Review of School Sport Competition in Leicestershire

Prospects4Sport have been commissioned to examine and review the role of the LSSF and the place of SSAs in delivering school sport.

With the development of School Sports Partnerships, County Sports Partnerships and a new National Competitions Framework, the place of school sport and the role of the traditional School Sports Associations (SSAs) has become increasingly unclear.

The Leicestershire School Sports Federation (LSSF), established in 1997 as an umbrella organisation for the range of individual SSAs in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland, realised that recent changes resulted in the need for a review and a new way forward.

Our work involved answering key questions:

• is there a legitimate role for the LSSF?
• how do SSAs and the LSSF fit within the new national framework for competition?
• what are the key challenges which need to be tackled?
• what, where, how, when, and for whom should the LSSF operate?... and why?

The project helped the LSSF, the CSP and others to achieve the following impact on children and sporting structures:

• create a clear pathway through competition and link this to Long Term Athlete Development(LTAD)
• provide quality coaching and support
• ensure recognition and support for talented performers
• result in more participation and improved performance