Playground to Podium
What is P2P?
P2P is a series of targeted interventions aimed at helping young disabled people progress from PE and community sport to high-level performance and competition.
The ultimate aim of this initiative is to produce our next Paralympians and elite disabled athletes. This is acheived by focusing on the identification, development and support of young disabled people in sport. It is essential that all young disabled people have the opportunity to take part in high-quality sports provision.
Why has it been introduced?
Research has found that not enough athletes are coming up from local or regional based competitions to engage with performance environments, clubs and squads. A significant level of adults who come into disability late in life, are not being provided with information that would enable them to participate in sport and physical activity.
Following national consultation with a wide range of partners, reviewing existing programmes and initiatives, a framework has been developed to enhance player pathways and provide increased opportunities in sport for disabled participants.
What is it all about?
The Framework aims to develop structured pathways in disability sport from schools to community clubs and onto performance environments. The Youth Sports Trust (YST) are leading on the education element of the framework through School Sports Partnerships, specialist schools and Higher and Further education. Sport England are responsible for the community element of the framework incorporating Sports Unlimited, voluntary community clubs and adult identification through health related networks.
Linking into this framework are the player performance pathways from National Governing Bodies of Sport (NGB’s), providing performance environments and high quality coaching for identified talented participants to enter County, Regional and National squads through the National Competition Framework which is delivered in conjunction with UK Sport.
Playground to Podium is a dedicated initiative and the focus sports chosen specifically for the project are: Football, Swimming, Athletics, Table Tennis, Boccia and Wheelchair Basketball. These are all Paralympic sports and have been identified through consultation with NGB’s relating to their ability to deliver against the framework.
How are West Yorkshire involved?
The main elements of the P2P framework are being delivered through the 18 School Sport Partnerships (SSPs) across West Yorkshire. This involves inclusive PE training for school and sports staff, dedicated and/or inclusive multi-skills and multi-sports clubs and the delivery of local identifying ability days.
The West Yorkshire County Athlete Assessment & Delivery Centre is an annual event for gifted and talented young people from the SSPs. This gives the Governing Bodies of Sport the chance to deliver sports specific coaching sessions for talented youngsters and enables them to highlight the possible next steps on the performance pathway. The 2011 CAAD event took place on May 10 at John Charles Centre for Sport, Leeds.
For more information on Playground to Podium please visit: www.parasport.org.uk/p2p
Please contact James Brown for more detailed information on local initiatives.
