Sport Features

Sport England has announced a £94,000 grant to improve surf coaching across the South West.

The money will fund a new regional surf development coach who will work with the region's existing surf clubs.

The new position has been created to strengthen the quality of surf coaching and build the crucial surf club structure, which is integral to the growth of surfing as a regular sporting activity. 

Exeter-based Josh Lewan

It's estimated there are 500,000 surfers in the UK and over 95 per cent of them live in the South West of England.

The new coach will be based at the British Surf Association's headquarters in Newquay.

However, the regional surf development coach will travel the length and breadth of the South West to examine the current structure and build a strong, new system. 

The post will see the successful applicant working in consultation with the BSA national director, to increase grass roots participation in surfing. 

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If all goes to plan, the improved coaching will help the region's youth surfers develop into competitive athletes and increase the number of South West surfers in national squads.

"The news that we had been given this invaluable grant is a major boost for the organisation and for British surfing," said Karen Walton, national director of the BSA.

"It has been over 10 years since the BSA received any significant form of government backing.

"So this new funding is a great opportunity for us to begin to build and strengthen the current structure and take the standards of surf coaching to a new level."

It's expected that the new officer will be in position by the end of 2007.