Above: legacy games organised by Everyone Active. Below: Providing children a choice of sports is crucial
has also been introduced so everyone is catered from the age of eight up.”
OLYMPIC FACILITIES Another way the Olympics have left their legacy is new sporting facilities now available to the general public. For a few pounds, anyone can swim in the hallowed lanes at the Olympic Aquatic Centre where swimmers like Ellie Simmonds and Michael Phelps made history, or try out the velodrome where the British cycling team swept the board. One of the latest Olympic venues to
come on stream is the Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre, where Andy Murray won his gold medal. Manager Angie Oliva says there's lots going on to encourage children to come and play hockey and tennis, who otherwise wouldn’t have the opportunity. “We’re not having a performance squad at either venue, because that ties it up too much and we want to keep it available for members of the public to use,” she says. A tennis development officer has been
appointed to go into local schools teach some skills, bring them to the centre and
hopefully encourage them to enrol on extra-curricular sports courses. A range of programmes have been developed to appeal to different age groups, including a mini tennis programme and a course aimed at 16-year-olds. Nearby, at the Lee Valley Athletics
Centre, the Athletics Academy is going strong. Two programmes run three times
STREET GAMES
Another Inspired by 2012 partner, Street Games, is now in its seventh year, with the four national festivals gearing up to take place in August. This year the London festival takes place at The Copper Box at Queen Elizabeth Park. Aimed at 16 to 24-year-olds, it is focussed on disadvantaged areas, creating local sports opportunities throughout the year. At the festivals people can try out sports and activities including roller skiing, indoor canoeing and street dance. Volunteers are enlisted to help with the planning.
sportsmanagement.co.uk issue 3 2014 © Cybertrek 2014
a week, aimed at six to eight-year-olds and eight to 12-year-olds. “We teach a basic introduction to athletics, fitness work, relays and work on general skills and motor skills,” says manager Mick Bond. “There has been a 30-40 per cent increase in interest since the Olympics.” The sessions appeal to a mix of abilities.
The good ones are talent spotted and fed into local clubs. The Enfield and Haringey Athletics Club is national champion for that age group, which Bond puts down to the groundwork being done on this programme. He says another advantage of the programme is that children can go to secondary school with a positive attitude towards athletics, rather than losing confidence and opting out. This is particularly important for those with less natural ability or confidence.
OLYMPIC ATHLETES London 2012 created a raft of British role models and turned sports stars into household names. Swimming bronze medallist Rebecca Adlington is one of the athletes using her profile to encourage children to get active, with her role in
61
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92