Where are you from? Edinburgh, Scotland
Which disciplines do you coach? Rifle (10m Air, 50m 3-Positions & 50m Prone)
How did you get involved in the sport and what was your journey to becoming a coach? My father shot recreationally, so I was introduced to shooting at a young age. However it was a next door neighbour and Commonwealth Games medallist, Colin McEachran, who got me involved in smallbore target shooting. After a couple of years training at both Balerno & Currie Rifle Club and Alloa & District Rifle Club, I was selected onto the Scottish Performance Programme. I was lucky to be supported by the Scottish Institute of Sport between 2009 & 2013 and gained over 30 international caps for Scotland in Air Rifle, 3P & Prone during this time. On retiring from international competition, I quickly transitioned into coaching and was appointed head coach for the Scottish Development Rifle Squad between 2014 & 2016. I hold an ISSF D-Licence and am fortunate to have been a part of coach development programmes with both Commonwealth Games Scotland and UK Coaching.
Do you have a coaching philosophy – if so, what is it? I believe that the fundamentals of rifle shooting are, on the whole, quite simple and that to achieve success one must focus on mastering the basics. As a coach, I believe it is important to adapt to your athletes and judge a situation quickly and accurately. The timing of ones advise is often more important than the content itself.
What are your hopes for the STS Performance Programme? We find ourselves in an interesting period in rifle shooting at present. In Scotland, I look forward to seeing our focus switch from Prone rifle to Air and 3P. I hope that the athletes on our Performance Programme can lead the way in this transition and can ultimately prove themselves to be competitive on the world stage. By their example, I hope we can inspire a new generation of shooters to take the leap towards Air rifle & 3P in Scotland.
Any other interesting non-shooting related fact about yourself that you would like to mention? I’m a former tree surgeon and also enjoy woodworking in my spare time.
Responsibilities
Andrew’s key responsibilities with the STS Rifle Performance Programme include:
Develop personalised training programmes for Tier 1 athletes
Supporting and ensuring Tier 1 athletes meet agreed goals
Completing STS reports to track the development of Tier 1 athletes
Providing STS with website reports and photographs of athletes at competitions
Support development squads by providing coaching and mentoring for squad coaches
Support the Performance & Pathways Manager in selection processes for programme and competitions
Support the Performance & Pathways Manager in developing a pathway for rifle shooting
Perform the role of Team Manager at competitions when required