Empowering young people through sports

So far 2024’s blistering summer of sport has delivered a nail-biting Euros tournament, the intense drama of Wimbledon, and we’ve now launched into more than two weeks of extraordinary accomplishments (we hope!) from Team GB’s Olympians and Paralympian.

Yet while these exciting sporting events are likely to inspire many more young people to think about what they could achieve in sport, there is no guarantee simply watching the likes of Dina Asher-Smith or Jonnie Peacock will be enough to inspire the next generation to take part in sport themselves.

Despite the promised legacy the London 2012 Olympics would create, the reality is very different. The WHO recently reported that by the age of 15, just 11 per cent of girls and 16 per cent of boys in England did at least 60 minutes a day of moderate to vigorous physical activity – that includes things like cycling or brisk walking. Children from the least affluent families are less likely to engage in sports or be physically active. We also know a quarter of English children are obese by year six (25.5% according to the government’s National Child Measurement Programme). The poor health conditions and low self-esteem associated with lack of exercise are sadly thriving.

Sports can transform young people by increasing their self-confidence and building the skills necessary for adulthood. Skills like teamwork, decision-making, patience and persistence. We know sport can improve mood and boost well-being too. But for it to truly realise its potential for young people we need to ensure it can become part of the everyday for every young person. You don’t have to be an elite athlete to experience an endorphin rush that will make you feel better about yourself – half an hour on a basketball court could do that.

Of course, schools have a huge part to play in helping our nation’s young people get active. But the truth is, schools cannot be expected to tackle inactivity alone, simply through PE lessons. PE hours are being squeezed – they are down by a staggering 40,000 since 2012, a ‘threat to the wellbeing of young people’ according to the Youth Sport Trust.

Out-of-school activities offer an alternative but have also been declining. We know from our research at OnSide that 1.3m young people had to stop out-of-school activities in 2023 due to the cost-of-living crisis, with sports and fitness the most likely to be dropped. Heartbreakingly, young people told us much-loved clubs like football or gymnastics have had to be sacrificed in the cost-of-living crisis because parents can’t afford bus fares or petrol to get their kids there, let alone pay the subs. Community leisure centres have also been hit hard by the Covid pandemic and inflation; last year 74% of councils were at risk of seeing the closure of leisure centres or reduced services without Government support.

Thankfully, there is an untapped solution to this crucial issue that’s right in the heart of our communities – youth centres.

At OnSide we provide an enormous 120,000 hours of sport across our Network of 15 Youth Zones annually. We have a huge variety of sports available to young people with first-class facilities all supported by dedicated youth workers. On any day I see young people clambering up climbing walls, pushing themselves in the gym or gliding across our basketball courts. Beyond the sporting opportunities, Youth Zones offer the space to run around, play and have fun – so young people get active without necessarily needing to be into sport.

Any young person aged 8 to 19 is welcome (up to 25 with additional needs) and crucially it costs just 50p to enter. No uniforms are needed and there are no expectations of sporting brilliance – just a fun and relaxed atmosphere to get active, make new friends and discover your passion.

Take Coco, aged 17 from Unitas, Barnet Youth Zone. Coco took up boxing at the Youth Zone, which is now a huge part of her life, giving her focus and ambition. Coco’s also in better shape and feeling healthier and happier. She shared “Unitas feels like a community – my community. I go as far as I can. It’s a place I can chill out, train hard and seek advice if I need it. I’ve got a lot more focus and I’m more ambitious because of Unitas. I’ve got a goal, and I want to get to the top. Unitas has given me a FIRE to be great.”

There will be a small number of young people watching the TV this summer who will go on to win gold medals and play for their country. But if councils, businesses and philanthropists come together to invest in the youth sector we will empower a far greater number to, like Coco, improve their mental and physical health and learn skills. No greater investment could be made to secure the future of our country. Who knows, Coco could be the next Cindy Ngamba, the former Bolton Lads & Girls Club member featured this week in The Independent for her success at this year’s Paris Olympics.