British Olympians are co-chairing a brainstorming group of athletes and coaches which aims to create a strategy to attract and retain young athletes in Britain.
Words and phrases like “recruiting and retaining young athletes” will be familiar and perhaps tired concepts to older athletes and coaches. But the quest to find new runners, jumpers and throwers is never-ending.
In recent years, and especially since the pandemic, the number of young people who participate in athletics and continue their interest into their late teens and 20s appears to be declining.
So to combat this, supermiler Steve Cram and high jumper legend Steve Smith have been quietly working behind the scenes in recent months as co-chairs of an independent body of people called the Vision Group, which is trying to find solutions to the problem in partnership with home sports associations in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Cram says: “I know people will say, ‘We’ve been here before and they didn’t listen to me.’ So please don’t have that kind of attitude because it was a bit “me”.
“I thought, ‘Do we really have to go through this again?’ But I think so much about our sport and I know a lot of you do, and so I think we should touch on that a little bit.”
He adds: “We have a good group of people who have come in with some thoughts and ideas. They may not be the solution, but we need something to hang our hat on.”
As well as Creme and Smith, the group includes Olympic and world 400m champion Christine Ohurugu, young Scottish sprinter Tammy Oshinowo, Loughborough Uni director of sport Louise Gear, Forte Talent CEO and former parkrun CEO Nick Pearson, former hurler and rugby league player Abi Ekoku, young athlete and young athlete coach JJ. Osei.
The project also referred to some work done by a company called Sherbert Research, which talked to a number of teenagers who were either current athletes, had stopped, or were otherwise disinterested in athletics.
The research found the following barriers when it comes to young people participating in sport:
• Awareness. many don’t know how to get involved or feel that athletics is only for the “talented”.
• Perceptions. seen as overly competitive and less fun or social than other sports
• Accessibility. cost, travel, and unclear competition paths limit participation
• Inclusion. clubs and coaching experiences may feel inappropriate or unwelcoming
• Changing demographics. the new needs and expectations of the audience are not fully met
Cram and Smith hope their group can uncover what current and active teenage athletes need to stay committed to the sport. They also want to find out why “weak athletes” have left athletics and why non-athletes have chosen other sports instead of athletics.
Research has already found that for many young athletes it wasn’t so much a case of ‘quitting’ athletics, but simply finding a ‘better fit’ or something they enjoyed more than athletics.
They also found that young people want athletics to feel;
• More social, less lonely
• More flexible, less all or nothing
• More inclusive, less intimidating
• More fun, but (still) serious when it matters
Young people in the study described athletics as intimidating and only for the ‘talented’, or too serious and difficult to achieve.
Some early recommendations of the project include:
Start with open doors
• Create low-pressure, visible entry points that feel pleasant, not selective or intimidating
• Rethink how, where and by whom children and teenagers first experienced sport
Offer formats that match real life
• Create options that fit around exams, work and wellbeing
• Let teens come in and out guilt-free and come back when they’re ready
• Support different levels of commitment, from casual fun to serious progress
Review what the competition might be
• Design events with energy, music and shared moments, not just results
• Celebrate progress, resilience and effort alongside elite achievement
• Give space to those who pursue big goals, but don’t let that be the only story
Let the youth help shape it
• Involve teenagers in collaborative formats, activities and club culture
• Use visual groups to ensure the sport is relevant, inclusive and worth returning to
The group has also come up with six main principles so far, which are:
- Inclusive and accessible to all
- First and foremost, well-being and personal growth
- Flexible and responsive formats
- Social connection and belonging
- Youth voice and ownership
- One team. combined shipping
They also have an early list of five visions.
1 Local and regional cooperation with new centers of athletics – Transforming the participation landscape into clusters of inclusive, high-quality activities with local reach and national impact.
2 Competitive culture – Prioritizing flexible, inclusive and progressive competition formats that reflect the lives and motivations of young people.
3 Mixed and digital channels – Using technology to complement individual participation, track progress and increase access.
4 Health and belonging at the core – Reposition the wider perception of athletics as one based on belonging, identity, good mental health and long-term engagement, not just performance.
5 Athletics as the foundation of all sports – Embed skills in running, jumping and the wider sports ecosystem as an entry point for every young athlete and recognizing that athletes can and should participate in other sports.
In a video message to Sports, Crum said the project has some urgency and cannot be allowed to drag on. The next stage is for further people to come forward to participate in the discussion. There are also plans for webinars where more talks will be held.
To join the discussion: click here
To learn more about the work and research done so far, click here
