"The Bermuda Gymnastics Association ( BGA) currently has international gymnastics coach, Rick McCharles on island following the receipt of an IOC Solidarity Grant.
The Grant was provided under the IOC’s programme to foster the 'Development of a National Sports Structure', and is one of the potential grants available to national sports governing bodies under the IOC Solidarity Funding programme. This purpose of this particular grant is to provide funding for an international coaching expert to help a national sports governing body:
Create a detailed, mid- to long-term development plan, which should be coherent and realistic;
Train local coaches and/or persons likely to continue the work initiated by the expert once the project has ended; Improving the different training programmes for elite sport, if necessary;
Initiate projects for Sport for All and/or school sport;
Put in place talent identification programmes;
Currently, McCharles is on his second three-week visit to the island to assist the BGA in completing the requirements specified under the Grant.
The Grant was made possible through the Bermuda Olympic Association, which assisted the BGA with the application process.
The IOC Solidarity Programmes are agreed by the IOC every four years after the Olympics. National Olympic Committees make applications for the grants on behalf of national sports governing bodies. The next quadrennial period for the IOC Solidarity Grants will begin in early 2017.
