Sport NI Investing in Performance Sport 2009-2013

Overview

Investing in Performance Sport will contribute to the target within Sport Matters: The Northern Ireland Strategy for Sport and Physical Recreation in Northern Ireland, 2009-2013

In particular, investment will focus on:

• addressing weaknesses in current performance sport systems;

• building capacity and new systems within, and for, governing bodies of sport; and

• enabling Northern Ireland disabled and able bodied athletes achieve the Strategy’s target of “100 medals at the highest level in their sport including European, Commonwealth Games, World and Olympic levels by 2018”.

The ten ‘pillars’ on which Sport NI will focus its investment are indicated below:

1. Modern, fit for purpose organisations
2. Intelligent participation initiatives
3. Talent identification and development
4. Quality and quantity of coaches
5. A high quality training environment
6. Appropriate competition and training ratio
7. Scientific and medical support
8. Support for athletes during the competitive lifetime and post their athletic career
9. Consolidated financial support for the development of sports and athletes and
10. Integrating policy development.

A full explanation of the ten pillars listed above is available in the Guidance booklet.

Investment is primarily aimed at the employment of staff within organisations. Over the 2009-13 time-frame, Sport Northern Ireland will invest in over 100 posts, including Chief Executive Officers, business development posts, performance coaches, coaching personnel and talent identification officers.

Sport Northern Ireland has identified five performance themes with each successful applicant receiving financial support against at least one of the five themes:

1. Modernisation – developing a ‘Fit for Purpose’ Governing Body;
2. Participation - growing sustained participation structures in the sport;
3. Talent identification and development;
4. High performance athlete development; and
5. Coaching development.

So what will be different about sport in Northern Ireland following this four year investment package awarded by Sport Northern Ireland? In general terms, £13m will buy:

• Modernisation – professional and accountable organisations as evidenced by their level of financial assurance, best practice method of governance and transparency in accountability to their membership, funders and public.
• Participation – sport club members experiencing sport in an accessible, quality and safe environment enabling enjoyment as well as technical and tactical improvement by athletes and evidenced by new members and improving standards of performance.
• Talent ID and Development – public profiles of what a good athlete should like at each stage of their development as they move towards achieving world class success, allied to more sophisticated methods of identifying, developing and confirming talent.
• High Performance Athletes – improved planning resulting in more athletes having a choice of whether to go the ‘Irish’ route or ‘UK’ route in their sporting careers. Athletes requiring less ‘remedial’ work and able to benefit more quickly from new levels of scientific and medical support
• Coaching development - in short, more coaches in sports who know what ‘good’ coaching is, as evidenced through improved sporting performances and their attainment of best practice from involvement in ongoing professional development courses.