Sports Development in the United Kingdom - Coursework Example

SPORTS DEVELOPMENT By Sports Development Introduction Sports in the United Kingdom played a very crucial role, and as such, took a center stage in the development of policies by most governments to safeguard and promote sporting activities in the country. The United Kingdom produces some of the most elite sports men and women in the world, who participate in various field events and games. In fact, the United Kingdom hosts one of the most celebrated football leagues in the world, the Barclays Premier League, which commands following and fan base support from the entire globe (Barker 2004, p.25). This is all thanks to the right policies set up by government leaders while in office to promote and safeguard sports as an equal and able employer in the country. The leadership of the country, under various prime ministers, opted to adopt and promote various sports policies that would promote and enhance sports development in the country over the years (Houlihan & White 2003, p.192). Tony Blair and David Cameron are the two bigwig leaders of the country, who during their time at the helm of office as the Prime ministers of the United Kingdom came up with different sports policies to develop the sporting sector of the country. The effective implementation of these polices ensured growth and development of sports, especially with government support, from the grassroots all the way t the national level. As such, the United Kingdom continues to shine owing to the sound policies adopted by its leaders to promote and safeguard sporting activities within the country (Blovce & Smith 2009, p.189). Some of the common sports polices designed by these leaders include the school sport and P.E policy, and the policy that interlinks sporting activities and elite performance. Prime Minister A (Tony Blair Labour Government) Tony Blair is one of the elite leaders of the United Kingdom, and was in government for over 24 years, where he started as a representative and ended as a prime minister from 1983 to 2007. However, his most influential years were when he was in power as the British Prime Minister from 1997 to 2007, before his candid resignation and passing on the mantle of leadership to Gordon Brown (Coe 2012, p.55). As a Labour Party Leader, Tony Blair developed several sports policies in order to promote sporting activities throughout the country. Blair’s government had a firm stand on sports and wanted to expand and improve the nature of sporting activities in the country. As such, he and his government came up with a new policy known as the P.E and School Sports Policy, as well as, the elite performance and sports linkage policy The P.E and school sports policy received tremendous backing from the prime minister and other government officials because it targeted promotion of sporting activities right from the early ages of British children. This policy entailed promotion of sporting activities, especially in schools and other institutions of learning, coming up with interschool’s sporting competitions, and other sports related activities (Collins 2009, p.270). The main aim of this policy was to indentify the talents among school going children at the earliest stages and nurture them to professionalism as they grew up. This policy promoted the development of sports academies for various games and sports, whereby the youth and talented children would spend time and train from an early age in a sport or game that they were good at, such as athletics, swimming, football, or biking. This helps in sharpening the professional skills of a professional sportsman from an early age (Hunter 2012, p.18). In fact, many of the teams taking part in the Barclays Premier League have training academies whereby they identify young talents from across the country and train them specifically to play for their teams when they reached legal age, such as the Manchester United Football Academy. As such, the P.E and schools sports received proper funding from the government in order to promote sporting activities within the learning institutions, as well as, facilitate early identification of talent in the sporting arena (Dennis & Grix 2012, p.116). Consequently, the prime minister was very particular in the incorporation of sports in the learning curriculum of all schools in the country, through P.E lessons, be it a private or a public school. The Department of media, Culture and sports liaised with the line Department of Education through the implementation of this policy within schools and learning institutions The prime minister was so much into sports that he even set up a foundation under his name that provided and supported the growth of sporting activities in the country, and across the world, i.e. The Tony Blair Sports Foundation. The formation of this foundation was in line with the policy of elite performance linkages to sports. The prime minister argued that a sport promotes exemplary performance in many areas, especially for the case of the youth who actively took part in these games (Eksteen 2012, p.15). Prime Minister B (David Cameron Coalition Government) David Cameron is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, as well as, the leader of the coalition government formed by the two leading parties in the house. Just like his predecessors, David Cameron promotes sporting and related activities by setting up policies that promote and safeguard sports within the country. He also seconded two of the major sporting policies started by Tony Blair, which were the linkages between elite performance to sporting activities and the P.E and schools sports. By investing in these two policies, David Cameron promotes sports in the country, through the years, by identifying and nurturing talents when they are still young, especially through the schools sports and P.E policy (Hill 2007, p.76). The prime minister is very particular in promoting the Schools sports and P.E Policy, and this is evident through his steadfast commitment in allocating government funding to the program up to the year 2020 (Girginov 2009, p.245). This is a promise he made if the Conservative Party would take the lead in the next elections and take the majority seats in the House of Representatives. As such, the prime minister pledge a whopping sum of £150m on an annual basis to all primary schools as a funding for their sporting activities and P.E programs. This is partly in line with securing the legacy of the Olympic and Paralympics. This brings the sum for the wholes primary school sport at £750m for the next five years if the Conservative Party wins the next elections (Hylton 2013, p.118). Though many might misinterpret the true intentions of the prime mister on making such a pledge, for instance using it as a tool for political mileage, it is imperative to note that the prime minister is truly committed to supporting sports and its development in the country (Girginov 2012, p.184). He intends to support these young ones in providing them with the right facilities for sports training and management, as well as, providing the best tutors for these children in a variety of sports so that they may learn and advance their skills at an early age. This funding program to the schools sports and P.E from the government will ensure that each child participating in any sporting activity while at school gets £5, while each primary school receives £8,000 respectively. The basic factor behind the prime minister’s support for this program is because he wants to uphold the Olympics and the Paralympics legacy that the country has in relation to sports. This money goes directly to the head teachers of primary schools so that they can use it in carrying out the sporting legacy of the Olympics. In addition, the prime minister believes that sporting activities and P.E in schools promotes good health, as well as, keep the children fit and ready for their studies (Green & Houlihan 2005, p.116). There has been a rise in the reported cases of obesity among children in the united kingdom due to poor eating habits and lack of adequate exercises, as such, these sports activities for students while at school enables them to keep such medical health complications as sports provides them an opportunity to burn out excessive fats in their bodies. Consequently, the inclusion of sports and P.E in the learning curriculum of these children plays an important role in shaping their future as it cultivates in them a sense of achievement and confidence in them (Green & Houlihan 2008, p.45). The government supports firmly the inclusion of quality school sports into the education curriculum of these young minds because its benefits spread across and beyond the curriculum. For instance, sports promote confidence in these children at an early age, and their success in the field games or sports activities that they participate in brings about a pleasant sense of achievement. As such, this teaches the children on how to rise and face the challenges that life may pose towards them from an early edge, hence independence, as well as, nurture and promote their skills and character which always proves instrumental at some later day in life. In addition, sports helps these children keep fit and away from health related complication such as obesity (Hilton 2011, p.294). The prime minister also put across another policy to support the elite sporting tams within the country. This is a continuation of the government’s support to the best teams in the country in order for them to continue winning on global and national platforms, such as during Olympics and Paralympics, as well as, during the world cup (Holt 1989, p.247). The government seeks to promote its sports men and women success in the field and tracks as the joy of winning medals such as gold, bronze and silver during various competitions across the globe brings honor and respect to the country. As such, all sports management organizations, together with the related promoters and managers of each sporting event have an assured support from the government of adequate funding to participate and win in all their games or sporting events (Holmes & Steeh 1971, p.144). The sports persons who win gold and silver also get recognition from the government as part of honoring their good deed to the country and Queen; thereby promote sports in the country as a result. Compare and contrast both governments (Critical analysis similarities and differences) The Labour government under Tony Blair and the Coalition government under David Cameron have a lot in common in relation to sports polices and its development in the united kingdom. Both governments supported and promoted the same sporting polices in order to maintain the good name of the country, through the elite sports policy, as well as, cultivating a sporting culture from an early age, through the P.E and schools sports policy (Payne 2006, p.314). These governments provided adequate funding for these sporting activities with the sole goal of promoting and enhancing exemplary sporting activities within the country. In fact, both of these governments provided their full support and backing for both policies, which lead to their unanimous acceptance and approval in the House of Representatives. A good example of this was David Cameron’s pledge to give an extension of the schools sports and P.E funding for the next five years for primary schools (Stone 1988, p.401). Reference List Barker, R., 2004, BTEC National Sport: Sports Development and Fitness Options, Heinemann, London. Blovce, D. & Smith, A., 2009, Sports Development and Sports Policy in Society, Routledge, London. Coe, S., 2012, London 2012 Olympic Games: The Official Book, Carlton Books, Limited, London. Collins, M., 2009, Examining Sports Development, Routledge, London. Dennis, M. & Grix, J., 2012, Sport under Communism: Behind the East German Miracle, Palgrave Macmillan, New York. Eksteen, E., 2012, Sports Development, Law and Commercialization, Bookboon, London. Girginov, V., 2009, Management of Sports Development, Routledge, London. Girginov, V., 2012, Handbook of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympics Games: Volume One: Making the Games, Routledge, London. Green, M. & Houlihan, B., 2005, Elite Sport Development: Policy Learning and Political Priorities, Psychology Press, East Sussex. Green, M. & Houlihan, B., 2008, Comparative Elite Sport Development: Systems, Structures and Public Policy, Routledge, London. Hill, M., 2007, In Pursuit Of Excellence: A Student Guide to Elite Sports Development, Routledge, London. Hilton, C., 2011, Hitlers Olympics: The 1936 Berlin Olympic Games, History Press Limited, Abingdon. Holmes, J. & Steeh, J., 1971, Olympiad 1936: Blaze of Glory for Hitlers Reich, Ballantine Books, New York. Holt, R., 1989, Sport and the British: A Modern History, Oxford University Press, Oxford. Houlihan, B. & White, A., 2003, The Politics of Sports Development: Development of Sport or Development Through Sport? Routledge, London. Hunter, N., 2012, 2012 London Olympics, Heinemann Library, London. Hylton, K., 2013, Sports Development: Policy, Process and Practice, Third Edition, Routledge, London. Payne, M., 2006, Olympic Turnaround: How the Olympic Games Stepped back from the Brink of Extinction to Become the Worlds Best Known Brand, Greenwood Publishing Group, New York. Stone, D., 1988, Policy Paradox: The Art of Political Decision Making, W W Norton & Company Incorporated, New York. Read More