DEVELOPING an improved pathway structure for players with disabilities and increasing coaching numbers are going to be the main beneficiaries of a substantial cash boost for Highland United Football Club.
The club managed to raise £8500 from a recent sportsman’s dinner, but were subsequently delighted to learn this would be matched by a sportsmatch award from sportscotland.
This money will now be used to deliver United’s Grassroots Additional Needs Programme Support (GAPS) project, which aims to identify opportunities or pathways in the Highland area for footballers with disabilities where none exist at present, while attempting to entice more volunteer coaches.
Courses are being planned as well on disability awareness in football for clubs such as Caley Thistle and Ross County, right down to primary soccer seven teams.
Working closely in partnership with active school coordinators, GAPS also wants to identify children with disabilities and encourage them to participate in football activities.
Spearheading the project will be United head coach Peter Corbett. He has seen the club make great strides since its formation in 2009, but believes more can be down to give those disabled in more outlying areas of the region the chance to play football.
"We’ve had a great response since setting the club up four years ago," said Corbett, who during his own career as a footballer turned out for former Inverness clubs Caley and Thistle, Clach and Ross County.
"We now have 35 members and they have competed at local, national and international competitions.
"However, we want more people to have that chance — we want to do more.
"There are not enough opportunities for people perhaps further afield than Inverness, while there’s also not enough coaches.
"We need to change that and the sportsmatch award, as well as the money from the sportsman’s dinner, will help us with taking the GAPS project forward."
Along with importance being placed upon identifying and helping talented young players with disabilities progress, building up a strong coaching network is also at the forefront of the GAPS project.
"The more people that we can get into coaching, then it means we can put more teams together," said Corbett.
"It’s a very important part of what the GAPS project is trying to achieve — just as much as identifying the players.
"I have had the opportunity to work with disabled players for the last 20 years and their love of football has really made it fun for me.
"It’s been hugely enjoyable and that’s the message I want to convey to people thinking about becoming a volunteer coach.
"You quickly find just how rewarding it is and how much you get out of being involved in something like this."
For anyone wishing more information they should contact Corbett on (01463) 238159, 0777 137 0953, or e-mail rockycorb@hotmail.com.
