YaSiG Sports Initiative

The YaSiG Youth Sport Initiative began in August 2008 and has been set up to provide opportunities for young people to work towards and achieve vocational sporting qualifications and offer enjoyable multi sports based sessions to increase participation levels amongst teenagers.

Elements of this initiative will target hard to reach and NEET (not currently engaged in Employment, Education or Training) young people and staff will progress and signpost them towards positive outcomes.

YaSiG have been allocated funding from Sport England’s Community Investment Fund to deliver this initiative over a two year period. YaSiG aim to deliver this project successfully and will endeavour to continue the project after this period.

The Youth Sport initiative has two distinct strands:
Strand 1
Young people aged 13 – 24 years living in and around Gainsborough will be offered the opportunity to take part in fun multi-sports, fitness or active recreation sessions. YaSiG will deliver 26 sessions per year or approximately every two weeks. The type of activity offered will alter according to need and will include fitness sessions, multi sports and extreme sports. It is envisaged that sessions will last about 3 hours and be split into 2 halves of 1 and ½ hours, one more structured session and one more recreational activity.

The facilities used will be the most appropriate local sports facility for the type of activity, i.e. sports hall, fitness suite, astroturf, croquet, cricket pitch, football pitch squash, bowls etc.

Specialised coaches and instructors will be hired to deliver the sessions.
All participants will be made aware of local associated sports clubs so they can continue to enjoy sport and take up new hobbies.
Literature and flyers for the associated and interested clubs will be made available to the participants.

Local clubs will be invited to publicise their activities to participants.
The Youth Sports coordinator will have a duty to link interested and talented beneficiaries to the local community clubs.

Strand 2
Four times per year or every quarter YaSiG will deliver a Vocational Sports Accreditation Course, it is anticipated that it is likely to be a maximum of 16 days in duration.

Courses will be aimed at young people aged 16 – 24 and provide participants with the chance to work towards basic vocational sports and coaching qualifications. Courses will provide individuals with the opportunity to progress a career within the sports / leisure industry. It is envisaged that the majority of people who participate will be hard to reach or NEET (not currently engaged in Employment, Education or Training) young people.

It is envisaged that courses will allow participants to work towards a First Aid certificate and both or either the Community Sports Leadership Award (CSLA) or the National Pool Lifeguard Qualification (NPLQ).

Throughout the duration of the CSLA course the requirement to undertake a number of hours practical coaching opportunities will enable the project participants to make links into local clubs of their own interested sport. The Youth Sports Coordinator will support each beneficiary to gain access to a local club and similarly will support them in maintaining that interest and involvement.

YaSiG TeenSeen Workers will action plan with beneficiaries to move individuals into positive outcomes including further employment, education and training.
Throughout the duration of the NPLQ course, links to a local swimming club which meets regularly at the Leisure Centre will be made and the club will be invited to be involved in supporting young people to develop their swimming skills further.

As the NPLQ will take place at Gainsborough Leisure Centre, those successful beneficiaries will be a potential stream of qualified lifeguards / leisure attendants for the Leisure Centre.
The project has been developed with the support of the West Lindsey Community Sports Network (CSN) which is currently going through a process of coordination and development. Once the structure, aims and plans of the CSN have been agreed the CSN will be in a position to support the proposed project in achieving the targets, and the effective “mainstreaming” of project participants/beneficiaries