Higher Education’s role in Talent Development and Performance Sport Zena Wooldridge OBE Director of Sport, University of Birmingham, UK
Mar 28, 2016
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
2012 Olympics LONDON
Medal Table
Rank 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 South Korea (KOR) 13 8 7 28 6 Germany (GER) 11 19 14 44 7 France (FRA) 11 11 12 34 8 Italy (ITA) 8 9 11 28 9 Hungary (HUN) 8 4 6 18
10 Australia (AUS) 7 16 12 35 11 Japan (JPN) 7 14 17 38 12 Kazakhstan (KAZ) 7 1 5 13 13 Netherlands (NED) 6 6 8 20 14 Ukraine (UKR) 6 5 9 20 15 New Zealand (NZL) 6 2 5 13 16 Cuba (CUB) 5 3 6 14 17 Iran (IRI) 4 5 3 12 18 Jamaica (JAM) 4 4 4 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
Athens 2004 10th 9 9 12 30
Beijing 2008 4th 19 13 15 47
London 2012 3rd 29 17 19 65
Rio 2016
£60m (180m BRL)
£70m (210m BRL)
£235m (705m BRL)
£264m (792m BRL)
£284m (852m BRL)
Financial Investment • UK Sport ~ government performance sport agency • Public Funding ~ NGB accountability • Heavily supported by Lottery funding
• Sport’s % of lottery funding • Economic recession: lottery income
• Measures / Outcomes: • 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
2012 Olympics LONDON
Medal Table with
‘Team HE’
Rank 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 ?
• University Sports Scholarships (≈ 65) • Sports science & medicine support
• Strength & conditioning coaching
• Coaching
• 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
Hannah England World Silver Medallist 1500m
Louise Hazel Commonwealth Heptathlon
Champion
Sports Scholarships
• Sports Science: physiology, biomechanics, psychology,
performance analysis, nutrition, body composition …
• Sports Medicine: musculoskeletal screen, podiatry,
physiotherapy, sports massage, sports medicine
• Strength & Conditioning
applying science to improve performance integrated team of applied practitioners collaboration with academic/research colleagues
High Performance Centre
• 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)
An HE-FE based sport scholarship
programme, to help talented student-athletes
successfully balance sport and 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
Physiology
Motor Control & Learning
Biomechanics / Movement
Analysis
Sport Psychology
Sports Nutrition
Coaching
Physiotherapy / Rehabilitation
Sports Medicine
research
applied
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