Creating the role models of the future

The Youth Sport Trust has 20 years’ experience in school sport and during that time we have gained a unique understanding of how PE and sport can make a huge difference to young lives. However, as an organisation we cannot reach every school or every young person on our own, so working in partnership with others is crucial to extending our reach and increasing the impact of our work.
    
For many years we have worked with a range of organisations, including Sky Sports, Matalan, Bupa, Sainsbury’s and Openreach, as well as government, National Governing Bodies of Sport, high profile athletes, schools and young people to improve the quality of PE and sport in schools.
    
Through these partnerships we have created a network of role models and mentors that believe in the power of sport to change lives. Our high profile ambassadors, including Denise Lewis, Hannah Cockroft, Darren Campbell, Jason Gardener and Gail Emms are all committed to helping us raise the profile of PE and school sport. Not only are they all great ambassadors for sport but they are incredible role models for young people and schools.

Community ambassadors
We know that athletes’ stories can have a huge impact, but we also know that young people themselves can be great role models for each other in their schools and communities.

Throughout the years, we have developed a number of initiatives specifically aimed at the young, enabling them to build their skills as confident young leaders and role models. Our network of Young Ambassadors continues to grow and has empowered thousands of young people to be role models for their peers. We also work with an inspirational group of headteacher ambassadors who champion the importance of PE and school sport and act as advocates and mentors to other headteachers in their local area.

As an organisation, we know that developing role models is a sustainable commitment and has the biggest impact on schools and pupils playing an important role in inspiring students to learn, overcome obstacles and achieve in many areas of their life. The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games created a new generation of genuine sporting heroes and role models, and was a shining example of how sport can impact young lives across the nation. Determined athletes who have a goal and are disciplined enough to pursue their dreams communicate an incredibly powerful message.

The power of role models
Almost everyone you ask will say they have a role model in their life. They might be somebody who performs outstanding volunteer work, a community leader or a mentor. Maybe they are generous and kind; maybe they performed an extraordinary feat or achieved something incredible. The key thing is that it’s different for everyone. A role model is something that is very hard to define, and who your role model is will depend as much on you as it does on the person you admire.

Being keen on sport when growing up, I looked up to a lot of people within the sports world; people who were highly committed, focused and didn’t tend to take a step back when the pressure was on. One standout figure for me John McEnroe.

Well known for his animation on the tennis court, he was a phenomenal athlete with natural talent who exuded passion and showed huge commitment. Often his behaviour wasn’t of a standard that you would readily associate with a role model, but his charismatic personality, along with that iconic eighties hairdo, inspired me to work hard and gave me that drive to push boundaries to succeed in sport and life.

Programmes to inspire
One of our longest standing programmes – Sky Sports Living for Sport – is a great example of how we have built a sustainable partnership by using world class athletes to inspire young people. These role models come from a range of different sporting backgrounds; everything from hockey and wheelchair basketball, to archery and skateboarding. They go into schools and use their inspirational life stories to motivate and inspire young people with the aim of improving their lives. 
    
During my time at the Youth Sport Trust, I’ve seen us work with over 80 athlete role models, through Sky Sports Living for Sport; a free initiative available to all secondary schools in the UK and Ireland. Our fleet of athlete mentors tour the UK sharing their experiences and using sport skills to boost confidence, change behaviour, increase attainment and improve life skills. They do this by promoting qualities that are designed to help pupils develop valuable skills and motivate them to be more engaged and achieve better grades. We call these the ‘six keys to success’; mental toughness, hunger to achieve, people skills, sports and life knowledge, breaking barriers and planning for success.

Raising the profile of PE
Through the partnership with Sky Sports, we also have access to an extended pool of ambassadors who are helping to profile the importance of PE and school sport, including football legend David Beckham, along with Olympic gold medallists’ Jess Ennis-Hill, Katie Taylor and Darren Campbell. These sporting heroes champion the work of all of these incredible athlete mentors and are a crucial part of Sky Sports Living for Sport. Over the past ten years, the programme has grown considerably and since 2003, 75,000 young people in over a third of secondary schools across the UK have benefitted from using sport to improve their lives.  
    
We have created similar opportunities through our work with Matalan and subsequent support from Olympic rowing legend, Sir Steve Redgrave. For the past four years, Sir Steve has been an ambassador for Sporting Promise, an initiative that ensures children across the UK have vital access to sports activity in school. Available to all primary and secondary schools, the programme has impacted over two million pupils in the first three years and has seen Sir Steve visit schools across the country, encouraging more young people to get involved in sport and physical activity.

Sport has an unparalleled power to change lives. The use of athletes, as well as young people themselves, as inspirational role models is just one example of this. However, without the support of corporate sponsors, organisations like the Youth Sport Trust would not be able to reach so many thousands of young people and give them the opportunity to learn and grow through sport.

Further information
www.youthsporttrust.org