You are probably wondering who or what is the West of Scotland High Jump Squad. About 5 years ago, a small group of jumpers in the Glasgow area put their heads together and came up with the idea in order to develop the event in this area.
In the past, athletes have been largely dependant on their clubs to provide them with the specialist coaching needed for technical events. In the larger clubs, this has been done, but small clubs could not cover all events and so athletes with an interest in minority events were not catered for. The Squad was designed to provide the assistance that these clubs did not have on offer.
The Squad is not affiliated to any national or regional federation, and as such the athletes who make up the squad continue to compete for their own clubs. As a result, the clubs are happy to have their athletes join the squad and have no fear of any "poaching" of athletes taking place.
The squad works in a Christmas tree formation. At the youngest age groups, there are no entry qualifications. Any young athlete with an interest in the event can attend and learn the basics of jumping, In older age groups, there are minimum entry standards which are designed to encourage the athletes to perform at a high level and to provide a target for each season. The standards are high enough to make it an elite squad, but low enough to ensure that no athlete with potential for improvement is omitted. As the athletes get older, the standards get higher. At senior level, real commitment to the event is demanded, and in return the athletes get the best coaching and financial support available in the region.
Recruitment is essential to the continued success of the squad. The coaching staff attend matches throughout the country in an effort to identify new talent. Any jumper with potential is invited to join. If they have existing coaches, they too are invited. In this way, the resources in the Squad can be extended to all jumpers in our area, while the work already done by other coaches is recognised. Since it's inception, the Squad has blossomed into a hot-bed of talent, and has regularly sent athletes to the AAA of England Championships with considerable success. It is the ambition of the Squad to attend the AAA and return with every high jump medal at every age group. We are working towards that goal and get closer every year.
The Global High Jump Squad is designed in the same way. Any athlete with an interest in the event can join, and coaches are more than welcome. The aim of the Global Squad is to promote high jumping across the planet, and to provide a forum to exchange information and ideas. Please feel free to e-mail any questions, suggestions or articles on the event to us, in order to maintain a lively page for the benefit of all athletes.
We hope that this page will provide you with some ideas and tips to improve your knowledge of the event, or your own performances as jumpers. We also hope that you like what you read. If you do, please remember that this is a page for you and all contributions will be gratefully received. If you do not like what you read, just remember that without our efforts, there would not be any discussion area specifically designed for jumping. If you think that you can do any better, feel free to e-mail your ideas to us. Best wishes for a successful season, and if you see any of our athletes or coaches at competitions, introduce yourself to us.
The West of Scotland High Jump Squad is sponsored by:
GORDON RITCHIE & CO.
SOLICITORS
23 SCHOOL WYND
PAISLEY
PA1 2DA
TEL: 0141-887-7007