Maintaining the Aspirational Pathway
Enthusiasm for team games is rampant amongst pre adolescents. In most independent schools, voluntary Year Seven games practices will attract approximately 75% of pupils. The challenge is to cope with large numbers, and yet still produce competitive teams. A significant minority of schools forbid some pupils from attending "squad" practices, through processes of selection (and rejection) of ruthless efficiency. The less able and experienced cannot be allowed to consume resources that undermine the chances of the most able enjoying victory in school matches.
Those same schools engage between 10 and 33% of Sixth Formers in team games. Every school has fewer teams in older year groups, and accepts the inevitability of this. But the level of variance is enormous. Some girls schools dwindle to engagement rates of 5-10%. They start with a pitchful of enthusiastic girls, and seven years late struggle to field a Netball VII
The science of talent identification is spectacularly imprecise. Predicting future sporting ability from current performance is challenging at all levels of sport, but across physical maturation, its record of success is poor. This argues a strong case for maintaining the Aspirational Pathway for as long as possible. This involves making opportunity available (and encouraging it to be taken up) to pupils of all abilities through the crucial dropout years as adolescence takes hold. The opportunity consists of equal access to coaching, competition and encouragement regardless of ability.
The opposite is the Matthew Effect. To those who have everything, more is given: those who have less, get less. It becomes impossible for later developers to catch up. School teams and the opportunities they present become self fulfilling prophesies and change little from year to year. Lists of teams are passed on from year to year. The aspirants become disenchanted and drift away. The massive majority of sporting enthusiasts dwindles to a minority.
What causes this? Research suggests that the factors which cause disengagement from team games are:
- Unequal competitive opportunity. The biggest driver of involvement in team games is playing competitive matches. However, the most able teams get more games, and more emphasis. And bigger competitions, and greater kudos in the organisation. Those relegated to bit part roles, or infrequent matches disappear
- Undervalue. The way in which practices are conducted, and players treated, makes the values of a team culture clear. The more unequal this is, the quicker the players exit.
- Favouritism. It is easy for the athletic kids and the early maturers to find favour with the coaches. Occasionally, different rules will apply to them regarding required commitment and behavioural standards. They are referred to by nicknames. The athletic staff identify easily with the athletic children and the others perceive a clique to which they don't readily belong.
- Aggressive coaching. "The coach shouts at me" is the most frequent factor cited for withdrawal from youth sport
- "It's isn't fun". The fun evaporates in an environment that places undue emphasis on winning and is intolerant of player error
The longer the Aspirational Pathway is credibly maintained, the more "late bloomers" will come to the fore. One of the few things that talent researchers agree on is that mental qualities (determination, resilience, coachability) are important as predictors of high performance. At 11, selection is dominated by anthropological factors. But these are not reliable indicators of post maturation effectiveness. Creating a system in which late bloomers and the determined can thrive builds a bigger player base, and, ultimately influences the strength of the programme.
National Governing Bodies of Sport expend a lot of energy on player retention. They are given targets, and their government funding depends on meeting them. They create campaigns to make their sports appealing and engaging to performers of all ages, abilities and experience. Schools benefit from a captive audience and an established, visible culture of team games which are institutionally valued. The unintended consequence of this can be to focus on competitive performance ahead of player engagement. However, when compulsion fades, so does the player base.
If player retention was a specific goal of school sport - with targets for each sport and each year group agreed, and stated, in advance - maybe the Aspirational Pathway would remain open longer.