By Pat mcGarty (Head of Department of Business and Humanities at Institute of Technology Tralee)
Sport from foundation to elite levels plays a crucial role in the development of any society. In Ireland it has a special place from the smallest local community to the national and international stage when athletes bring a source of pride to followers.
Despite the fun it brings to all, most of our young elite athletes in all sports succeed despite any formal system of career and education programmes.
Customised scholarship schemes by certain third level colleges are one of the only means of assistance for athletes who see a career outside sport.Unfortunately this group is in the minority as most athletes do not see sport as having a short life span, and no room for education is ever in the minds of young athletes.
Research has consistently shown that athletes with a balanced lifestyle which is not completely sports focused are more likely to achieve personal and sporting goals and to cope with stresses that can be encountered on a periodic basis throughout their careers. The initiators of a more holistic balanced lifestyle philosophy were the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) whose balanced programme of Athlete Career and Education (ACE) programmes have contributed to the real success of the Australian athletes.
IS recognised as well as athletes acing the normal difficulty of making he transition from sport to mainstream areers, many of them face difficulties n facilitating education alongside a ime-consuming sports career. As a esult most athletes are poorly prepared for life outside sport. The reasons are numerous but often the narrowly focused emphasis on sport by athletes themselves, clubs and governing bodies has hindered the development of a more holistic approach to the development of the person. A more wide long term strategic approach will enable all stakeholders to support a wider acceptance of thinking beyond sport, which will ironically maximise an athletes full, sporting potential.
At a time when Governing Bodies are cooperating on strategic infrastructural developments, there is also an urgent need to plan for a fully integrated career and education planning service for athletes. The game of soccer is the best example of the necessity for a structured ACE program. Soccer is littered with young athletes who leave our shores for England to pursue their dreams. Few make the grade and most return with their confidence sapped, and in some cases no real future career prospects.
Despite the existence of some technically excellent soccer courses set up by certain Eircom League Cubs in conjunction with FAS, there is an urgent need to review the learning outcomes of all schemes and provide an integrated response from clubs, governing bodies and accredited education providers. A model that permits an athlete for example to train with their clubs in the morning and attend college in the afternoon/ evening should be the aim of all stakeholders. The Qualifications (Education and Training Act, 1999) represents a new era for all learners in Ireland, since it formally established a national framework of qualifications ensuring recognition of all education and training qualifications on a national and international level.
This legislation caters for all academic abilities and ensures that procedures for access, transfer and progression are implemented locally and nationally, thus facilitating learners at all stages of life to continue education and training. Put simply, it caters for all athlete abilities ranging from Junior Certificate to entry to third level education. If we are to follow the example of many other countries in enhancing the personal and professional development of athletes by providing a nationally consistent career and education services, mindsets by many stakeholders will need to change. People in sport at all levels need to take a more responsible attitude in recognising a more developed approach
