Young sporting leaders learn together in Lancaster

The University of Cumbria has hosted a special Young Leader’s Day on its Lancaster campus for sports leaders from all three tiers of education: primary, secondary and tertiary. 

First-year students on the university’s BA (Hons) Sport, Coaching and Physical Education programme acted as mentors to 10 female high school young leaders as part of a nationally funded Youth Sport Trust Leadership, Coaching & Volunteering Programme (LCV). 

They worked to devise a range of sports activities for the 40 primary school leaders from five different schools who joined them for an afternoon.   

Steven Jamieson, School Games Organiser, Lancaster and Heysham School Sports Network, said: “The aim of the day was to integrate the three tiers of education to enable the primary school leaders to go away with a package of fun sports ideas they can go on to deliver to their peers in the PE and sport sessions at primary school. 

“In the meantime, the university and secondary leaders benefitted from working together. Whilst university students passed on knowledge and practical experience to their high school peers, they gained valuable mentoring experience. The high school leaders are hopefully inspired to go on to pursue their leadership ambitions via a university degree course, whilst gaining useful insight themselves into leadership issues and gaining confidence in delivering sports activities to the younger age group.” 

The day began with five ‘bite size’ leadership presentations led by the university students, followed by the collaborative practical session designing activities.  

Following a well-deserved lunch break in The View restaurant on the university’s Bowerham Road campus, the primary school leaders participated in a carousel of four different activity stations with each one promoting inclusion and challenge. 

University of Cumbria senior lecturer Mark Christie, leader for the Introduction to Sport Development module, said: “It’s great to have this opportunity for our students, but also to see them working so effectively and enthusiastically with the girls from the high schools, and the primary school pupils being so engaged in the later session.  

“It builds confidence, a range of key employability skills, and valuable hands-on experience that will boost their CV – another example of why our sport graduates are so highly rated in industry.” 

Tim Fletcher, School Games Organiser for the Lancaster & Heysham School Sports Network, added: “The Secondary Sports Leaders from the North Lancashire/South Cumbria Leadership, Coaching & Volunteering (LCV) Programme had a fantastic time collaborating with the University of Cumbria Year 1 sports students, delivering another successful Primary Sports Leadership Conference to over 40 Primary Sports Leaders.  The LCV Programme invites the best 15–17-year-old girls from secondary schools and colleges in the area to enhance their leadership skills via a series of focussed days.  

“This was a great way to kick off this year’s programme.  The leaders gained some valuable knowledge and experience in delivering sports activities to the primary sport leaders, so they could go back to their primary schools and deliver lunchtime activities for their peers.  We are very lucky to have these positive relationships with the University of Cumbria, they provide students of all ages with amazing opportunities.”