An action plan gives the club a focus for development, whereby clear aims, targets and timescales for achievement are agreed. By producing a separate junior action plan the club will be able to cover specific junior aims in more detail and provide a positive work plan for the junior coaches and the junior development officer (if the club has one!).
This plan can then be reviewed and adapted as the targets are achieved, without having to re-work the club’s overall action plan.
The following key areas should be considered when writing the action plan:
- The clubs overall ‘vision’ and its strengths and weaknesses
- All young people should be given the opportunity for learning regardless of their ability
- Prioritise child protection
- Focus on the needs of the young person rather than the needs of the club or the coach
- Skill progressive training programme
- Encourage the parents and the young people to get involved in the running of the club
- Ensure that all activity is FUN and carried out within a friendly environment
There are examples of Junior Development Plans for a sports club in the ‘ Documents’ section
Developing School-Club links and Active Schools
A school-club link could be defined as a mutually beneficial agreement between a school and a community based sports club to work together to meet the needs of young people, providing them with new and varied opportunities and help them to realise their ambitions.
The School to Clubs page has further details on the benefits and how to make school to club links.
The Scottish Government has continued to invested in Active Schools in partnership with local authorities to put in place an Active Schools Network in each local authority in Scotland to increase opportunities for all children and young people to engaged in physical activity and sport and to strengthen pathways to participation and performance through sustainable school to community links.
For further information on Active Schools and the role of Active Schools Coordinators see the Active Schools pages on the sportscotland website.
