10 February 2010
YST urges 2012 turbo charge in school sport
School sport can drive a lasting Olympic legacy - but only with sustained investment up to and beyond 2012, a leading charity said today.
The Youth Sport Trust outlined its vision for the future ahead of its national conference which sees key decision-makers in PE, sport and education celebrating the transformation of school sport in just over a decade.
To build on the huge progress, the national charity has called for “sustained investment up to and beyond 2012” in order to deliver a world-class PE and school sport system which can fully capture the enthusiasm of young people inspired by London’s hosting of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
In its manifesto published today entitled, “Positioning sport at the heart of school life”, the Youth Sport Trust pinpoints a number of key building blocks which make up its vision for the future.
They include:
- More schools thinking creatively about how they structure, stage and present competitions so that every young person can enjoy the experience while more support is given to the most talented
- Greater investment in initial teacher training to enable primary school teachers to teach high-quality PE to improve the experience for every young person
- The development of junior sports clubs on school sites to increase the number of young people progressing from school to club sport
Steve Grainger, Chief Executive of the Youth Sport Trust, said: “Working with partners across the public, commercial and charitable sectors, we set out 15 years ago to create a world-leading PE and sport system that reached and resonated with all young people. Since then, there has been undoubtedly been a significant transformation – more young people are participating, leading and performing in school sport than at any point in our history. Whilst it is important to recognise and celebrate progress, there needs to be sustained investment up to and beyond 2012 to help embed sport at the heart of school life if we are to reach every young person and ensure they experience the very best that PE and school sport has to offer.”
School pupil Oli Hooper, 18, has seen his life transformed through sport and gone from being someone who never participated to the point where he is now a Young Ambassador championing sport and the Olympic and Paralympic values to his peers.
The youngster at Brookfield Community School, in Derbyshire, said: “Sport brought about a remarkable change in my life and transformed me from someone who had no desire whatsoever to participate to the individual I am today; someone who is far healthier, far more active, and most of all, far happier as a result of having sport as part of life. Sport breaks boundaries and brings people together in a way that nothing else can. My one hope for the future is that other young people can gain as much enjoyment through sport as I have.”
Olympic gold medallist and School Sport Ambassador Denise Lewis said: “School sport is at the heart of the 2012 legacy and what really excites me is the thought of millions of children up and down the country being inspired to play, coach, compete or volunteer in sport because of the London Games. While significant progress has already been made, there is still much to do to engage every young person. As an Olympic gold medallist and now mum of three, I want school sport to be appealing to all children, not just the talented few. By achieving this, we will have delivered a true Olympic legacy.”
The Youth Sport Trust 2010 Sports Colleges Conference takes place from the 10-11 February at the International Centre, Telford.
It will celebrate the achievements of a rapidly growing school sport network which currently has 501 secondary schools and academies with a specialism in sport and 450 school sport partnerships reaching out to every school in the country and millions of young people.
Joining the 2,000 delegates will be special guests Olympic gold medallists Denise Lewis and Darren Campbell, who work with the Youth Sport Trust as ambassadors visiting schools and promoting the benefits of sport.
Notes to editors
To download a full version of the Youth Sport Trust manifesto, “Positioning sport at the heart of school life”, visit the Media Centre at www.youthsporttrust.org
Interview opportunities are available on request with Steve Grainger, Chief Executive of the Youth Sport Trust, or Oli Hooper, Young Ambassador, by contacting the Youth Sport Trust Press Office on 0207 874 7680 / 07825 065 179 / 07752 372151.