Establishing School–Club links gives young people the opportunity to continue participating in worthwhile sporting and physical activity throughout their lives. It allows youngsters to make the most of their experiences in both settings, to try out new sports, feel comfortable in a club setting and as a result makes them more likely to continue participating once they leave school.
Schools and clubs can work together to promote local sporting opportunities much more effectively. Most communities do not know what clubs are in their area - personal contact is the best ways to promote your club. Posters are not enough! Also, youngsters are more likely to get involved if they know what they’re dealing with– if they have already seen club coaches in the familiar surrounding of their school they are more likely to attend the club! (as they already know the coach!)
The benefits of developing a school–club link
Creating partnerships between schools and clubs helps to create continuity between school sports and sport in the wider community. The hope is that they will now become increasingly more common.
Benefits for the school:
- Specialist coaching to complement and support the teaching programme
- Clear pathways/ exit routes for children to continue participating in sport outside of school
- Wider range of sports available for pupils
- Improved performance and sporting success
- Access to better facilities
- Increased potential for accessing other funding opportunities
- Increase in the number of school children keeping active, fit and healthy
- Contribute to a young person’s social and personal development
- Raise the school profile
- Positive sporting and community image
- Teacher support and mentoring.
Benefits for the club:
- Raise the club profile
- Boost junior membership
- Potential new income
- New opportunities for children to develop through ‘your’ sport
- Potential to share resources; equipment, facilities, coaching expertise
- Access to additional facilities
- Coach and Volunteer Development.
“...the sport offers numerous benefits to schools, both in relation to physical activity and other skills and curriculum development..."
As an example, orienteering is an ideal sport to take into schools. Mar Orienteering Club started as an after schools club and this acted as a catalyst for targeting other local schools.
Jonathan Musgrave (Vice-President) has been a club member for over 20 years. He recommends developing school club links to other Orienteering clubs. “The sport offers numerous benefits to schools, both in relation to physical activity and other skills and curriculum development such as geography and numeracy. For this reason, teachers are often keen to get involved.”
Read more about Mar Orienteering Club in the case study that can be downloaded from the "Documents" section in the right hand panel.
