Many athletes dream of playing for professional teams and enjoying the limelight of the Olympic stadium, but there are others who want to be on the other side of it – progressing young people to Olympic standard through coaching.
Ken and Joyce Hogg collectively have 54 years of coaching experience behind them, and feel passionately about helping young athletes enjoy sport and reach their full potential.
The Bridge of Don couple, who were both recently chosen to be Aberdeen baton bearers in the Queen’s Baton Relay for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, are involved in the Hydrasun-sponsored kids@asv and Hydrasun Athletics Academy initiatives at the Aberdeen Sports Village (ASV).
Throughout their careers, they have helped hundreds of young athletes achieve impressive sporting success including district, national and British medal wins.
Discussing his career, Ken said: “Becoming an athletic coach allows you to develop, hone and guide individuals to reach their true sporting potential. It is a fantastic way to express your passion for a sport, get actively involved instead of standing on the sideline, and help people of all ages benefit from an energetic lifestyle.
“Being a coach has a wealth of benefits – the pride you feel when you help someone achieve a personal best is fantastic. The best starting place for trying out coaching is to assist a coach. That will give you the best route into what is involved and help you decide whether it is the path for you.”
It is the performances of the athletes over the years which have enabled Ken and Joyce to develop into experienced coaches.
In turn, this has given them the knowledge to take the current athletes they train to higher levels, and resulted in them being chosen to be part of Team Scotland’s “Achieve 2014” programme, aimed at the next generation of Scottish Commonwealth Games athletes and coaches. The programme will guide them to perform at their best at their first multi-sport event, and give them the chance to learn from the Commonwealth Games environment, before it is their turn to represent their country with distinction in the future.
Ken and Joyce’s accomplishments don’t end there – they were awarded the Scottish Athletics Development Coaches of the year in 2012 and 2013, and Sport Scotland Aberdeen City Performance Coaches of the year 2012 and 2013.
Ken continued: “We are incredibly lucky to be able to coach at ASV, with the kids@asv and Hydrasun Athletics Academy initiatives truly second to none. Being able to offer access to the world-class sports village, physiotherapy, and nutrition, strength and conditioning coaches is brilliant, and a real step for those involved before going to the next level. Being part of the young athlete’s journey is a fantastic feeling – and we’re incredibly lucky to be able to do it in such impressive surroundings.”
Joyce added: “The Hydrasun kids@asv scheme gives the youngsters a chance to get experience and creates a pathway into athletics. We started with one session a week but we now have sessions three nights a week as the project has continued to grow.”
Ken and Joyce are also involved in coaching Rhona Auckland, who has represented Great Britain, and Kelsey Stewart, a Scottish national and schools champion at 300m and 400m. Both Rhona and Kelsey are members of the Hydrasun Athletics Academy, which is aimed at high-achieving young athletes, aged 15-23.
Kelsey, 17, said: “Schemes like kids@asv and the Hydrasun Athletics Academy are the perfect way to help nurture and develop young athletes, and encourage people to get involved in and enjoy sport from an early age.
“The support and encouragement that we all receive through the initiatives and from those involved in running them is overwhelming. As sponsors of kids@asv and the Athletics Academy, Hydrasun has helped to ensure we have this support as well as access to the world-class training facilities at ASV.
“Coaches like Joyce and Ken have been such a monumental help to me and the rest of the academy members in our training group. I train five times a week and they are always on hand with guidance and to suggest techniques and methods that will help ensure I get the best out of myself.
“I have been running since I was 10 and it has always been a dream to compete nationally and, hopefully, one day internationally, with the coaches and Hydrasun Athletics Academy being integral to helping me to fulfil my ambitions.”
Ken concluded: “The influx and interest of young people coming along after the Olympics was enormous, and with the Commonwealth Games only around the corner, we’re inevitably going to get more kids coming along.
“If it wasn’t for ASV and Hydrasun’s help, we couldn’t have catered for the demand. Coaching is a passion in itself, but being able to do it in places like ASV and with the support of local businesses makes it an even more enjoyable experience.”