Sport England Unveils New Talent Plan
Sport England has launched its new ‘Talent Plan for England’, which includes a new emphasis on “inclusion” within the performance system.
The launch took place at an event in Westminster, where Sport England Chair Nick Bitel and CEO Tim Hollingsworth were joined by Sports Minister Mims Davies MP, Dame Katherine Grainger, Chair of UK Sport, and Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson.
The Talent Plan outlines seven guiding principles for investing in talent in the coming years. With twin objectives of progression and inclusion, it emphaises that sport should be accessible to everyone and a positive experience for all concerned, regardless of their background.
The launch follows the release of UK Sport’s new Future Stategy, which also featured a broadening of performance funding and came in the wake of a number of high-profile athlete welfare cases.
Sport England Executive Director of Sport Phil Smith set out the new approach, explaining: “In this plan we’re building on success. We’ve set ourselves a high bar but believe we can create the world’s best sporting talent system.
“The experience young athletes receive will have a lasting effect on not only their sporting performance but also their mental and physical health. Training to win and enjoying the experience should not be mutually exclusive.
“Secondly, as fans we want to see sports teams that reflect the best of our nation and our population, in all its diversity. We have a concern that not only the culture of talent pathways but also the sheer cost of being talented, may be a real barrier to this.”
Today we launch the #SETalentPlan
Our success as a sporting nation should not be taken for granted – this is why we invest in talent pic.twitter.com/XJnI5d8tb9
— Sport England (@Sport_England) April 4, 2019
Mims Davies MP said of the plan: “We have a duty to redouble our efforts around inclusion and I’m delighted to see the plan tackle that head on.
“Sport and physical activity should be for everyone.The talent system is no different. It cannot be right that the talent system is unrepresentative of society more broadly.”
The plan describes how the England talent system is structured, and outlines how Sport England – a publicly-funded body – works with key partners.
The seven core principles include the target of England having the best sporting talent system in the world that consistently delivers results; ensuring sport offers a positive experience for the development of a person; and highlighting that the journey and the growth of individuals is an end in itself.
The principles also note that athlete welfare and mental health is vitally important; national teams should strive to be representative of the population; people are crucial to building a sustainable system; and athlete development is complex and non-linear and can be influenced by a number of factors.
