A PROGRAMME designed to both challenge and support young athletes has been launched by the Tavistock College physical education department.

Last week the college launched the programme that includes students working with mentors, being guided though workshops and seminars by expert coaches and developing leadership skills through the youth sports trust young ambassador programme.

Head of the physical education faculty Tristan Muller-Forster said: 'We have a huge amount of talent within the school from the traditional team games such as rugby and football to individual sports such as swimming, table tennis and windsurfing — we needed a programme that included everyone and excluded none.

'This programme has been developed working with young Olympic hopefuls and windsurfing British and European champions Saskia and Imogen Sills, to ensure that all students can benefit from the programme.'

The programme has elite athlete support from Georgina Geikie who is a double commonwealth medallist and Olympian at the London games. At the launch last week, she spoke to students about the importance of support, and spent time afterwards talking to them.

Over the course of the year the students will be offered different workshops based on core stability, diet and nutrition, sport psychology and speed agility, and quickness training, to support their work in competition.