By way of Katy Barden
The continuing upward thrust of Kilmarnock Harriers – named scottishathletics Monitor and Box Membership of the Yr on the 4J Awards remaining October – has been pushed through its folks, its partnerships, and its position on the center of the area people.
Chair Donald McIntosh recollects the summer time of 2012 when the membership relocated to the Ayrshire Athletics Area, a brand-new facility that opened to coincide with the Olympic Torch Relay forward of the London Video games.
‘We suddenly became very visible,’ he says. ‘Our visibility helped attract members and because of the Olympics, everyone wanted to be an athlete. We were swamped.’
Some would have panicked, however the membership grasped the chance and started to put the principles for a brand new and a hit technology.
To start with, membership officers labored their manner thru ready lists, suggesting to folks {that a} willingness to volunteer may fast-track their kid’s (or their very own) club. Unsurprisingly, there weren’t sufficient coaches to hide the increasing numbers, however the membership invested in new and present coaches, developing now not most effective consultants, however multi-discipline mavens who may paintings around the fast-growing junior segment.
Killie Harriers didn’t forestall there. In 2019 the membership began a training academy for junior individuals. A success candidates had been supplied with equipment, first help coaching, and supported thru scottishathletics training classes.
Development used to be halted because of the coronavirus pandemic, however McIntosh is conscious about the training academy’s have an effect on – now not least assisting succession making plans and including price to individuals – and intends to get it again up and working once conceivable.
‘There are a number of projects we need to push through and this is one of them,’ he says.
‘We believe strongly in our young people and we listen to them. The benefits of the coaching academy are significant and extend beyond qualifications and performance.’
Podium good fortune on the Scottish U17 Champs (pictures through Bobby Gavin)
‘Keeping young athletes in the sport motivates me’ – Natalie Sharp
In an interview for PB mag in 2023, membership member Natalie Sharp – 21-years-old on the time and the youngest member at the membership’s committee – spoke about her love of training and the way she were given concerned about her late-teens prior to gaining her training assistant qualification.
Now a Degree 2-qualified trainer, Natalie is the membership’s U11 trainer, an lively member/mentor of Athletics Believe Scotland’s Younger Other people’s Discussion board, an athletics consultant at the Scottish ClubSport Younger Particular person’s Operating Staff, and a pacesetter with the ‘KH Jog Squad’, the jogging workforce related to Kilmarnock Harriers.
On the reverse finish of the spectrum, husband and spouse duo Kevin and Gillian Mitchell had been nominated and short-listed for scottishathletics Group Membership Trainer of the Yr (2024), deserved acknowledgement for his or her laborious paintings and dedication over a few years on the membership.
Membership club has grown to round 360 throughout junior and senior sections from round 160 in 2012.
Development is thrilling, however the membership recognizes the significance of working in a certified way for persisted good fortune and has just lately recruited (and funded) 3 new part-time positions all in favour of management, pathways building, and outreach.
‘A big challenge for us is junior athlete retention and movement through to seniors,’ explains McIntosh.
‘We’ve were given dedicated coaches, we’ve were given a powerful junior segment, however as a result of our location a large number of younger athletes transfer off to school and we lose them.’
The membership’s partnerships, along with its new workers, have crucial function to play in keeping up the visibility and attraction of Kilmarnock Harriers and making sure it continues to flourish.
Along with scottishathletics, the membership has sturdy partnerships with Ayrshire Faculty (scholars are sign-posted to the membership for appropriate volunteering and building alternatives connected to their classes), East Ayrshire Recreational and East Ayrshire Council, the latter connected particularly to the organisation and supply of the more and more fashionable Roon the Toon 10k.
The good fortune of Roon the Toon – which doubles up because the Scottish 10k Championships in 2025 – has given Kilmarnock Harriers a treasured alternative to present again to the game, maximum significantly in the course of the tournament’s sponsorship of the Nationwide Membership Convention in 2024 .
The Roon the Toon start-line from a few years in the past with Callum Hawkins (photograph through Bobby Gavin)
‘It shows people that we’re now not simply taking their cash and striking it away after the race, we’re in truth striking one thing again,’ says McIntosh, along with offering grants (thru programs to the Jim Younger Grant Fund) to deserving athletes.
The creation of the KH Jog Squad in September 2023 has additionally ended in a treasured contribution to the membership within the type of new senior individuals and certified coaches.
Beginning out as a ‘Couch to 5K’ workforce – however with a transformation of focal point connected to quite a lot of races right through the yr – the Jog Squad used to be getting as much as 30 or 40 individuals turning up each and every evening and collaborating in a 12-week coaching block. On final touch, they had been inspired to enroll to the Harriers.
‘The Jog Squad started with three qualified leaders and two coaches and now they’re as much as round 10 certified leaders and 3 coaches throughout 3 or 4 teams,’ says McIntosh.
‘One group has already progressed to a mainstream Harriers group and are doing really well. It’s nice to look how that is impacting our senior membership numbers in a good manner.’
Killie have a good time their Monitor and Box Membership of the Yr win with Diane Ramsay – Donald McIntosh is at the proper of the image (photograph through Bobby Gavin)
Kilmarnock Harriers have a transparent imaginative and prescient is to achieve 450 individuals through 2028. To reach that they want extra coaches and volunteers, subsidized up through the efforts of the membership’s 3 new workers.
‘There’s such a lot occurring within the membership simply now; it’s immense, however that kind of development doesn’t simply occur in a single day,’ says McIntosh in conclusion.
We’ve had the song for simply over 12 years now and it’s taken time to building up that base. To win Monitor and Box Membership of the Yr used to be popularity of our adventure up to now and it used to be unbelievable for everybody.
‘Our good fortune is credit score to the folks within the membership and the laborious paintings installed from everyone around the board over the ones 12 years, however we will have to additionally glance ahead.
‘At Kilmarnock Harrier & AC we are committed to fostering the champions of tomorrow and our future shines bright with every stride, jump and throw.’
Picture through Bobby Gavin
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Tags:
Kilmarnock Harriers, Natalie Sharp
