 100 standards) for their event and age group in 2008.

In the under 15 age group (be at least 13 years old) during 2008.

Be keen to learn, enthusiastic and committed to sport with general sporting ability. 

3.  Invited through Scottish Schools Athletics Association (SSAA)

Working with SSAA we will select up to a maximum of 60 athletes nationally based on following criteria:

Live or attend full-time education in Scotland.

Be close to achieving the Power of 10 standards for Scotland for their event and age group in 2008.

In the under 15 age group (be at least 13 years old).

Be keen to learn, enthusiastic and committed to sport with general sporting ability.

Athletes in this category will be invited to the most appropriate Development Camp based on their schools location.

As with all Regional and National Level training days/ Squads, ALL COACHES are invited and encouraged to attend to observe and engage with the regional coaching teams.  Each athletes will receive an invite for their coach. 

For Further information contact Julie Wyatt, Highland Regional Athletics Development Manager at julie@highlandathletics.co.uk or call 01463 273537.