The sports development continuum
The main aim of a sports development continuum is to provide links and opportunities for young people to progress with their sporting ability/participation. The sports development continuum is described as a four stage hierarchy, with the size of the section representing the numbers of participants:
Foundation stage
This level provides the base of the pyramid and has the majority of participants. This stage includes young people who are taught PE and therefore learn and experience basic sporting skills as well as complete beginners to a sporting activity.
The activities carried out at this stage include primary school PE lessons, Top Play activities (sports development) and multi sports sessions (sports centre's). This level provides the acquisition of good exercise and skill habits in which a base can be formed for personal development and future participation in the sport of their choice. Basic skills are taught which can then be transferred in to more specific sports such as throwing and catching.
Participation stage
This stage is when participants decide to participate in one or two chosen activities on a regular basis for enjoyment purposes. Sports development contributes significantly to this stage with its community Tops program (after school coaching), school festivals, multi skills clubs and providing club/school links. Sports clubs become important at this stage as they make the link to the next stage of development. Community projects are also important here to try to engage people to participating in sport.
Performance stage
This stage is when performers are interested in developing their sporting ability and begin to concentrate on sport specific skills and demonstrate they have talent in their sport. Quality coaching is an essential part of a performer's development at this level and there are several schemes that contribute to this, for example organised weeks/weekends including county/regional squad training, or summer camps.
Within this stage, performers are regularly competing and therefore many competitions are organised e.g. the Youth Games.
Excellence stage
The excellence stage provides the peak of the pyramid and demonstrates the level where individuals reach sporting excellence. Obviously the pyramid narrows here as the number of performers will reduce at this stage. Governing bodies of sport are responsible for development at this level as performers pass from county to regional to national squads.
Loughborough College 2010 All Rights Reserved