Wayne Scott leans forward slightly on his wrought iron chair as he talks enthusiastically about his commitment to youth development, his vision for boosting tourism and his passion for cycling,

Sitting on the pillar-lined balcony of the House of Assembly, overlooking the gently sun-kissed Hamilton Harbour, Scott looks comfortable in his surroundings and confident in his role as Sports Minister, a position he has held since the One Bermuda Alliance’s election win in December 2012.

He admits that the first six months were a constant battle against the clock, trying to get to grips with the full extent of his portfolio, although he believes that he has finally managed to strike a balance between work, relaxation and fun.

“The challenge has been trying to pull myself away from the office a few times a week to have some time for myself,” Scott says.

“As I recall, the first six months I had less of that balance because I felt it was really necessary to fully understand everything that I was dealing with.

“I know it’s impossible to make everyone happy in this job, but I will be honest and straight up. You know what you get from me is real and committed. I’m passionate about what I’m attempting to do.”

Next month Scott plans to unveil the Island’s first National Sports Policy, drawn up by the Department of Youth, Sport and Recreation. The backbone of the far-reaching document concerns developing young Bermudians through the medium of sport, which Scott believes is the cornerstone of everything that he is trying to achieve.

“There are so many intrinsic benefits from sport: self-esteem, discipline and respect,” Scott says. “A lot of our children aren’t getting these at home due to the breakdown of our families. I look at sports as part of our social recovery.

“The most important thing the department, coming together with the national sports governing bodies, is trying to accomplish from sports is youth development.

“We have some great youth development programmes in different sports, but there’s a lot of duplication of efforts, so youth development tends to follow a pretty standard formula. Then, of course, there are slight differences depending on your particular craft.”

At a time when the government purse strings have never been tighter, Scott believes that it is integral for his ministry to become more hands-on in ensuring that the governing bodies are working efficiently and effectively.

For too long there has been very little cohesion between them, according to Scott, who says that they will be expected to form a far tighter umbrella, sharing their resources and knowledge for the betterment of developing Bermuda’s young sportsmen and women.

Inevitably, having a “Big Brother” closely observing the inner mechanisms of each group may not initially be palatable for some. And should the soon-to-be presented policy not be adhered to, Scott has warned that those sports found guilty may discover their funding appeals falling on deaf ears. Scott, however, is optimistic that the policy’s framework will act as a hymn sheet that everyone will be willing to sing from.

“We do have a responsibility to help and direct [the national sports governing bodies] and the good thing is that it’s not just the sports ministry that came up with the policy’s framework,” he says. “It’s been a collaborative effort.

“We have recognised the problems for what they are, so let’s do something different, rather than do the same thing that we all agree is dysfunctional.

“There’s often been inconsistency with the governing bodies and, depending on who is running them at the time, you can have a lot of function or dysfunction. That’s not a good formula and doesn’t work well.

“We are the largest financial supporter of sports and this is the framework we’re going to use. If you’re not using our framework, then don’t come for funds.”

Scott admits that the seemingly free-flowing well of funding, perhaps recklessly dished out in the past, often with little or no accountability, has dried up.

But, despite his ministry suffering a cut of almost $1 million in the Budget last month, Scott points out that the significant funds pumped into national sports, cricket and football, during the mid-2000s did not necessarily equate to successful programmes.

“We need to make sure that every dollar we spend, every resource we have, and every bit of effort we put in is all going in the same direction,” he says.

“I think [the Budget] just requires us to be more efficient. Across the board, we have to figure out how to do more with less.

“If you look historically at the money that has been spent, significant funds were allocated to certain sports, but are those sports having significantly better outcomes?

“Throwing money at a situation won’t necessarily improve the situation. What will improve a situation is having a determined plan to reach a set of outcomes. Without a plan, you’re just winging it.”

Aside from youth development, another area that Scott is keen to strengthen is sport tourism.

While the National Sports Centre never seems far away from controversy, most recently regarding the design and running costs of the Aquatics Centre and decision to charge the track and field clubs to use the stadium, Scott believes that it can become the jewel in the crown for attracting the sports tourism dollar.

“Yes, there are some challenges but the National Sports Centre can be a huge opportunity for Bermuda,” he says. “It’s a beautiful facility but was built without forward thinking in regards to how we’re going to pay for it. That’s fine; it’s just another problem we have to solve.

“The National Sports Centre can really help us attract overseas teams to the Island. We have talked about putting a housing unit up there and that will happen soon. It will allow us to fully market ourselves.

“When you look at Bermuda, I also think we can become a hub for masters-type competitions. This is a demographic of people worldwide who tend to be more established and have the money to travel.”

First and foremost, Scott insists that he is a “sports person” who has a firsthand understanding of the challenges facing the governing bodies.

A former cyclist of category one standard, who has represented Bermuda internationally, Scott believes that his past successes in the saddle afford him a certain credibility from athletes and administrators alike.

“I’m a sports person, having cycled for years, represented Bermuda for years, so I understand both sides of the equation,” says Scott, who, along with Kris Hedges, is the only rider to have won the Sinclair Packwood Memorial Race three times.

“I understand what has to be done from an administration perspective and now I understand what needs to be done from a ministerial perspective. I show up at a lot of different sporting events at the weekends.

“I’m not just someone who suits up in the stands and watches from the reserved seating. I want to be in the midst of it; I want to be a part of it.”

As for fun — well, cycling remains Scott’s favourite pastime.

Figuratively, there might be slightly more wear on his tyres these days, but Scott intends to don the lycra to race in the Sinclair Packwood race, which will be on May 26 this year.

“I’ll be coming out again,” he says. “It’s the first time in four years that I have actively been on my bike.

“I’ve signed up to race, albeit in the B category — that’s all I can manage these days!”

Although old habits die hard for the sports-mad minister, his desire to set the wheels in motion for an improvement in Bermuda sport has surely overtaken cycling as his passion.