Recognising achievement in youth sport

School sport is essential to the long‑term health and wellbeing of young people but its role in improving all areas of life was celebrated on Tuesday 20 May in a star-studded national Awards scheme which honoured the very best students, teachers and schools. 
   
With more than 50,000 pupils and 1,500 schools having participated in Sky Sports Living for Sport last year, the ceremony marked the culmination of countless inspirational personal journeys, as global icons David Beckham and Jessica Ennis-Hill honoured the Student of the Year, Teacher of the Year and Project of the Year live on air in front of a studio audience of young people, teachers and sporting greats.

Now in its fourth year, the Sky Sports Living for Sport Awards, delivered in partnership with national charity the Youth Sport Trust, shines a light on the way outstanding pupils, teachers and schools are using sport to increase attainment and achievement. At the very heart of the initiative are a team of more than 70 Athlete Mentors who visit schools to inspire students to harness the power of sport and apply lessons learned to all areas of life.
   
Following a nationwide search for the UK’s top student, Bethan Gill of Samuel Cody Specialist Sports College in Farnborough, Hampshire, was named as the Student of the Year live on air in a special edition of Sky’s popular Game Changers show; and an overcome Bethan was congratulated by David, Jessica, Olympic sprint legend Darren Campbell, Game Changers’ Di Dougherty as well as a host of Athlete Mentors.

Progress
David and Jessica, both ambassadors for the initiative, led a team of judges to select the winning student. Personally impressed with quality of Bethan’s nomination, David Beckham said: “It was a privilege to be able to give Bethan her award today and celebrate her inspirational story on what really was an incredible day. What an honour to meet so many other outstanding students, teachers and Athlete Mentors too. They are shining examples of what Sky Sports Living for Sport is all about and demonstrate the power that sport can have in helping young people believe in themselves and reach their full potential.”
   
Bethan, 16, was chosen by judges for the remarkable progress she has made both in the classroom and on the sports field after five years of involvement in Sky Sports Living for Sport projects.
   
She had been a selective mute at Primary School, meaning extreme anxiety led to her being unable to speak in specific situations or to specific people, which also impacted on her academic progress and led to poor results in core subjects. But a series of projects designed to raise self-confidence, aided by Athlete Mentors Alex Danson and Toby Garbett, transformed her life.
   
Bethan now captains her district sports team, coaches children with special needs at trampolining and is taking a Level One coaching course; and her communication skills and self-confidence have grown to such an extent that she plans to join the Military Preparation College at Farnborough to take a BTEC level 1 in Sport and Active Leisure.

Commendations
Judges also commended Frankie Howarth, 14, from Rastrick High School in Brighouse and Rhiannon Bracher,15, from The Sele School in Hertford, alongside a further nine students who received a Highly Commended accolade.

Stacey Howard of Holy Family RC High School, Carlton, Yorkshire, received the Teacher of the Year Award, selected by a panel of expert judges.
   
Stacey, who works only two days a week as a specialist teacher at Holy Family but gives up almost all her spare time to support the initiative, was chosen because of the incredible commitment and passion she puts into running Sky Sports Living for Sport projects – supporting students’ progress not just for one term but throughout their entire school life.

After receiving her award Stacey said: “I am so honoured to have been involved with such a wonderful initiative and overwhelmed that I was chosen for the award. It’s an experience that myself, students and the school will never forget.”

Commitment
Darren Campbell expressed his gratitude to teachers who bring out the very best in their pupils, adding: “The commitment, creativity and charisma of teachers lies at the heart of a truly great project so I am so pleased that the Sky Sports Living for Sport Awards includes categories that reward the contribution of teachers and the specific merits of the individual projects they create.”
   
A new category in this year’s Awards the ‘Project of the Year’ was chosen by the same panel and went to Rastrick High School in Brighouse, Yorkshire. Judges highlighted its innovative choice of Aussie Rules Football for a Sky Sports Living For Sport project which achieved remarkable results as students not only fell in love with a new sport but made incredible strides in English lessons at the same time.

Summing up the impact of the Awards after an emotional and inspiring day, Jessica Ennis-Hill said: “It really did show why Sky Sports Living for Sport can be such a life-changing initiative.

“I hope that these awards will leave us all more inspired than ever that sport has the power to make a huge difference to young people’s lives; not just on the field or on the track but in every area of life.”

Further information
www.youthsporttrust.org