Members of the Young Ambassadors Conference Delivery Team tell Sport First what it's like being a young leader.
Emma, 17, Forres Academy
Young Leaders play a significant role in inspiring others to take part in sport. Not only does it provide a chance for the young leaders to develop their own leadership qualities that are going to benefit them in later life, but also provides other young people with role models to look up to.
My experience of being a young leader has not only provided me with the confidence, organisational skills and ability to work as a part of a team, it has also created many opportunities for me to meet new people who are just as passionate about making a difference and improving the lives of others through sport.
Being able to watch other people getting involved in a new sport or improving in their current sport as a result of hard work is the most rewarding and enjoyable part of taking on this role. My advice for anyone who wants to become a young leader would be to try new things and take risks to see what works best and makes the biggest impact on the people in your area.
Elise, 17, Greenfaulds High School
As a Young Ambassador, I took on the role as one of the main young leaders within sport in my school. I use my communication and leadership skills to lead sessions with younger pupils, and have provided them taster sessions in volleyball, football, handball and basketball. I have used my role as a YA to arrange the running of 17 different clubs within my school, many of which have gone on to compete nationally.
I have also made connections with the local community and other schools and clubs to ensure pupils in my school engage in all kinds of sports. Through the YA programme I have found that my skills have developed significantly
David, 16, Forres Academy
In my experience, becoming a young leader in sport has not only been a massive opportunity to develop my leadership skills, it has also allowed me to truly show my abilities and explore new ideas through the people I work with. The feedback I get helps me to develop my skills so that I can perform better in the future.
The Young Ambassadors programme has had a positive impact in my local community and allowed others to try out new sports. In my role I work with other Young Ambassadors to organise and run various sporting events within my school to try and improve the already successful programme we have running.
This experience has given me a greater understanding of what goes into the planning and development of events and allowed me to improve my organisational skills.
Emily 16, Prestwick Academy
I have been a young leader for around three years now and it has been one of the best experiences I have had. It has helped me develop my confidence and has helped improve my chances of staying involved in sport, through coaching.
I coach because I enjoy helping the younger children develop their skills and I love to see them improve. I have a lot of fun working with younger pupils who are just starting their journey within sport and watching them grow and improve through my sessions.
Find out more
Discover more about Young Ambassadors at the sportscotland website
