Case studies

Partnership in sport - working at its best in South Oxfordshire


Partnership in sport - working at its best in South Oxfordshire

Lee Eldridge and Debbie Saw

South Oxfordshire District Council has linked with the South Oxfordshire School Sports Partnership managed by Wallingford School and Wallingford Sports Park to employ two Community Sports Coaches, who have been working in the South Oxfordshire since July 2006.

The coaches, Debbie Saw and Lee Eldridge, have been working in schools, the local community and at Wallingford Sports Park delivering high quality coaching in multi-skill activities (throwing, catching, running etc) for more than 4,000 children in the South Oxfordshire area.

The Community Sports Coaches have also been helping to develop the knowledge of local coaches and teachers by increasing their coaching craft knowledge through the delivery of multi-skill coaching sessions and also undertaking mentoring of local coaches.

Coaching sessions have been delivered within schools since the beginning of September 2006 and the coaches are currently delivering their second Summer activity camp organised by South Oxfordshire District Council. The camps are multi-skill based and the children attending these sessions are then invited to the Wallingford Sports Park to continue with the activities at one of the many junior sports sections.

The Community Sports Coaches have delivered multi-skill sessions within each junior section at the Sports Park, which has ensured continuity of coaching between the three work areas of School, Local Authority and Club.

The partnership of South Oxfordshire District Council, School and Club is the only example of such joined up working in the South East and is proving to be very successful in raising the quality of coaching that children are receiving in the South Oxfordshire area.

Mark Scarth, sports coach UK South East Area Manager, said “It is a great step forward to bring the three existing work strands of Local Authority, Schools and Club together to work in partnership. The coaches are having a big impact delivering high quality coaching within the local area and in increasing participation rates; the mentoring work with local coaches is enhancing their ability to keep these youngsters engaged in sport for life.  I am sure this work will continue to have an impact going forward into their second year and beyond”

A parent of two children who have received coaching from the Community Sports Coaches said “Both of my children have enjoyed the coaching sessions at school and the Sports Park very much and were delighted to find out that ‘their’ coach would be coaching them at summer camp too!”