This year the Limerick Sports Partnership recruited 37 Transition Year students from 16 schools across Limerick City and County, to take part in the Voluntary Inspired Participation (V.I.P) Programme.
A shortlisting process was completed where 85 were selected for interview and a final group of 37 were offered this opportunity. Volunteers are the backbone of sport and physical activity in the community and hence the Limerick Sports Partnership felt it was important to support, develop and mentor local teenagers to become sports and physical activity volunteers/ leaders in Limerick. Over the past number of years, the Limerick Sports Partnership has been inundated with requests for transition year work placement positions and therefore created a coach/volunteer programme to meet these demands.
The yearlong V.I.P programme identifies local teenagers who are not necessarily the sports stars but have shown potential to become further coaches and leaders in the sport and physical activity sector. They are given the opportunity to gain nationally recognised sports coaching qualifications which include Active Leadership Award, Code of Ethics, Sports First Aid, GAA Foundation Course, Little Athletics, Gymnastics, Sports Talk, Community Coaching, Rowing, Rugby, Basketball and Soccer coaching certification. These coaching courses take place every Monday from 9.30am to 4pm in UL Sport Arena. Along with coaching courses the Limerick Sports Partnership require participants to volunteer by assisting with primary school Sports Hall Athletics programme which involves them coaching 3rd to 6th class primary school children during their P.E sessions. They are also required to help the Limerick Sports Partnership in the delivery of holiday provision sports activities and assist with Cool Movers Saturday Morning Sports Club.
This is the 4th year of our school-based V.I.P programme which is an excellent additional resource to supplement the LSP’s capacity to deliver community based physical activity programmes. Last night at the Castletroy Park Hotel, participants from the 2017/2018 programme received their certifications from Mayor James Collins, Sport Ireland Representative Brian Staunton, UL Physical Education & Sports Science Head of Department Giles Warrington and TD Niall Collins. The night also doubled as the induction for the class of 2018/2019 who experienced first hand a flavour of the coming year through reflections from the graduating group.
