Olympic sheen helps Scots clubs but barriers to top of sport remain

Major events such as the Olympic and Paralympic Games do impact positively on Scottish grassroots sport but challenges remain in opening up pathways towards the elite, according to new research from charity Sported and home security firm Ring.

Figures in the survey, conducted among Sported’s member groups across the country, found that 41% of local clubs in Scotland polled said they agreed that investment made into success at Olympics and Paralympics impacts positively on grassroots sport.

Just 24% of respondents disagreed.​

The most common reason groups cited as a reason why young people at their group who want to progress in elite sport  aren’t able to  do  so was  the cost of participation (74%). Over half of respondents  pointed to a lack of satisfactory facilities (59%).​

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Boxing clubs produce Olympians but also deliver social impacts.Boxing clubs produce Olympians but also deliver social impacts.
Boxing clubs produce Olympians but also deliver social impacts.

And economic factors threaten the ability of our next generation to get involved at a grassroots level, Sported’s insight shows.

“My parents gave me everything they could, they gave me their time, they gave me what they could,” said Paisley’s Olympic men’s sprint cycling medal hopeful Jack Carlin said. “But they didn't have the money to spend ridiculous amount of money on bikes and that was just how it was.

“A bike shop helped me out, and I worked there on a Saturday just to almost repay them. That was crucial but unfortunately now, it's becoming an affluent sport. We have to make sure we give young people a safe place to move out of where they're from and progress their life and open their eyes to new ideas.”

With 84% of groups meeting government goals of getting inactive kids active, over half of those polled reported that young people had disengaged from, or reduced participation, in sport and physical activity in the last six months because of cost-of-living pressures.

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Costs such as fees, kit and travel are among the central factors in creating barriers that threaten their ability to keep taking part.

“Having had the opportunity to be involved from a young age, it certainly allowed me the chance to grow both socially and physically throughout my childhood,” said David Ames, who will captain Great Britain’s men’s hockey team at the Paris Olympics.

“Having been someone who has enjoyed all sorts of sporting activities, I was able to enjoy all the benefits that community sports presented. Seeing the impact and progression over the last decade has made it so much accessible for kids to connect together at whatever sport they want to enjoy.”

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