London2012legacythreatenedbyUKcoachingshortageBritain'shopesoffinishingfourthinthemedalstableattheLondon2012Olympicscouldbeunderminedbyalackofprofessionalcoaching,areportpublishedbyasportsthinktankrevealedyesterday.Theresearch,carriedoutbyLoughboroughUniversityandchairedbyformer1,500mworldrecordholderSteveCram,saysthesportinglegacyleftbytheGamescouldbeinjeopardyunless250,000full-andpart-timecoachingjobsarecreated.Whilehigh-profilesportssuchassoccerareturningtoforeigncoachesatbothnationalandclublevel,Crambelievesthelackofhomegrowncoachesinallsportsmustbeaddressed."Thereporthighlightsthatunlesswecanbreakthecultureof'gentlemanamateurism'inUKsport,wewillstruggletobecomebestintheworld,"Cramsaid."Aslongaswecontinuetorelyonanarmyofgrassrootsvolunteers,withnoclearcareerprogressionforhomegrowncoaches,wewilltendtolooktosuperannuatedforeigncoachestofillthetopjobsinUKsport."Ifwedon'tactnowtostemtheendemiccultureofvolunteerisminUKsport,wemayhavealreadymissedthechanceforsportingsuccessatLondon2012."Seniorfiguresin12leadingsportswereinterviewedforthereportbytheSportnationthinktank,whichfoundthatnearly70percentofsportscoachesinBritainarevolunteers.Itsaidathletics,theblue-ribboneventoftheOlympics,hasasfewas12salariedcoaches.Cramsaidtherewastoomuchrelianceon"white,middle-classmenwhoaregivingupabitoftime"anditwasvitaltospreadthenetmorewidely."Youneedcoacheswhoarefromyourbackgroundandwhoyouidentifywith,becausetheyarethepeoplewhoenthuseyouandgiveyouabitofvisionandadream,"hetoldReuters."Iremembermydaughtercamebackfromtheathleticsclubacoupleoftimesandsaid'Dad,whyareallthecoachesoldmen?'"headded."Isaid'well,becausethey'vegotthetimetodoit'."Fora12-or13-year-olditsnotaparticularlyvibrantpicturetopaint."PoorbackgroundCramsaidcoachinghadtobemadeattractiveasacareeroptiontoenticethesortofpeoplewhowouldotherwisebelosttosport."Ifyouarestrugglingjusttomakealivingandyoudon'thavelotsoftimeandyouhaveallsortsofotherpressuresinyourlife,youarenotgoingtolookatcoachingifthereisnochanceofitgivingyousomethingback,"hesaid.ArecentblueprintputforwardbySportsCoachUK,thenationalcoachingfoundation,setatargetof42,000newcoachingpositionsby2016,buttheLoughboroughresearchsaysthatfigurewouldbeinadequate.Itcallsforbetween160,000to233,000paidpositions.Failuretodoso,thereportsays,couldexcludethosefrompoorbackgroundsbecominginvolvedincoachingandleadtoBritain'ssportingtalentgoingabroad.PortsmouthandEnglandgoalkeeperDavidJames,whostillhopestobepartofItalianFabioCapello'splansforthenationalteam,saidBritaincouldstruggletocompeteinmanysportsunlessthelevelofinvestmentincoachingwasimproved."Theresearchshowsthatunlessweactnowtoprofessionalizeourcoachingsystemfromgrassrootstoelitesportstars,anddrawinspirationalcoachesfromallsectionsofsociety,Britishteamswillcontinuetofallshortininternationalcompetition,"hesaid.PatDuffy,thechiefexecutiveofSportsCoachUK,believesthatfourthplaceattheLondon2012Olympicsisachievable,butsaysthereisstillalongwaytogo."Ifwedon'tputthecoachinginfrastructureinplacewearerelyingontheoddexceptions...butthingsareimproving.WehadexcellentresultsinSydneyandAthens,"hetoldReutersrecently."Weneedtomakesuretheimprovementsarelong-termandsustainable.WeareindirectcompetitionwiththelikesofFrance,Italy,AustraliaandGermany,allofwhomhaveestablishedcoachinginfrastructure."
