For the second time, we have just completed our recruitment process for the Scottish Cycling Young People’s Panel.
The last time we embarked upon this process, many aspects were somewhat unknown – in truth, who were these young people that we were looking to be a part of what we were trying to do? Fast forward two years, and we’ve been on a journey with our first group (you can read more about this ) that filled us with confidence as we approached this process for a second time.
We were clear from the outset that we wanted to create as similar an interview and assessment process as we did the first time – providing opportunities for a young person to express themselves individually – through an application form, a 1:1 interview and a reflection exercise, and a group task to enable us to observe them interacting with others.
What followed was a hybrid approach; an in-person day for those that could make it, and a virtual option replicating the structure so that we could view young people similarly in both environments.
We will be announcing who the successful panel members are next week, but for now we wanted to reflect on what we’ve heard from the young people we have met over the last few weeks.
First and foremost – the experience that young people are having in our clubs came through as overwhelmingly positive. Indeed, the role that coaches are having in the lives of young people cannot be underestimated, with many of them noting the inspiration and motivation that their coaches provide in abundance. Clubs are shaping their beliefs both about the sport and more widely, providing them with enriching experiences on and off the bike. Particularly when reflecting upon the last year, clubs were noted as being a constant in their lives, with cycling providing an escape from the challenges that society was facing.
As the sport grows, young people want to see more of their peers participating in our sport. Their experiences through school, community and club sport are informing their views on what needs to be done to break down barriers and increase participation at all levels. It is evident from the conversations we had that there is so much we can learn from their time in the sport to help support our future direction as we progress towards our strategic objectives.
Many of the young people we spoke to want to play a bigger role in their clubs and in the sport as a whole. The Young People’s Panel is one vehicle for this, but through our last panel, we identified the need to look at how we can support young people into leadership roles at the heart of clubs. Hearing this come through so strongly gives us the confidence to know that taking forward projects in this area in particular is going to deliver some of the changes young people want to see.
The quality of the opportunities that they have been provided with is motivating many to consider how they can give back to the sport. In recent years, we’ve seen an increasing number of young people progressing into the coaching pathway, and now, with the introduction of the FUN-MBL award, there is a pathway into MTB Leadership too, with this qualification able to be undertaken from the age of 16. The next panel will continue to focus on this, whilst also looking across a range of other roles in the sport and exploring how these can be opened up to young people.
Their experience of cycling goes well beyond just cycle sport, and we have had great conversations about active travel infrastructure and other societal barriers that prevent more people from cycling. Whilst this won’t be a direct focus of the panel, we’re exploring how we engage with other partners in the sector to share these views and help inform decision making in this area.
If you’re reading this and thinking ‘how can I involve the young people in my club in decision making roles’, we’d love to have a conversation with you. Reach out to the Club Development Team by emailing YoungPeople@scottishcycling.org.uk. We’re working on a resource that will outline the range of opportunities available, how these can be supported and what’s in it for both the young person and the club.
To finish, we’d like to thank everyone who took the time to apply and go through the process. For many this was the first time they’ve had to complete an application form, and for some, go through an interview. Regardless of whether they’ve been successful in securing a place on the panel, we hope that this experience in itself has afforded them an insight into this and equipped them well for the future.
