Simon Kirkland has over 36 years of experience in the sports industry. He has held several director and CEO roles within national sports organizations, developing programs to increase sports participation rates. He has authored numerous publications on coaching education and volunteer development. Currently, he is the Managing Director of Sport Structures Limited, where he has led projects combining commercial and development approaches to growing sports.

1. Simon Kirkland
Director
• BEd EducaƟon
• 36 years of sports industry experience
• Board member of Birmingham County FA, Black Country Sport Partnership, Chair of West
Midlands ASA
QualificaƟons and training:
• Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), Council for NaƟonal Academic Awards - 1979
• CerƟficate in Tutoring in Sport, 1st4Sport QualificaƟons -2010
• D32/D33 assessor, City and Guilds - 1995
• CerƟficate in VerificaƟon PracƟce in Sport, 1st4Sport QualificaƟons - 2010
Employment history:
• Managing Director – Sport Structures Limited, August 2002 – Present (13 years)
• CEO - English Basketball AssociaƟon, February 1998 – August 2002 (4 years 7 months)
• Area Sport and Leisure Officer, September 1996 – February 1998 (1 year 6 months)
• Sport Development officer, June 1991 – September 1996 (5 years 4 months)
• Centre Manager, April 1986 – June 1991 (5 years 3 months)
• Physical EducaƟon Teacher, September 1979 – April 1986 (6 years 8 months)
NaƟonal and InternaƟonal speaking:
• Hong Kong Sport Development Seminar 1995, Key note presentaƟon on Club Development
• UK RecreaƟon management conference 1996, Strategic development of SyntheƟc turf pitches, Using clubs
to develop the programme and cost effecƟveness of sport faciliƟes
• NaƟonal Sport Development Seminar 2001, Key note presentaƟon: enƟtled “Rich sports – poor sports”
• UK NaƟonal Coaching Summit 2009, Developing parƟcipaƟon in sport through coaching
• UK NaƟonal Coaching Summit 2011, Using outsourcing as a method of increasing the number and quality
of coaching courses
Authored:
Basketball coach educaƟon programme for levels 1, 2 &3, Handball coach educaƟon programme for level 1 & 2,
Equity in Your Coaching - Sports Coach UK (2007 ediƟon), Role of the Volunteer Coordinator – runningsports,
Volunteer Coordinator workshops – RFU & ECB, Valuing Sports Volunteers – Runningsports (2006 & 2010
ediƟons), AcƟon planning for Clubs – Runningsports, A Club for All – runningsports (2009 ediƟon)

2. Experience:
• As a Birmingham PE teacher developed an integrated school sport programme that led to an increase
in the number of pupils acƟvity involved in aŌer-school acƟviƟes and developed the School teams to be
recognised as of high quality with sound fundamental sporƟng skills.
• Within the sport development team developed an innovaƟve programme for club development,
recognised in a BriƟsh Parliamentary debate on sport. This programme evolved into the naƟonal
“Clubmark” programme.
• As Chief ExecuƟve of the English Basketball AssociaƟon led the policy construcƟon and strategic
planning and delivery. This included the clarificaƟon of the Regional and County structures. Led a cross
sport planning group for the construcƟon of England Basketball’s NaƟonal facility plan.
• Led the naƟonal plan for local basketball networks based on school-club partnerships which saw an
increase in local and naƟonal compeƟƟon as well as new coaches into the sport.
• In my last year as CEO led the fundamental review of Basketball, which iniƟated a new re-focused
strategic plan to improve the sport and the communiƟes it touches.
• Member of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of EducaƟon, Global Advisory CommiƩee for the
development of the Kingdom’s School Sport Strategy. My contribuƟon was to support the development
of a female PE curriculum which did not exist unƟl the development of the new PE and School Sport
strategy. FighƟng against strong cultural views was challenging but is leading to greater equality in
educaƟon whilst also respecƟng the strong tradiƟons of the country.
• Delivered coach tutor and assessor educaƟon for a range of governing bodies and also the company
• Recently appointed to deliver Tutor, Assessor and VerificaƟon courses for The FA, BriƟsh Swimming
and the Professional Golfers AssociaƟon.
• Many of our projects have involved developing a commercial soluƟon to a sport development
challenge as well as supporƟng local and naƟonal sports organisaƟons to develop an effecƟve system
to see the growth of sports parƟcipaƟon.
Industry Awards:
• AssociaƟon of Public Service Excellence (APSE) Healthy AcƟviƟes award 2009
• Coaching IntervenƟon of the Year – NaƟonal Coaching Awards.
• NaƟonal LoƩery Awards for Sport. We accredited as the 6th best scheme out of over 500 projects
which were nominated.
• Podium Awards. We were part of a naƟonal team that won the volunteer intervenƟon programme of
the year for our work in developing new volunteers into sport.
• Coach Educator of the Year. I was nominated and short listed for this award at the naƟonal coaching
awards