Playground to Podium

2010 Information

Playground to Podium is a joint initiative run by English Federation of Disability Sport, Sport England and the Youth Sport Trust and is designed to identify and nurture disabled young people with the potential to be elite athletes and performers.

Within mainstream and special schools, School Sports Coordinators will work with PE professionals to identify young disabled poeple who show the potential to become sporting athletes. All disabled children and young people are eligible to be considered for entry into the Playground to Podium pathway, not just those with impairments that are covered by the Paralympics.

Those individuals that have been identified within schools as showing sporting potential were invited to attend the County Athlete Assessment Day (CAAD) which was held on 5th July 2010 in Godalming, Surrey.

The CAAD's overall aim is to allow National Governing Bodies across 6 sports (Football, Boccia, Wheelchair Basketball, Athletics, Table Tennis & Swimming) the opportunity to assess the young people as to whether they have the full potential to further progress within a particular sport and along that sports Parlympic pathway.

Each CAADCwill cater for young disabled people of varying impairments and support levels and will follow a clearly prescribed plan in order to achieve parity across the country. Each individual attending the CAAD took part in 4 of the identified sports where they were assessed in sport specific tests by the NGBs.

There are three distinct pathways that inidividuals will take once they have participated at the CAADC.

A) If an young person is deemed to have the potential to be an elite athlete they will be immediately connected into the performance pathway of that sport. They will be referred to centres of excellence and will exit the CAAD process.

B) Identification of a young with a potential that needs developing in a specific sport. These individuals will be referred to high quality coaching opportunities within the local club structure for their sport. They will be continually monitored throughout their time at their club and will be signposted into suitable opportunities and pathways in accordance with their talent.

C) Identification of a lack of required potential or ability to be considered for elite performance within specific sports. These people will be referred back into the community sport and will be signposted to opportunities to continue at a recreational level or alternatively signposted to other sports where they could potentially be more successful.

For further information please contact EFDS on 0161 2475294 or visit their website at www.efds.co.uk

Page last updated: 26 July 2010