INTERVIEW
UK Sport has a close working relationship with the home countries’ sports councils
themes, some of which may reinforce the need for research and innovation work, and helps to extend the expertise of spe- cialist coaching development. “Some issues can be resolved quickly,
others may need more work from one of our designated team members – who have responsibility for each potential ele- ment where a sport may need help – or maybe from our research and innovation team,” she explains. “We can then offer to add value to
their work to help improve athlete per- formance, as well as their health and wellbeing, expanding the sport’s system support or improving the climate and cul- ture of their organisation so they can get the very best from their athletes. “Everybody understands the Mission
2012 process and can see that they are all part of one team, with one mission and that it’s within everybody’s interests to have an open and honest dialogue with us,” she says.
SUSTAINABLE ADMINISTRATION A recurring theme that’s currently being addressed is the upskilling of the people working within the NGBs.
“We’re aware that one of the weakness
within NGBs is that generally their focus is much more about delivery rather than personal development,” says Nicholl. “We have an International Leadership Devel- opment programme – the Elite Coaching Apprenticeship Programme. For example, over the past 12-18 months we’ve been running a leadership programme to sup- port performance directors and will be providing similar programmes for CEOs and chairs.” She adds that UK Sport also previously worked with the British Olym- pic Association (BOA) and the SRA in the setting up of a four-year Women in Lead- ership programme, to ensure that women were also given the right opportunity within that structure. Thanks to sports’ higher media profile
however, Nicholl has noticed that good business people, with a passion for sport, are coming into the boards of sports as independent chairs, which she says could make a real difference to the NGBs sus- tainability administration post-2012. This increased media attention is also
attracting sponsors, many of which have created a partnership role that could also benefit the sport post-Games.
Our no compromise approach to funding is about NGBs getting the right support to the right athletes for the right reasons
20 Read Sports Management online
sportsmanagement.co.uk/digital Sky’s relationship with British Cycling,
British Gas’ link with British Swimming and Siemens’ tie-up with British Rowing is testament to this trend. Nicholl also highlights the FSTE 100 companies part- nership the BOA has initiated, which she says can offer fantastic business expertise to Olympic and Paralympic sports.
2012 AND BEYOND Looking ahead, Nicholl says the Mission 2012 model has already been introduced for the Winter Games, so the relationship with the four Olympic and two Paralym- pic-funded sports for Sochi 2014 is exactly the same as the Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games. And this process will also continue towards Rio 2016. “We’re in a fantastic position for Rio
2016 because we’re likely to have about the same amount of money in this fund- ing cycle,” says Nicholl. Although she says that there are still some risks because of the 65 per cent reliance of National Lot- tery funding and exchequer funding is as yet only confirmed to 2015 – in line with government policy. “You need a compelling goal to con-
tinue that ‘one team one mission’ feel on the journey from London to Rio,” she says. “Our ambition is that we’ll do what no Summer Olympic and Para- lympic host nation has done before, which is maintain some of the great performances achieved at our home Games right through to the next Summer Games in 2016.” l
Issue 1 2012 © cybertrek 2012
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