(SOURCE: sports coach UK)

Gillette brand ambassador Joe Hart has launched the Gillette Great Start programme, run in partnership with sports coach UK

The scheme celebrates the role of coaching and supports coaches by offering aspiring and amateur coaches who wish to further their qualifications the opportunity to apply for grants. Application can be made via the brand’s Facebook page.

Joe Hart is a brand ambassador for Gillette’s Great Start Programme, helping to emphasise that sporting success very much depends on the support of great coaches and the development of more coaches.

To mark the reopening of grant applications in a big year for football, Joe was joined by one of his first coaches, Dave Timmins, to discuss the importance of coaching.

Speaking at the launch event, Joe said; “I’m delighted to be involved in a campaign that celebrates the fantastic work that coaches do.  The Gillette Great Start programme is great for football and for every sport. Without great coaches, there would be no great sportsmen and women. My coaches have taught me so much: from technical skills, fitness and conditioning, through to preparation, mental strength, determination and the will to succeed.”

Describing the contribution that Timmins made as one of his first coaches, Hart said:  “Dave Timmins was instrumental in my early development, showed me how I could perform at my best, and played a big part in getting me where I am today.”

Timmins, who is goalkeeping coach at Tranmere Rovers, added;“I’m lucky that I got to coach Joe when he was a young player just starting out in his career and it’s one of the great pleasures of being a coach seeing the players you work with go on to great things. The Great Start programme encourages more people to get into coaching. The more quality coaches that there are in the UK, the more likely it is that we produce more top sportspeople like Joe.”

To celebrate Gillette Great Start Programme, a 2012 grant recipient had the opportunity to meet Joe and Dave to talk about their careers. Nick Landers used his grant to get his FA Youth Award Module 2, a qualification which is specifically aimed at coaches working with younger children.  At the launch event he said; “It has been inspiring to meet both Joe Hart and Dave Timmins and to hear about the work they have done together to progress Joe’s career.  It has motivated me to progress my career even further and to continue to help young footballers to do the same.”

Gillette brand manager, Jared Regan, commented: “Gillette has a rich heritage in sport and we appreciate the crucial role that both amateur and professional coaches play in the success of sport in the UK. Coaching is the sporting embodiment of a great start and we’re absolutely delighted to be able to sponsor these grants for a third year and give more people the opportunity to feel at their best by giving back to their community through coaching.”

sports Coach UK CEO Dr Tony Byrne said:“Gillette understands that without the tireless efforts of volunteer coaches and educators, the next generation would not be inspired to pursue careers in sport and new talent would remain undiscovered.  We also know that the cost of gaining a qualification is seen as a major barrier by many aspiring coaches, so we’re delighted that Gillette’s Great Start programme will enable more people to develop their skills”.

Gillette is also continuing to supporting the UK Coaching Awards, hosted by sports coach UK, which celebrate the role of coaching in encouraging participation, performance and excellence. As part of the Great Start programme, Gillette is offering people the chance to nominate a coach who deserves recognition for their work for the UK Community Coach of the Year Award with a £1000 cash prize for the winner. Gillette’s ongoing partnership with sports coach UK is part of the brand’s continued commitment to help support coaching development.