Sports development officers fall into two main types: generic and sports specific. Generic sports development officer's deal with the development of sport generally, usually within a defined area and for a specific population group

AS and A Level Physical Education (Sport & Coaching)

Role of local authorities

Sports development is ‘enabling people to learn basic movement skills, knowledge and understanding; developing a positive attitude to physical activity. ‘ (Anon)

Sports development tries to ensure that all people should have the opportunity to receive physical education and the opportunity to acquire basic sports skills make sure that sport is taken part in a safe and healthy environment and in co-operation with the appropriate sports organisations. Sports development also tries to help people with the ability to have the opportunity to improve their performances and reach levels of personal achievement and/or publicly recognised levels of excellence.

Sports development officers fall into two main types: generic and sports specific. Generic sports development officer’s deal with the development of sport generally, usually within a defined area and for a specific population group. Sports specific officers deal with the development of one particular sport or a group of related sports. Whether generic or sports specific, a sports development officer's work involves formulating policies and strategies with a view to increasing and maintaining participation and improving standards of performance. This work may be done at local, regional, national, European and even international level and will involve working closely in partnership with other key organisations. Local authorities are employing an increasing number of sports development officers. Sports development officers are also employed by the governing bodies of sport to develop their specific sports and also by national sports organisations, such as sports England, to develop sport at this level. There are no specific qualifications required for entry into sports development work. Sports development officers come from a variety of backgrounds such as professional sport, coaching, and PE teaching and leisure management.

A detailed knowledge of sport or a range of sports, excellent communication skills and the ability to build good working relationships with client groups and other partners is required.

The institute of sport and recreation management is a local authority, it was formed in 1921 and its main focus at that point was public health. They provide professional qualifications for those who deliver sport in the UK.

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A detailed knowledge of sport or a range of sports, excellent communication skills and the ability to build good working relationships with client groups and other partners is required.

Local authorities are the major provider in sport they spend billions of pounds on sport facilities such as swimming pools; pitches for rugby, football and cricket and education. Sports development tries to improve the participation, and promote sport. There are many community sport clubs set up over the country and many people doing voluntary work to try to help this. Local authorities have an impact on sports as they are trying to raise the standards of sports and sports education in schools. Improving the quality lives of young children and the elderly, building safer and stronger communities. Making healthier communities and lifestyles. Improves transport as sport and physical activity helps local transport by promoting walking and cycling. Sports development also tries to improve developing sports within inner cities.

There are many reasons for sports development here is a couple of examples:

Health Objectives- tries to set up an activity or programme aimed at a set of people who are risk of ill health. The facilities may be aimed at people at different stages such as: improving fitness after an operation or illness, continuing healthy exercise, promoting all-round health and exercise. Etc. These programmes can be aimed at different target groups and age groups.
Development objectives – these types of objectives is to promote personal or community development. A sports development programme to help boost less popular activities or boost the esteem for young people can do this.

Local authorities are key delivers of sports development programmes with a range of objectives. This means they must be inventive in the methods they use to achieve standards and targets.

There are many objectives for sports development programmes run by local authorities, so there must me many methods to achieve the goals set. Enabling is an example of a method. Enabling means helping but not necessarily funding or staffing. Local authorities may supply facilities such as a pitch or a hall. Various methods can be used for enabling:

Enabling groups – teams maybe formed or hoping to form, but lack structure or location.
Enabling individuals- athletes may need help with training.
Empowerment- may create a club, group or team to play a sport, and after input the sport development unit will ensure that it runs by itself.

Funding is also a method. All the funding bodies for sports have an application procedure, which sets out conditions and criteria. The money must be used to:

Promote the public good
Equal access must be guaranteed
The project must be financially viable
The project must be sensitive to the needs of the environment.

Target groups relate to methods of the local authorities and reasons for sports development as the reasons for sports development can be categorised by different objectives for example health objectives can target exercise for people who are recovering from an illness or operation. Sports development try to aim at most target groups to achieve their goals within sport. The methods also have different target groups for example funding, there are different levels of funding, those who are world class and are funded to play in competitions and those who have a potential talent.

Sport is very powerful as it reduces crime level, sport helps reduce anti-social behaviour, and sport is effective and can help shape individuals and communities. Sport has an economic value locally, regionally and nationally. Sports has an environment value to the green spaces where people join together and play sports games such as football, and our treasured sports buildings.

The Humber Youth Games is an integrated part of . It is a celebration of sport in the format of a competition in the various sports between the 4 local authorities of Hull, East Riding, North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire. The Humber youth games is successful as it is advertised and has a variety of sports played. Over 900 children compete in this competition. The Humber youth games are not just a competition but are there for enjoyment. The Humber Youth Games, the area's largest sporting event for youngsters aged 9 to 15, features competitions in nine sports. Youngsters can compete in competitions held in athletics, moderate learning difficulty athletics, basketball, hockey, netball, high-five netball, rugby league, rugby union and tennis. The Humber youth games are aimed at all youngsters.

The Humber youth’s games goal is to make sport exciting for everyone by encouraging young people to take up sport in school and maintain an active and healthy lifestyle throughout adulthood.

The Humber youth game is achieving this as there are many people participating and is advertised in schools and newspapers. The Humber youth games are successful year in year out and seem a great day for young people who wish to participate and give sport a go!