Sporting Champions inspire young people to keep playing sport

World-class athletes are successfully persuading young people to play more sport and join their local sports clubs.

Sport England’s Sporting Champions programme brings current and recently-retired sportsmen and women from a range of sports, including rugby, athletics, wheelchair basketball and freestyle football, face-to-face with youngsters involved with ourSport Unlimited programme.

Sport Unlimited gives children and young people the chance to get involved with 10-week high quality taster sessions of a wide range of traditional and non-traditional sports.

By attending some of these sessions (usually about four), Sporting Champions athletes motivate the youngsters to keep taking part once the 10 weeks have come to an end. Both programmes are aimed at young people who may be interested in sport but are not naturally inclined to join a club.

Over thirty visits have taken place since the September relaunch and a further 220 are planned between now and the end of March. The visits have been allocated to 18 county sports partnerships.

Each athlete’s role can be simple, for example delivering motivational speeches and taking the warm-up session, or more complex as they work with local clubs and organisers to tackle the issues that stop the area’s young people taking part.

Former Olympic fencer, James Williams, worked with Lancashire Sport to help young people in Morecambe shape their fencing course. He talked to the young people to understand what they hoped to achieve – agility, fitness and toning – and devised a plan that culminated in a show so they could demonstrate to their parents what they had learned. The involvement of parents has proved crucial in sustaining participation once the 10weeks are complete.

"Sporting Champions visits help inspire and engage young people to play sport regularly in their communities,” said Sport England’s Director of Children and Young People, Mike Diaper. “It's a great additional tool to drive forward our Sport Unlimited programme which offers youngsters the chance to try sports and help them join local clubs."

There are also benefits for the 21 athletes taking part. As well as training and professional development that can help them make the transition to life after competition, there is also satisfaction of passing on their passion to the next generation.

“To be part of Sporting Champions is very important to me,’ said Olympic rower, bronze medallist and world champion Sarah Winckless. “Sport has played such a significant role in my life and I believe it is a great way to discover more about yourself, make friends and keep well. If I can help more young people become enthusiastic and excited about what their sporting activities can do for them, then I feel I have achieved.”

Football freestyler Billy Wingrove agrees: “I believe that in life everyone needs role models, someone you can take inspiration from. I hope that through this work I’ll be able to inspire young people to take part, develop and most of all enjoy sport.”

Sporting Champions is being managed for Sport England by a consortium made up of Creating Excellence and the Dame Kelly Holmes Legacy Trust.

"I have seen firsthand a sporting champion’s ability to enthuse, motivate and engage young people to take part in, and stay in sport and we are delighted to be playing this role in changing so many young people’s lives," said Dame Kelly Holmes. "I am delighted that in partnership with Creating Excellence my charity has the opportunity to deliver such an important programme."

Sporting Champions and Sport Unlimited are part of Sport England’s contribution to the five hour offer for 5-19 year olds. This government initiative aims to get children taking part in sport for five hours every week comprising two hours of curriculum PE and then three hours of sport provided by a range of school, community and club based sport.

Find out more about Sporting Champions and the athletes involved.