Sports Leaders UK is a charity working with over 2000 organisations and 90,000 young people every year across the UK to upskill them through formally recognised leadership Qualifications and Awards.

Sports Leaders UK courses change lives, sometimes even save lives. The range of awards and qualifications equips people with the skills and motivation to create and run sporting activities in the community. More than that, having learned the skills, Sports Leaders then deliver community activities on a voluntary basis as part of the qualification.

Leadership academy status

Robert Smyth Academy was extremely proud to become the first school in Leicestershire to receive official Leadership Academy status and is a reward for the hard work undertaken by staff and the sports leaders at the school who work tirelessly throughout the year at different events. This status will raise the profile of sports leadership and the RSA sports leaders both locally and nationally.

Which Sports Leaders UK Awards and Qualifications do we offer?

  • Level 1 Qualification in Sports Leadership
  • Level 2 Qualification in Sports Leadership
  • Level 3 Qualification in Sports Leadership

Sports Leaders benefitting the local community

Sports leaders are regularly deployed to host family of schools events for up to 14 primary schools including a mini Olympics, key stage 1 Multi skills festivals, netball, basketball and uni hoc tournaments. RSA leaders also officiate at other local primary competitions such as cross country races, swimming gala’s, TAG rugby, cricket, football and netball competitions. RSA sports leaders assist primary school clubs and assist at a number of local sports clubs (including swimming, football, tennis, athletics, netball and cricket) in Market Harborough and the local villages. RSA leaders assist at local sporting events such as the sport relief runs. RSA leaders work with each primary as part of our sports ambassador programme where one student is linked to each school and helps create assemblies etc. RSA leaders have assisted at numerous SSP and CSP events.

RSA sports leaders have been chosen to speak at conferences and teacher meetings locally, regionally and nationally to provide ideas and give feedback. In 2012 RSA leaders assisted the organisation of a mass Olympic style event in the local town as part of 2012 celebrations. RSA leaders also spoke at the 2012 county sports ambassador conference. In addition to the above and their usual summer primary and high school events, students are tasked with organising their own events for students both at RSA and at local schools – these have ranged from football tournaments, Kwik cricket, Zumba, “Quidditch”, ultimate rounders, handball, Tag rugby, Extreme Dodgeball and Rock-it-ball and the Modern Heptathlon. Students are continually looking for different ways to engage with local schools and have been nominated for different awards as a result of their work. In 2015 as a result of ongoing hard work RSA was recognised in an event at the house of Lords as a national runner up for the Sports Leadership Academy of the year. Leadership remains at the centre of the work at RSA with a number of students involved from each year group.

Hours of volunteering

A vast number of students volunteer weekly with local sports clubs and students give up their time to assist primary school events, high school events and events at RSA. Students volunteer for after school and lunchtime events and will arrive in school at 7.30am on all day primary school events and competitions. In addition to working with the primaries a number of leaders have worked in inclusive settings with individuals with learning or physical difficulties and with older adults.

Inclusive courses

The sports leadership courses are open to all students within RSA. The level 1 qualification is open to all students in Year 8 and continues into Year 9, with the level 2 qualification starting in Year 10 and finishing in Year 11. The Level 3 qualification which receives UCAS points is undertaken in our sixth form and again is open to students who join RSA at this point.

In addition to the sports leadership courses we encourage students to undertake additional qualifications organised by sporting NGBs.

Extra information about RSA

Robert Smyth is an academy for 11-19 year olds and as such sports Leaders from all 3 qualifications and all ages work together to facilitate different events undertaking different roles. Students from the Level 3 qualification are currently supporting the teaching of the Level 1 course to pass on their knowledge and experience.

RSA sports leaders have recently achieved recognition for their outstanding commitment with a number of awards at the local SSP awards in sports leadership categories with current and former students winning numerous awards for their volunteering. Leaders have also been shortlisted and successful in the local sports awards. An RSA student was chosen to help open a Leicestershire Young Leaders conference and act as an ambassador on the East Midlands panel to judge Olympic torchbearers. This former student was also a 2012 torchbearer and won the 2012 Lord Lieutenant’s award in Leicestershire for volunteering in sport and the overall “young person of the year award!” Other sports leaders who have just left RSA acted as games makers and as assistants to the medal bearers in the Olympic Stadium and velodrome! Others have gone onto teaching, coaching or working in the sports industry. In 2018 we had leaders from all year groups supporting primary school events, with many delivering the events they had once participated in whilst at primary school.

Some student comments about why they enjoy undertaking the sports leadership awards and being involved in sports leadership.

“I like to see sport from a different perspective”
“It’s fun, I feel like I am doing good for the community, I like seeing sport from a different angle”
“I like to see children improve and enjoy themselves”
“The ‘warm fuzzy feeling’ that you are helping people and that those people look up to you and respect you”
“It is great giving something back”

Examples of enjoyable experiences whilst leading

“Teaching my new swimming class for 3 year olds for the first time in front of parents because it showed me I could do it, despite being ‘thrown in at the deep end’”
“At the Mini Olympics, we were doing the sprints and afterwards we adapted the activity to have hopping, wheelbarrow races and other fun races and the they all said they enjoyed it”
“Mini Olympics – one girl came up to me and said she loved my skipping session”
“Watching groups I coach grow and parents saying how much their children enjoy tennis (and meaning it!). I feel like I am respected for who I am”
“One of the children I coach at Athletics went on to come 2nd in the county 800m”