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The Sheffield Academy of Young Leaders in Sport (SAYLS) was created in 2006. Each year students are selected from across the City’s schools for their potential ability as leaders. This selection is based on evidence of what they have already demonstrated in their work within school and/or the community.
Its rationale is to use the power of sport, and the interest that these young people have in it, as the motivation to engage them in developing their personal and social skills. The emphasis is on developing leadership and taking responsibility for planning, implementing and evaluating sports events, not just volunteering in the sense of giving time to help.
The Academy is a key element of a volunteering and leadership network in sport for young people of school age and beyond being developed in Sheffield. This involves work at school level, not only for the 14-16 age group but even younger children, such as Playground Leaders (9-11), a 16-19 project in Further Education and opportunities for the City’s University students.
The Academy is a partnership scheme led by the Children and Young People’s Service PE & Sport Team and the city’s four School Sports Partnerships. Other partners who support the Academy are Sheffield Hallam University, Activity Sheffield, Sheffield Major Events Unit, schools and some National Governing Bodies of specific sports.
The Academy programme is in part a taught syllabus (e.g. qualities of leadership, working with children and young people, Child Protection, equity and access, sports specific coaching and/or officiating) and in part mentored experiential learning using real activities and events.
All students have to undertake leadership roles at events. These range from working with primary children at School Sport Partnership festivals through to city wide school events and major events such as the Norwich Union Grand Prix athletics and the BUSA Games.
Throughout the programme the students record their experiences and evaluate their performance whilst they are mentored by the Academy tutors on an individual and small group basis. These tutors are in some cases teachers from the School Sports Partnerships, some cases coaches and other sports development workers and also Sheffield Hallam University students. The University students are also provided with professional development as mentors.
The ambition is to create a cadre of high quality young leaders year on year and thus contribute to growing and strengthening the Sheffield community sport infrastructure. Some Academy graduates will follow this work into a linked career pathway, but others will continue to work as high quality volunteers in local community sport.
In 2011 Sheffield will host the final UK School Games before the 2012 London Olympics. The ultimate challenge is to have young Sheffield people as the leaders and organisers of this event and we believe that this is achievable. The year on year development of leadership talent within the Academy will play a key part in making this a reality.
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