Routes to sporting excellence in the UK

Question 1

Describe how sports talent is identified in the UK? [5 MARKS]

Answer 1

-UK Sport talent identification programme/ talent recruitment / talent conformation
-UK Sport World Class Programme / word-class podium / word-class podium potential
-UK Sport talent identification campaigns eg. Girls4gold
-National sports institutes talent identification via satellite sites/ hubs
-Clubs promote talented players and send to trials - regional/national
-Schools identify talent and refer to clubs/ school-club links

Question 2

What are the strategies to address drop out and failure?

Answer 2

-Evaluate athlete for potential stressors or difficulties
-Advise on integration of sporting and personal life/ give financial advice
-Teach strategies for dealing with media
-Arrange medical intervention eg. physiotherapy
-Suggest training adaptations
-Give psychological support/teach stress management techniques

Question 3

In what ways can schools and sports clubs work together to develop elite performers?

Answer 3

-Specialist coaches may be available to school for lessons/ extra-curricular clubs
-Clubs might lend specialist equipment to schools to use specialist facilities
-Schools might identify promising students and encourage them to join clubs
-Clubs might organise/run/officiate inter school competition