Ellon Rugby Club has this week joined rugby clubs  Hillfoots, Bishopton, Stewart’s Melville, Lasswade and Langholm, by earning their Positive Coaching Scotland accreditation in association with the Bill McLaren Foundation.

 

The club is the most northerly to have worked through the programme, which aims to create a unique mission statement and individual ethos for everyone involved at the club, from parents to players to volunteers and coaches.

 

At Ellon the challenge that they have set out reads: “We will strive to provide a culture that is safe, encouraging and enjoyable for all. We will be progressive, proactive and proud, and create a safe positive environment for everyone to develop and succeed.”

 

The club’s junior head coach and programme leader, Gareth Kemp, said: “I’m so proud to stand here after helping guide Ellon Rugby to be the first club in the North, and sixth club over all, to receive the Bill McLaren PCS accreditation.

 

“The club has worked extremely hard to achieve this.  The principles are something that has been part of this club for a long time and it is great to develop them further and formalise the club ethos.  The values are true to rugby here at Ellon, but also teach life skills to the players and coaches.  We want everybody involved to be the best that they can be both in rugby and in life.  The ethos created from the PCS work provides us with an excellent tool to achieve.

 

“Many thanks to all the coaches and committee here at Ellon who have worked so hard to achieve this accreditation so quickly.”

 

Richard Porteous, President of Ellon, said: “We as a club are absolutely delighted that representatives of the Bill McLaren Foundation were able to visit us in Ellon and give us this award.

 

“The hard work and effort behind the scenes from our coaches and assistants has been excellent. This award is a credit not only to the club, but to the community as a whole, ensuring that there is an organisation promoting not only rugby but in giving young people a focus for health and wellbeing now and in the future.

 

Beth Macleod from sportscotland said: “sportscotland is delighted that the Positive Coaching Scotland programme is being rolled out in rugby.  Through PCS we want children to have the best experiences in sport that they can and Ellon are a great example of how this can happen in practice by creating their new mission statement and coaching ethos for the club.  We look forward to continuing to work with Scottish Rugby and clubs like Ellon to help them develop the programme even further in the future.”

 

‘The Positive Coaching Scotland programme in association with The Bill McLaren Foundation operates as a partnership between sportscotland, the Winning Scotland Foundation, the Bill McLaren Foundation and Scottish Rugby and has the main aims to build and sustain a strong and positive rugby culture in order to develop young rugby players and develop young people through the sport.  This programme forms part of sportscotland’s national roll out of the Positive Coaching Scotland programme through governing bodies and local authorities.