Joint Strategy for
Student Sport 2013-18
Photography by Paul Beard
at the University of Worcester
What is sport?
1. The Council of Europe’s Sport Charter states:
“Sport means all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised
participation, aim at expressing or improving physical fitness and mental well-being,
forming social relationships or obtaining results in competition at all levels.”
Purpose, vision, strategic
direction, values
2. Purpose
What is the purpose of sport at the University? Sport has a number of purposes at the University:
•
To improve the health and well-being of our students
•
To improve the student experience whilst at the University
•
To improve the reputation and standing of the University
through the performance of its elite sports teams
3. Vision
To be a provider of excellent and inclusive sports facilities and opportunities for students
that supports, drives and motivates individuals and teams in their aspiration for sporting
success, and promotes healthier lifestyles and greater participation in sport. The University
seeks to achieve a national and international reputation as a centre for disability sport.
4. Strategic Direction
The University of Worcester aims to be an outstanding university at which
to be a student. A key component in this aspiration is the provision of high
quality, successful and popular sports and physical activity.
•
Sport provides the ideal activity to engage and inspire those people motivated by competition
•
Sport and physical activity create fit and healthy members of the University
community who are better able to cope with the stresses of University life
•
Sport provides social contact with others within the University community in a fun, relaxed,
healthy environment and promotes cohesion, community and shared experience
5. Values
Sport at Worcester will be informed by the same values that apply to all student activities.
i.
Strategic direction and leadership is in the hands of the student
population and the wider University community
ii.
Sport at Worcester aims to be diverse and inclusive, attracting
engagement from all sections of the University population
iii. Sport at Worcester aims to inspire students to reach their full potential
iv. Sport at Worcester seeks to promote high standards of ethical and professional behaviour
v.
Sport at Worcester encourages active engagement and partnership
Aims and objectives in key areas
6. Facilities and Resources
•
Build upon current capacity to establish first class facilities consistent with the
University’s objective to be an internationally recognised centre of excellence in sport
•
All facilities to be DDA compliant and accessible to students with a disability
•
Provide high quality facilities at all sites to enable easy and
regular use by students of the University
7. Participation
•
To improve levels of participation in sport and physical activity by
better understanding the needs of the student population
•
To identify barriers to participation and to strive to overcome them
•
To improve the way in which sports clubs are administered and delivered, maximising
their potential to provide an extensive range of sports participation opportunities
•
Engage more closely with community sporting groups and teams, to
provide enhanced opportunities for our students to participate
•
To achieve within five years a 65% participation rate by students in sport and physical activity
8. Performance
•
To raise performance and achievement with outstanding
sporting success for individuals and teams
•
To finish within the top 50 universities in the BUCS points table
within three years and the top 30 within five years
•
To win three of the leagues, cups or competitions that it enters each year
•
To develop the ability of its elite athletes, encouraging them to reach the very best
of their potential, in competitions within and outside university competitions
•
To establish a core of sports that can most effectively use
resources to achieve high performance
•
To provide excellent coaching services to maximise the sports training experience
We aim to be “excellent” in as many individual sports as possible. We define “excellence”
as participating in BUCS at Premier or 1A levels. Individuals and teams will be assigned by
the Sports Development Board to one of two categories: development or performance.
The Board will review the list of sports in each category on a regular basis.
9. Health and Well-being
The strategic lead for this strand will be provided by the University’s Director of Health
and Well-being and we will work closely together to deliver shared objectives. Sport
should support and promote the University’s Health and Well-being agenda.
10.Disabled Sport
The University aims to be recognised nationally and internationally as a centre of excellence
in Disability Sport. The University Arena, a facility that has been designed specifically
to accommodate the needs of wheelchair athletes, provides a focus for our work in this
area. The University’s Institute of Sport and Exercise Science has a national reputation
in Disability Sports, and provides a focus for teaching, research and coaching around the
theme of disability in sport. The Students’ Union
is championing disabled sport within BUCS.
11.Community
•
Our aim is to engage with the local community through
effective partnerships and for community use of our
facilities to dovetail with student priority uses
•
We will establish positive links with local
community groups and sports organisations
•
To ensure that the community use of facilities
promotes the overall support of the local
population for the University and its students
12.Management
The University, through an integrated managed model,
will ensure high performance and the efficient use of
resources – physical, financial and human. We will seek to:
•
Optimise the various funding streams (the
Students’ Union grant, Sports and Recreation
income, the University’s contribution for
student sport to the Institute of Sport and
Exercise Science) to increase efficiency
•
Bring all sports under a single structure
The Sports Development Board will be responsible for
the strategic direction of Sport at Worcester and monitor
performance against strategy. It will receive regular
reports by the individual organisations, commenting
vigorously on the operation, resource allocation and
performance of all aspects of Sport at Worcester. The
operational delivery of the strategy will be delivered
through a partnership between the Students’ Union
and the Institute of Sport and Exercise Science.
www.worcester.ac.uk/your-home/sport-at-worcester