Golfing Legend Monty To Meet Lanarkshire Students

Pupils from Cardinal Newman High School in Bellshill are to receive a PE lesson like no other on 19 September, as renowned British golfer Colin ‘Monty’ Montgomerie OBE hosts a sports masterclass to put students through their paces on behalf of Sky Sports Living for Sport.

Monty, who has achieved 41 professional wins during his career and has won the fourth most European Tour victories of all time, will be leading a masterclass at Gleneagles Golf Academy for a group of students currently participating in Sky Sports Living for Sport projects. 12 pupils will attend the session and will also be joined Steve Frew, Sky Sports Living for Sport Athlete Mentor and Commonwealth champion gymnast.

The free UK secondary schools initiative, delivered in partnership with the Youth Sport Trust, uses sport stars and sport skills to boost confidence, change behaviours, increase attainment and improve life skills.

The pupils, who have been selected by their teachers to take part in the project, will hear from Colin about how he excelled in one of the most competitive professional sports, enjoying a career spanning 25 years. Widely regarded as one of the greatest Ryder Cup players of all time, where he has never lost in a singles match, Colin captained the European team and led them to victory in 2010.

Inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2013, Monty is now keen to share his experiences with the next generation. He will lead a group golf session with the students, providing them with a rare opportunity to glean some of the skilled professional’s top tips for success on the course.

Sky Sports Living for Sport is designed to empower students and throughout the session Colin will use the British Athletes Commission’s ‘Six Keys to Success’, which include mental toughness, hunger to achieve, people skills, sports and life knowledge, breaking barriers and planning for success, to help them achieve their own life goals.

Colin Montgomerie comments: “I’m thrilled to be able to share my golf skills with pupils from Cardinal Newman High School during this masterclass. The school has shown fantastic commitment to Sky Sports Living for Sport and to be able to meet students who are so passionate about sport is a real pleasure. I hope that by sharing the story of my career, and its ups and downs, I can inspire the pupils I meet to continue to pursue their sporting ambitions. Sport has the power to change lives and I am honoured to be in a position where I can encourage the next generation to recognise that.”

Gordon Fagan, Physical Education teacher at Cardinal Newman High School commented: “We are thrilled to be receiving a masterclass from Colin Montgomerie, a true golfing legend.  The day will be a great reward for our pupils who have shown great enthusiasm for sport. Colin’s story will undoubtedly give our young people a real life example of how commitment and dedication in sport can change lives while also supporting our wider work through Sky Sports Living for Sport.”

Sky Sports’ new children’s programme Game Changers will be filming the masterclass, to be aired later in the year. Game Changers is broadcast every Saturday at 9am on Sky Sports 1.

Secondary schools can learn more about Sky Sports Living for Sport and sign up for participation in the 2013/14 academic year at http://skysports.com/livingforsport

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For further information please contact:

Alex Hankinson or Jessica Beales

Midnight Communications Tel: 01273 666 200 Email: skysportslfs@midnight.co.uk

Notes to Editors

For more information about Sky Sports Living for Sport, please visit

www.skysports.com/livingforsport

Find us on twitter @SkySportsLFS

Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SkySportsLivingForSport

About Sky Sports Living for Sport

Sky Sports Living for Sport, delivered in partnership with the Youth Sport Trust, uses sport stars and sport skills to improve the lives of thousands of young people in secondary schools across the UK.

Since the initiative launched in 2003, 75,000 young people in over a third of secondary schools across the UK have benefitted by using sport to improve their lives. This year there will be up to 3,000 Athlete Mentor visits to schools nationwide. The key areas of focus for the initiative are: self-confidence and self-esteem, attitudes to learning, health and wellbeing, and encouraging students to reach their full potential.

Sky Sports Living for Sport has enjoyed remarkable success, with 96 per cent of projects deemed to have been ‘successful’ or ‘very successful’ according to teachers polled in an independent survey by Chrysalis Research during the 2011/12 academic year. The research also revealed that 96% of teachers who set an aim to improve students’ attitudes to learning said this aim was fully or partially achieved and 48% of participating students said they were inspired to go on to mentor a young person following participation.

Sky Sports Living for Sport forms part of Sky's wider commitment to the community through The Bigger Picture. To find out more about Sky’s The Bigger Picture initiatives visit: http://corporate.sky.com/the_bigger_picture

The Youth Sport Trust: Sport Changes Lives

Our charity is passionate about helping all young people to achieve their full potential by delivering high quality physical education and sport.

We work to:

• give every child a sporting start in life through high quality PE and sport in primary schools.
• ensure all young people have a sporting chance by developing opportunities for those with special educational needs and disabilities.
• support all young people to achieve their sporting best in school and their personal best in life.

To find out more visit: www.youthsporttrust.org