A SCOTS Olympian turned entrepreneur has introduced Wellbeing Awards to existing certificates at his Swim Academy.
Michael Jamieson has made to move in an attempt to recognise areas such as self-worth and resilience alongside performance-based achievements.
Pupils at the Olympian’s Michael Jamieson Swim Academy (MJSA) will also be identified and rewarded by coaches for positive behaviour such as sportsmanship, curiosity and confidence.
Jamieson– who has spoken openly and frankly about mental health issues he experienced in his competitive career – believes that sport has a critical role to play in teaching valuable life lessons.
The 34-year-old, who won Silver at the 2012 London Olympics, said: “It is not just the increasing pressure to win medals in the top echelons of sport, but striving to be the best you can be can take its toll at so many levels.
“While I think there should be more formal recognition of mental health issues by sport’s governing bodies, people like us in the mainstream of training can make a very positive contribution by being aware of behaviour and reinforcing the personal benefits sport can bring to individuals.
“On a practical level, our coaches are being trained to be more aware of behaviour and to guide social skills on a basic, underlying level and to recognise achievement through a certification process and through social media.”
The swimmer has previously revealed how a brutal training regime led him into depression and how he “just really went too far” with what he perceived as his responsibility to do the best possible job that he could.
Since he founded MJSA in April 2018, he has offered parents the smallest class sizes in the sector, with just four pupils per lesson, as opposed to the industry norm of six and council-run classes of up to 12.
He has also increased the number of staff – up from six during lockdown to 34 now – the number of venues with which he is in partnership and the number of learners, now up to 1,700 a week with a target of 2,000 by next year.
He said: “Our growth is testament to the hard work and passionate team we have built at MJSW and with our focus on in-house training and development, the team is committed to delivering the best experience possible for the children enrolled.
“If a new child comes into a three- to four-year-old class and introduces him or herself and engages with the other children, that level of social skill should be recognised and encouraged.
“Valuing and respecting yourself and others, staying positive and keeping going in challenging situations are all serious lessons. And it is never too early to learn.”
