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Wealth correlates with elite Scots sports participation.... - 0762 - 03-01-2017
.......in a recent bbc Scotland research study that was orchestrated by John Beattie and covered over 700 sponsored participants such as athletes, cyclists, rowers/sailing, curlers, shooters, swimmers etc. Some of these elite sports people refused to participate and that's fine under a right of privacy. The required info covered their personal profile and educational background and that info can be gleaned by other means anyway. The eventual results are unsurprising to me but they may surprise other interested readers:-
1. 20% of this elite sports group of people came from fee paying schools - heed the fact that this category of privileged individual covers a minute 3% of the total Scottish population of kids at any time!
2. 70% of this elite group came from state schools in wealthier areas of Scotland.
3. So the remaining 10% of this group covered opportunities for the biggest population of our up n coming new young talent in Scotland.
Conclusion: Equal opportunities for all is just a myth and it's clear that wealth plays a big part in monopolising these opps for a 'select few' who stand to 'climb up the achievement ladder' and reap a sponsorship benefit in front of others who prob could compete at the same level if given a proper chance and are encouraged to do so.
I suspect this 'imbalance' would be similarly revealed in England if such a research study was carried out. Is it fair and right? IMO absolutely not esp in a small country like Scotland where all our young kids should be given every chance to excel!!
RE: Wealth correlates with elite Scots sports participation.... - ritchiebaby - 04-01-2017
It was no surprise to me either, 0762, but there are other factors that should be taken into consideration, but unsurprisingly haven't. It's not all about money, but wealth does give the better schools an advantage.
In my experience of playing and coaching various sports, part of the problem is that the discipline involved in say, working hard to improve your performance or even something as simple as pride in wearing a uniform, was readily learned by those who had already been taught that at school. When I was involved at my local athletics club, at least a third of the parents used us as a "baby-sitting" service. They weren't interested and their kids weren't interested. In general, all children do have equal opportunities when they start their education, but some do well and some don't and it's more to do with attitude and parental support than anything else.
By the time our elite sportspeople gain their sponsorships they will have completed their primary education and I suspect many will have completed their secondary education. Sponsorship is given to those who show great promise in their chosen sport and self-discipline and commitment is already part of their mentality.
RE: Wealth correlates with elite Scots sports participation.... - St Charles Owl - 04-01-2017
I'm not sure it should come as a surprise to anyone. For starters the sports you mention are fairly exclusive and/or expensive sports in the first place, I am sure it costs a lot of money for any kid to be into sailing, shooting or rowing if its not provided at the school you attend. And lets not forget that the schools that still have sports programs and the facilities to match tend to be the better funded ones, either through tuition fees, state money or their money raising efforts/abilities. But even all that would not stop these sports being "exclusive", even if a 10 year old kid shows ability and desire for a particular sport, if he/she is ever to reach the required level that these grants are given out, they would need to join a club or a travelling team or some higher level training set up to be able to push on to these heights, and that again costs money for the parents. Unfortunately these sort of expenses for these non-professional sports are not high up the list of most working class families!! If their kid shows any ability then the parents are likely to push them towards sports that are easy to access, cost far less to participate and have the potential to earn money doing them in some form of professional capacity, hence the working class nature of football with regards to academies.
Take Andy Murray, he would not be where he is now without his parents having the ability to fund him during his childhood and in the end to move him abroad to enable him to play more. That opportunity is simply not viable for most working families.
RE: Wealth correlates with elite Scots sports participation.... - 0762 - 04-01-2017
Good comments and I'd also emphasise that one's alma mater is important in engendering a certain discipline and commitment to achieve something 'special' at a fairly young age. Effectively facilitating multi sports is massive in potentially creating the proper conditions that will nurture young sports enthusiasts. Parents, and possibly even grand parents or dedicated relatives, do indeed play a big part in guiding a talented child in the right direction but there are other 'role models' who I regard as invaluable and important during that journey towards notable success in sport. Many of these people/role models are located within a very good educational system/in reputable schools but they are not available 'across the board'! Hence the modern term of a 'postcode lottery' when it comes to finding a great school that can nurture a talented child in either intellect, sporting achievement or possibly both attributes and we've discovered that some ambitious parents would almost 'kill' to gain that opportunity for their offspring. Fraudulent access is another ploy that is occasionally used! I'm sure there are many kids in Scotland who are lost to an educational system that is not as good as it should be in an 'all round sense'! However, the Scottish govt, and particularly Nicola Sturgeon, recognises the imbalance and is at least trying to redress this problem of privilege v the provision of a good all round education for all our kids and not just for the privileged 'few' who are indeed reaping certain benefits (incl eventual plum job opps!) that are made available to them compared with lesser privileged youngsters. I'd also add that athletics, cycling and swimming are not 'expensive sports' compared with certain other ones and a good proportion of the 700+ participants covered these sports.
RE: Wealth correlates with elite Scots sports participation.... - St Charles Owl - 04-01-2017
To be fair 0762, any sport that a kid does that requires coaching above normal levels ends up costing a lot of money for the parents. Whether it be equipment, time, travel, dues, hotels for tournaments etc etc. The commitment required from parents to get their kid into the right coaching for them to progress to regional level let alone national and international level is not just about the money, its really about time and simple ability to devote that time.
I am all for government trying to ensure that all kids have access to activities but in the past this has generally resulted in dumbing down the good schools and slightly raising the bad schools, therefore closing the gap but effectively diminishing the competitiveness of the sport as a whole and in the process penalizing those schools that are doing a good job. Schools also end up being able to offer the mass sports only, so a lot of the Olympic sports will never get taught at state schools, simply because of the money and expertise required to effectively coach a sport such as sailing. I would hazard a guess that there are virtually no schools, public or private that offer sailing as part of their sports curriculum, I am sure these athletes tend to come from families that are in to sailing to start with or have the resources for their kid to join a club outside of school and develop that interest, and I would imagine that is the case with a lot of sports.
At the end of the day, I think the public schools responsibility is to keep all children active by making PE mandatory, preferably on a daily basis, its not the responsibility of schools to create future Andy Murray's or Ben Ainsleys. If a kid shows aptitude then if that is a sport that the school has a team that plays competitively, then fine they can progress to that, but beyond that it will inevitably be a private institution that develops that kid to the levels required to be an Olympian. Unless the general public are prepared to pay much higher taxes to fund programs for more sports in schools than I don't see this changing.
RE: Wealth correlates with elite Scots sports participation.... - 0762 - 04-01-2017
I must add that I recently listened to a bbc Scotland radio programme that debated the two tier education system and the known imbalance in attainment and opportunities. It was absolutely refreshing to listen to the views/opinions of the likes of Scandinavian and Dutch contributors who were genuinely astounded to hear that we live in such a small country that still tolerates a two tier ed system with clear benefits for a minority group of people rather than embracing the majority of kids with our educational provision and enhancing it to a quality standard for all! The inadequacy and unfairness of the status quo are so obvious to people who have experienced a proper ed provision within the boundaries of their own resident countries and are naturally astounded.
RE: Wealth correlates with elite Scots sports participation.... - St Charles Owl - 05-01-2017
Other interesting and relevant questions that I would like to have seen asked in this survey are when and where they first started playing the sport they are in? Was it even through the school they attended as a kid? Was it something their parents did or encouraged them to do?
So few sports are actually offered by any schools these days. Look at gymnastics, that is all done through private clubs that the young kids go to initially for fun and then if they show aptitude they go further. I am not aware of any school teaching gymnastics aside from a few basic exercise moves. I am out of date with what schools do offer these days but I am sure its the likes of football, cricket and rugby more than most Olympic sports.
RE: Wealth correlates with elite Scots sports participation.... - 0762 - 05-01-2017
In the case of gymnastics, it is provided 'down the road' at my local state secondary school in north Edinburgh. The only reason why I know this as fact is because exhibition displays were performed by teenage pupils, predominantly female, at an autumn fete. They were impressive and clearly well trained!