CAN you imagine Ireland without sport? Ireland without such moments as a parent lacing up their child's first pair of football boots, the teenagers training to be, the next Paul McGrath, the exultation on completion of a first marathon, or the thrill of a Wexford victory.

All of these great sporting moments would never happen without the thousands of volunteers who devote their time and effort to providing sport in this country.

The six strategies outlined in Targeting Sporting Change in Ireland seek to strengthen Irish sport and to enhance the work of volunteers country-wide. The strategies seek to put programmes in place that cater for all sectors of our society.

THE START

I had no idea what I was getting myself into when the Minister for Sport, Bernard Allen asked me to chair a group that were going to formulate a strategy for Irish sport.

My view of sport had been limited to world class athletics over the previous 10 years, but this had to quickly change when I realised the scope of the work. The Minister picked his strategy team well, not only were they experts in particular areas of sport but all had the dedication needed to take on this massive task.

The group quickly realised that on our own we could not write a strategy for Irish sport, in effect Irish sport had to write the strategy for us. Four hundred meetings were held over a five-month period, over 300 submissions were received from national governing bodies, sports clubs, sports centres, the education sector, local authorities, health agencies, government departments and individuals.

It soon emerged that the issues facing different sports throughout the country were the same. The message was loud and clear: we needed to focus on people, young and old, we needed to support our athletes, players and coaches, we needed to strengthen the role of the national governing body and volunteers, we needed to provide quality facilities in the right place at the right time, we needed a co-ordinated approach to sport.

The group listened and developed six strategies to address these issues.

THE STRATEGIES

Sport for young people will be an immediate priority. We need to nurture a life-long interest in sport for our children the health and well-being of Ireland's future is at stake.

A co-ordinated approach between the home, the school and the community is vital in this development. Parents must be well-informed as to the value and benefits of sport for their children. School must provide enjoyable physical education programmes under the instruction of well-trained teachers.

National governing bodies need to develop sport for young people; programmes with the emphasis on fun and appropriate competition. A vital element of all these developments is to increase the number of trained teachers, coaches, sports leaders and facility managers that can provide quality sport instruction, coaching and inspiration to children.

Most people participate in sport for fun, fitness, socialisation and health. Recreational sport plays a vital role in enhancing people's sense of physical and mental well-being. Ireland's health statistics, however, are a cause for concern. Ireland has the highest death rate from heart disease in the under-65 age group in Europe; Irish women rank joint lowest in terms of life expectancy after 40 years of age.

Promotional campaigns are needed to increase participation in sport and to create the desire and interest in those not currently taking part in any form of sport to do so. Sports development officers linked with local agencies are needed to implement sports programmes in partnership with trained sports leaders, clubs and coaches. Sports facility managers need to attract customers with high standards and market-driven programmes.

Ireland has a proud tradition of sporting excellence and achievement. We will build on this success by strengthening our national governing bodies of sport and by developing a system that will provide access to funding, training facilities, coaching, medical backup and career planning for our elite athletes.

A national coach support scheme will be developed for the coaches of our top performers. Athletes and players will have the opportunity to reach their full potential.

A new approach to the planning and funding of sports facilities is required. A community planning model will be developed to meet local community needs in recreational sport. Refurbishment of local swimming pools and the development of multi-purpose indoor and outdoor community facilities in targeted areas will be a priority.

A sports training and competitive facility plan which is linked to the needs of the high-performance strategy will be developed in consultation with the national governing bodies and will address the training and competitive needs of Irish sport.

At government decision-making level, the strategy recommends that sport should be linked to Tourism and Trade and have a seat at cabinet table. The strategy also recommends that the Irish Sports Council should be established on a statutory basis to oversee the implementation of the sport strategy, administration of funding and provide the leadership for the development of sport. These decisions can only be made by government.

The Irish Sports Council will play a leadership role in forming and directing a partnership with the Irish sports movement and government to ensure that a coordinated approach is taken in the implementation of this strategy.

Work will immediately begin in developing the `Young People in Sport' programmes and recreational sports programs. The needs of our athletes and national governing bodies is also an immediate priority. The strategy is finished, the agenda is set, the real work now begins.