Sporting Champions
Sporting Champions is a Sport England initiative supporting the Sportivate programme, part of the People Places, Play mass participation legacy programme for 2012. Sporting Champions brings young adults face to face with world class athletes to motivate and inspire them to participate in sport. Each Sporting Champion has a wealth of experience within sport, combined with the skills and enthusiasm to inspire and engage young people and young adults in playing sport regularly in their communities.
The Independent Review of the Sporting Champions scheme (March 2011, SIRC) makes clear that Sporting Champion's visits have a positive effect on young people's motivation to engage in sport.
How can a Sporting Champion's visit improve a Sportivate Project?
Sportivate projects will engage more 14-25 year olds in sport, retain them in a series of coaching sessions and support the progression into regular formal or informal sports club participation.
A Sporting Champion visit can help engage more participants by:
- Attending a local sports seminar in a Further Education/Higher Education setting.
- Bringing a launch to life by sharing their experiences and delivering key messages.
- Being involved in campaigns visits which focus on increasing participation.
- Facilitating a learning zone with 1-2 other Champions aimed at young people and other adults attending your event.
A Sporting Champion visit can help retain more participants by:
- Attending more than one sportivate session to build a rapport with the young adults.
- Leading a master class with a Sporting Champion at the club as a reward for staying in the coaching sessions.
A Sporting Champion visit can help sustain participation by:
- Attending exit route sessions after the completion of Sportivate sessions
You may request a single or multiple visits to help you to achieve maximum impact.
The Champions
There is a team of 50 Sporting Champions with different experiences who appeal to a variety of audiences within the 14-25 age range, specifically those identified as semi sporty. They cover a range of traditional and non-traditional sports and have the ability to transfer their skills in any environment. All of the champions are high achievers in their chosen sport and between them hold 49 Olympic and Paralympic medals, 86 World Championship medals and 61 Commonwealth medals!
Most important are the 'soft' effects that Sporting Champions' visits have been shown to have on the Young People themselves. A Sporting Champion will:
- Engage young people & young adults and get their attention
- Get them excited about sport and joining local clubs
- Motivate them in their wider lives
Media templates will be provided to help you advertise and promote the visits amongst your local community. These will include images and quotes from the Sporting Champion.