Seabstian, Lord Coe – winner of four Olympic track medals and one of Britain's highest-profile athletes – was in Glasgow to meet the 78 members of Team Lanarkshire just a day before tonight's opening ceremony.
Lord Coe met the team and coaches under the Lanarkshire 2011 ICG banner in the city's Central Station and passed on advice and encouragement to the youngsters who will be hoping to win gold at the three-day event.
He also took the chance to speak with Hamilton athlete Mhairi Hendry, an 800m runner whose face features on the team banner.
Mhairi, 15, will become one of only a handful of athletes worldwide who have competed in three ICG event and is widely tipped for future Olympic and Commonwealth success.
Lord Coe said: "Meeting the team so close to the event is a real privilege.
"I hope many of the young people from the 77 countries competing in this event go on to compete in future Commonwealth and Olympic Games.
"What is evident is that the local community has embraced the opportunity of hosting the event, with schools lending their facilities through to participation in the cultural programmes."
Lord Coe then visited St Andrew's High School, in Coatbridge, one of three Lanarkshire schools transformed into accommodation for some of the event's 1500 competitors.
He later had lunch with some of the visiting teams, including New Delhi, Los Angeles, and the furthest travelled team – Australia's Lake Macquarie.
Councillor Jim Smith, of the Lanarkshire 2011 organising committee, said: "Meeting Lord Coe was a great experience for Team Lanarkshire.
"It will give them even further motivation to perform.
"I'm confident we'll claim medals this week.
"However, the ICG isn't just about winning medals, the games are also about making friendships."
Organising committee member Councillor Jackie Burns added: "Lanarkshire 2011 represents a unique opportunity to encourage young people to take part in sport at grassroots levels.
"We want them to reap all of the associated benefits this involves – improving health, boosting confidence and self-belief and motivating young people to achieve their ambitions.
Around 1500 young competitors from more than 70 countries are in Lanarkshire for the games, which run until Sunday.
n The opening ceremony takes place at Motherwell's Fir Park tonight with competitive action at eight venues across Lanarkshire getting underway tomorrow morning.
n For the full schedule of events, all of which are free to attend, visit www.icg-lanarkshire2011.com
Star says Games will boost city
After helping to launch this week's ICG event, Lord Coe cast his eye over the preparations for the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
And the chairman of London's 2012 Olympic Games was impressed with what he saw.
On a visit to Strathclyde Park in Motherwell, the venue for the Commonwealth Games triathlon as well as the ICG sailing events, Lord Coe heaped praise on the Glasgow 2014 organising committee and the sports-daft people of Glasgow.
He said: "Strathclyde Park is a truly world class venue.
"It has hosted world championships in the past and is sensational.
"Having facilities like this hosting big events featuring the world's best athletes is so important to future participation in sport.
"Young people are inspired by that."
Having won 1500m Gold at the 1980 and 1984 Olympic Games, Lord Coe knows a thing or two about great sporting events.
And he believes hosting the Commonwealth Games will give Glasgow a massive boost.
He said: "The Commonwealth Games does incredible things for a city.
"Glasgow is one of the most culturally savvy cities in the world and you don't need to spend a lot of time here to know that sport is in everyone's DNA here."
Two aspiring athletes, hoping to make Team Scotland's triathlon squad in 2014, met Lord Coe on his visit.
Scotstoun star Marc Austin, 17, and Blantyre's Grant Sheldon, 16, have already tasted triathlon success at youth level.
Marc said: "It was a huge honour to meet Sebastian Coe."
Grant added: "I live within five miles of Strathclyde Park so it would be a dream come true to represent Scotland at the Commonwealth Games so close to home."
