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