Your face-to-face commitment to the programme will vary depending on which year group you are in but may vary from 1-2hrs per week. On top of this you may be invited into school for evening presentations or given additional tasks to do at home to track performance, well-being, or plan and prepare properly for competition. Your academic responsibilities will however always be the priority – this is non-negotiable.

• Developing relationships with sport specific coaches to individualise and enhance skill development / S+C plans.
• Developing and tracking progress of Individual Development Plans.
• Reviewing and adapting training programmes / training load (both technical/tactical and physical skills).
• Improved knowledge and advice about nutrition and hydration (pre/during/post training or competition).
• Developing understanding of injury prevention and rehabilitation.
• Mental skills training to improve preparation and in-competition performance, as well as dealing with setbacks / developing resilience.
• Target setting and tracking actions.
• Lifestyle support.
• Mental health and wellbeing support.
• The realities of a high-performance environment.

In theory, assuming expectations and commitments are maintained, the pathway will support athletes through until they leave school – hopefully on to the next stage of their sporting career.

There will be high expectations of the athletes on the pathway. High standards of behaviour, commitment to preparation and performance will be expected and closely monitored, and pupils involved in the pathway will be held accountable for their own progress and development. We wish to develop intrinsically motivated, disciplined, self-aware, self-organising, responsible athletes – so the emphasis will be on the athlete themselves to drive their growth.

Participants will be expected to be role models around the school for younger pupils and behaviours will be monitored and tracked closely. Pupils involved will be treated like performances athletes (with support) and will be expected to do the extra work required to accelerate their progress. 

Key expectations will be based around: 

- Commitment

- Taking Responsibility

- Detail & Accuracy

- Consistency

None. If pupils’ academic progress is being impeded by involvement in the pathway, then focus will need to return to academic studies. We will support athletes with managing their workload, but participants of the pathway will be expected to make positive choices towards their school academic commitments as well as sporting performance – this is non-negotiable.

This programme is for a select group of boys who demonstrate the necessary behaviours, attitude and desire to improve. Therefore, it will not be a big group and friends may miss out. However, should you be aiming to achieve your full potential, this should not be a factor and you will still be able to train with your teammates.

There will be opportunities each year for more applications to the programme. There may also be opportunities for exceptional athletes who are displaying performance behaviours to be invited to apply, if it is deemed appropriate by the ‘Head of Athlete Performance’. Any athletes unsuccessful in the past will be monitored and may re-apply, or be invited to re-apply at a later date.

The pathway aims to support athletes to raise the bar in terms of their development and participants will be supported to do this accordingly. For those athletes who do not live up to the required standards, they may be given a warning (including communication with parents) or asked to leave the programme to make room for someone else. 

Most definitely – if involvement in the pathway is too demanding, or no longer of interest, there is no problem someone leaving.

The support provided as part of the pathway will be mainly focussing on areas away from the technical or tactical areas of your sport. We are also hopeful that the detail we are able to go into, will surpass anything provided at club or regional level sport. In addition, we will look to link in with your academy/representative coaches where possible, to provide the most appropriate input for you. You will also be given one to one mentoring and advice on aspects outside your sport, such as the realities of life as a professional/high performance sportsman.

You will gain coaching and mentoring support from staff who have experience working in performance environments and know what it takes to make it to the top. The benefits of your involvement in the pathway will be knowledge, experience and improvement in your holistic skills which will set you up for a potential future in high performance sport.

Click here for a link to details about the application process.