SAL Events Team win SWiS Innovation Award

Saturday 28th November 2020

scottishathletics are delighted to confirm our Events Team are winners of a top award – thanks to the innovative approach behind our 4J Studios Virtual SUPERteams Series during 2020.

The Scottish Women in Sport Awards recognised the creativity and commitment from our Events Team to keeping athletics happen during lockdown.

The 4J Studios Virtual SUPERteams Series took the honours in the UWS Innovation Award.

The category was looking for the best and most innovative approaches from Governing Bodies during lockdown to help deliver and promote the development of girls’ and women’s sport.

It also offered a wide scope for organisations who created online resources to engage with their members during the pandemic.

‘It was great to see engagement from a number of clubs ensuring their athletes were able to access competition opportunities during lockdown,’ said Alasdhair Love, Events Manager, with Caitlin Watt very much having led on the project.

‘We appreciate the support of the club volunteers who administered the results for their clubs and submitted them to us.

‘It highlights how an innovative and collaborative approach can be successful for clubs, athletes, coaches, officials and parents to all come together in challenging times and have fun in a competitive environment.

‘The excellent range of videos, photos and montages we received truly shows the #SALtogether spirit and keep us going until we can return to normal competition opportunities, but virtual at home athletics may be something that we can continue to offer in the future.

Alasdhair Love, Events Manager

Here’s the detail from the submission by our Events Team:

scottishathletics SUPERteams Programme May to September 2020

Competing and representing your club are big motivators for many participating in sport. Our 4J Studios Virtual SUPERteams offered athletics competition for athletes aged 9-12, maintaining engagement with clubs, members, parents and coaches during lockdown.

Each Virtual SUPERteams Challenge offered a dual competition opportunity: athletes completed four athletics activities (sprint, endurance, jump, throw) to record an individual score for their club leaderboard.

Clubs then also submitted results to the national leaderboard where teams of four represented their club on the national stage. This ensured not only that competition was available to young athletes during lockdown, but that it was available at an appropriate level for each child. Participation amongst girls was particularly high.

SUPERteams 1 (May) – 566 Athletes, 277 Female, 1418 Performances, 38 Clubs

SUPERteams 2 (July) – 577 Athletes, 357 Female, 955 Performances, 32 Clubs

SUPERteams 3 (September) – 399 Athletes, 218 Female, 784 Performances, 15 Clubs

Scottish Disability Sport Virtual Pentathlon (September/October) – 496 Athletes, 137 Female, 12 Branches

Caitlin Watt – led on our 4J Studios Virtual SUPERteams throughout the summer (photo by Bobby Gavin)

Virtual SUPERteams is inclusive, with adaptations available so that any athlete with a disability can take part alongside their peers. This was particularly successful in our partnership with Scottish Disability Sport, who offered a version of the Challenge to their branches in September/October.

Each Virtual SUPERteams event also utilised equipment found at home, from vertical jumping with post-it notes to socks used as throws implements.

Club information packs were accompanied by YouTube tutorials and a Zoom masterclass for club administrators. Each club and national leaderboard were available online for live tracking of scores, and clubs and athletes were encouraged to post pictures and videos on social media.

The events comprising the Virtual SUPERteams were updated throughout the summer to reflect changing lockdown restrictions. Athletes could register performances at home, in the park, on the street or (when facilities reopened) during training sessions.

Several clubs competing in SUPERteams reported increases in their young membership during lockdown, and scottishathletics itself has welcomed over 150 new female U13 members.