As the contracts and strategies for Aberdeen AAC’s two paid roles—Brian Pahlmann as club manager and Ruth Watson as pathways development officer—neared their end in spring 2020, Aberdeen AAC leaders were tasked with creating a vision of what might come next. The two roles were created in 2016 to fulfil a club-led strategy and funded by the club in partnership with sportscotland, scottishathletics, and Aberdeen Sports Village. While the roles changed subtly over time, by most measures, they were highly successful.
To build on that success and follow the natural evolution of the role of pathways development officer, Ruth, as the newly titled community development officer, will look outward from the club and its main training sessions so Aberdeen AAC may be more actively inclusive. She will continue to monitor the coaching structure and the pathways, but her main focus will be on expanding the delivery of athletics by Aberdeen AAC into areas of regeneration and to underrepresented groups, engaging new athletes, volunteers and partners to sustain this expansion.
Brian, as club manager, will continue handling Aberdeen AAC’s day-to-day administration but will have a wider role with developing the club’s business operations and supporting the community development officer and related expansion, as well as doing more marketing, partnership development, and fundraising.
The two roles officially start on 1 April 2020 and will each increase from 18 to 25 hours weekly, lasting for four years. Funding for both will come from a successful application to sportscotland for Direct Club Investment, as well as from scottishathletics and Aberdeen Amateur Athletic Club.
Aberdeen Amateur Athletic Club 