Higher Education’s role in Talent Development and Performance Sport Zena Wooldridge OBE Director of Sport, University of Birmingham, UK
Success in Performance Sport ? • Key characteristics of successful systems: • • • • • • •
professional coaching system adequate and comprehensive funding for athletes effective application of sport science robust sport governance structures talent identification and development effective competition opportunities appropriate facilities
Rank
1 2 3 4
2012 Olympics LONDON
5 6 7 8 9
Medal Table
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
NOC
United States (USA) China (CHN) Great Britain (GBR) Russia (RUS) South Korea (KOR) Germany (GER) France (FRA) Italy (ITA) Hungary (HUN) Australia (AUS) Japan (JPN) Kazakhstan (KAZ) Netherlands (NED) Ukraine (UKR) New Zealand (NZL) Cuba (CUB) Iran (IRI) Jamaica (JAM)
Gold
Silver
46 38 29 24 13 11 11 8 8 7 7 7 6 6 6 5 4 4
29 27 17 26 8 19 11 9 4 16 14 1 6 5 2 3 5 4
Bronze
29 23 19 32 7 14 12 11 6 12 17 5 8 9 5 6 3 4
Total
104 88 65 82 28 44 34 28 18 35 38 13 20 20 13 14 12 12
Team GB Olympic Medals 1992-2012 Games
Rank
Gold
Silver
Bronze
Total
Barcelona 1992
13th
5
3
12
20
Atlanta 1996
36th
1
8
6
15
Sydney 2000
10th
11
10
7
29
Athens 2004
10th
9
9
12
30
Beijing 2008
4th
19
13
15
47
London 2012
3rd
29
17
19
65
Brasil Olympic Medals 1992-2012 Games
Rank
Gold
Silver
Bronze
Total
Barcelona 1992
25th
2
1
0
3
Atlanta 1996
25th
3
3
9
15
Sydney 2000
53rd
0
6
6
12
Athens 2004
16th
5
2
3
10
Beijing 2008
23rd
3
4
8
15
London 2012
29th
3
5
9
17
Rio 2016
10th ?
Team GB’s Journey to 3rd place INVESTMENT Games
Rank
Gold
Silver
Bronze
Total
Atlanta 1996
36th
1
8
6
15
Sydney 2000
10th
11
10
7
29
£60m (180m BRL)
Athens 2004
10th
9
9
12
30
£70m (210m BRL)
Beijing 2008
4th
19
13
15
47
£235m (705m BRL)
London 2012
3rd
29
17
19
65
£264m (792m BRL)
Rio 2016
£284m (852m BRL)
Financial Investment • • •
UK Sport ~ government performance sport agency Public Funding ~ NGB accountability Heavily supported by Lottery funding • •
•
Measures / Outcomes: • •
•
Sport’s % of lottery funding Economic recession: lottery income Olympic & Paralympic medals № performance athletes developed
Reward success . . . and penalise failure •
24 sports (2012) to 20 sports (2016)
Performance Systems • • • •
NGB governance, leadership, financial management 4 year investment cycles support an 8-year performance development plans/pathways for sports “No compromise” approach Investment in the Institute of Sport: • •
•
World class sports science & sports medicine services Development of world class practitioners
Other: e.g. research & innovation, coaching expertise, major events, international influence
Higher Education’s role in Team GB success
Rank
2012 Olympics LONDON Medal Table with ‘Team HE’
NOC
Gold
Silver
Bronze
Total
1
United States (USA)
46
29
29
104
2
China (CHN)
38
27
23
88
3
Great Britain (GBR)
29
17
19
65
4
Russia (RUS)
24
26
32
82
5
“Team HE” (GBR)
15
9
6
30
6
South Korea (KOR)
13
8
7
28
7
Germany (GER)
11
19
14
44
8
France (FRA)
11
11
12
34
9
Italy (ITA)
8
9
11
28
10
Hungary (HUN)
8
4
6
18
11
Australia (AUS)
7
16
12
35
12
Japan (JPN)
7
14
17
38
13
Kazakhstan (KAZ)
7
1
5
13
14
Netherlands (NED)
6
6
8
20
Team HE (GBR) Factsheet •
Over 60% of Team GB Olympic medallists have been to University (65% of gold medallists) • Just over 40% of UK 18 year olds go to University
•
56 members of Team GB in 2012 had competed for GB at a World University Games • Universiade as pre-Olympic experience • Shenzhen 2011: 7,155 athletes from 151 countries
How does HE support talented student-athletes ?
Sports Scholarships • University Sports Scholarships (≈ 65) • Sports science & medicine support • Strength & conditioning coaching • Coaching
Hannah England World Silver Medallist 1500m
• Help with competition costs • Lifestyle support (workshops) • ‘clean sport’ education programme • Academic flexibility for major competition
• Professional support rather than cash • Regional/National Performance Centres • TASS Regional Hub
Louise Hazel Commonwealth Heptathlon Champion
High Performance Centre applying science to improve performance integrated team of applied practitioners collaboration with academic/research colleagues
• Sports Science: physiology, biomechanics, psychology, performance analysis, nutrition, body composition …
• Sports Medicine: musculoskeletal screen, podiatry, physiotherapy, sports massage, sports medicine
• Strength & Conditioning
An HE-FE based sport scholarship programme, to help talented student-athletes successfully balance sport and education
• • • • • •
Government funded (£3m pa) 6,000 awards over 9 years Partnership between HE-FE & sport governing bodies Delivered through 8 regional university hubs Improved quality and consistency of HE delivery Major Games (TASS students / alumni): – Beijing 2008: 15 Olympic + 4 Paralympic medals – London 2012: 200 TASS athletes won 33 Olympic & 24 Paralympic medals
• TASS advising IOC on its Athlete Career Prog (education)
Other HE impact •
Research + applied disciplines of sport: • •
Sports science Sports medicine (physiotherapy & medicine) •
• •
Links with Medical School
Coaching / sports psychology Strength & conditioning coaches
Sports Science & Medicine Biomechanics / Movement Analysis
Physiotherapy / Rehabilitation
Sport Psychology
Motor Control & Learning
research Physiology
applied Sports Medicine Sports Nutrition
Coaching
Other HE impact •
Research + applied disciplines of sport: • •
Sports science Sports medicine (physiotherapy & medicine) •
• •
• • • •
Leading Medical School
Coaching / sports psychology Strength & conditioning
Development of sport practitioners and coaches Innovation/design, e.g. UoB metallurgy & materials Sport policy, governance & admin/management World class facilities