New programme to support wellbeing of young athletes

A new initiative has been set up to help educate young athletes in the rigours of performance sport, protecting their mental health and wellbeing.
 
Thanks to funding from Sport England through the National Lottery, the Youth Sport Trust has created free online resources for young athletes in partnership with NGBs and will deliver workshops at top sporting events this year.
 
The Youth Sport Trust has said that athlete education is so much broader than mastery of the tactical and technical aspects of sport and that things like balancing training, competition, and social lives alongside school work are critical in our support of these young people striving to maximise their potential.
 
Ali Oliver, Chief Executive from the Youth Sport Trust, said: “Today’s young people already face a raft of issues which are widely documented and can be heightened when asked to compete at the top level.
 
“This summer is an exciting time with so many high-profile sporting events taking place but it’s important that we have support mechanisms and education programmes in place to help the next generation of elite athletes to thrive in their lives in and beyond sport. This Sport England Lottery Funding allows us to reach and support so many of those young people with partnership with the governing bodies and organisations such as UK Anti-Doping.”
 
As well as reaching young people, the Youth Sport Trust has identified a need to engage parents of talented young athletes and provide them with the tools they need to support young athletes on talent pathways.
 
Online support, ideas and education will be placed into the pockets of parents and carers through an app which has been designed with the input of leading sports professionals and academics. It covers topics on the science of being a young person, balancing education & sport and competition support.