Sportivate was a National Lottery-funded sports participation programme run by Sport England between 2011 and 2018 as part of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic legacy. It aimed to encourage young people - primarily aged 14–25, especially those who were inactive or not regularly involved in sport - to try new physical activities through 6–8 weeks of free or subsidised coaching. Delivered locally through County Sports Partnerships (now called Active Partnerships), the programme funded clubs, coaches, and community organisations to offer activities ranging from traditional sports such as tennis and boxing to newer activities like parkour and kayaking. Across its seven-year run, Sportivate engaged nearly one million participants nationwide, with strong female participation and a focus on long-term involvement by linking participants to local clubs and ongoing opportunities (Ikramullah et al., 2018; Sport Structures, 2018).
The following applied case study draws upon findings from Sportivate – Best Practice and Support: An Active Sussex Case Study (Sims & Crisp, 2015) to reflect upon the practical realities of youth sport delivery, coach support, and participant engagement within community sport settings. The original case study used a mixed methodology to evaluate the project, and determine many of the ‘best’ practices within the county of Sussex (circa 1.8 million population, South East England) throughout four quarters of the 2013–14 Sportivate programme for that region.
This applied case study is included in this book because of the richness of the qualitative data generated through the project, and the extent to which many of the findings remain directly applicable to contemporary coaching practice. In particular, the experiences and reflections of coaches, participants, and programme deliverers provide valuable insight into the practical challenges associated with sustaining participation, fostering engagement, and supporting positive developmental environments within youth sport.