Why do so many of our olympic athletes come from public school?

[ivykaty44]

and what would you do to change it?

What I mean was clubs actively going into schools in school hours or just afterwards, offering free taster sessions. Take the sport to the school. We have had this, as well as vouchers for free tasters advertised in schools. All good stuff and even more of it would be better! :)

Participation in competitive sport is a really important component in many programmes to keep disengaged youth going to school and making an effort in class in high schools in the US. I disagree that it should all be fun and all about general fitness. Many boys in particular need a team, loyalty, a standard to live up to, a coach who takes no excuses, and a purpose.

Not sure if this has been mentioned, but I thought although more private people in GB team, state schools were equal on the podium - so good facilities might get you to the start line, but tenacity/mental strength gets the medal.

lljkk - that would be great and in some cases can be done. All of coaches that are at the various sports clubs we go to - and that is around 25 coaches all but 2 are working and there are two that are retired. As they work it makes going into school really difficult as they would have to take time of from their day job, they volunteer for the love of their sport. It isn't unusual for coaches to be working full time and not available during the day.

I know what you mean about volunteers making these clubs run, they're community heros!!

Is that how funding used to work, the schools sports partnership thing? Did it cover costs for coaching centrally, so that to school it was free or near-as?

They are wonderful the volunteer coaches at sports club and there are so many of them, then there is the committe who sort out other things and the secretary and admin and the lady that doe the tea - the list goes on and on and all for free.

I dont know how the school partnership was funded?

I do know that once my dd started doing one sport others sports became apparent as sports are advertised in sports clubs and venues, plus parents talk to each other and you swap ideas and get to find out about more sports and whats going on where and what s good.