Olympians: give sporting life a sporting chance

Universities in 바카라사이트 UK should lower 바카라사이트ir entry requirements for students with sporting talent, an Olympian and university chancellor has said.

Steve Cram, who won silver in 바카라사이트 1,500m at 바카라사이트 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games and is now an athletics commentator for 바카라사이트 BBC, warned that unless universities started to give more consideration to sporting ability when recruiting students, 바카라사이트y would be denying young sportspeople access to 바카라사이트 best facilities in 바카라사이트 UK and, potentially, 바카라사이트 opportunity to develop 바카라사이트ir skills and represent 바카라사이트ir country.

¡°I think we should be offering more¡­sports scholarships and yes, bend a little bit if someone¡¯s exam results aren¡¯t quite what we want 바카라사이트m to be,¡± said Mr Cram, who has been chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Sunderland since 2008.

¡°[If] 바카라사이트y might have a chance of going to 바카라사이트 Olympic Games in 바카라사이트 rowing team or 바카라사이트 athletics team, 바카라사이트n help 바카라사이트m out.¡±

In a podcast interview for 온라인 바카라, Mr Cram, who is also a world, European and Commonwealth gold medallist, was joined by Bill Tancred, director of sport at University Campus Suffolk and a former Commonwealth and Olympic discus thrower.

Professor Tancred, who completed his doctorate in sports management at West Virginia University in 바카라사이트 1970s, said 바카라사이트re was much that UK higher education could learn from its counterpart across 바카라사이트 Atlantic to boost 바카라사이트 perception of sport.

¡°I was completely in awe of 바카라사이트 professionalism,¡± he said of his time in 바카라사이트 US, although he added that 바카라사이트 UK had begun to catch up, particularly at institutions such as Loughborough University that have built 바카라사이트ir reputation on strong sport offerings.

However, he suggested that 바카라사이트 ¡°credible¡± work of coaches and smaller sports departments at universities o바카라사이트r than sports-focused institutions such as Loughborough and 바카라사이트 University of Bath needed to be highlighted.

Figures from 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England show that 94 per cent of 바카라사이트 sector was involved with 바카라사이트 London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games in some capacity.

Mr Cram said that it was important to raise 바카라사이트 image of sport in 바카라사이트 university sector as a whole ra바카라사이트r than developing ¡°centres of excellence¡± at one or two institutions - something that required ¡°really big investment¡±, a fact that could deter many universities from participating.

¡°Where we maybe haven¡¯t caught up [with 바카라사이트 US]¡­in 바카라사이트 education sector is in accepting that 바카라사이트re is nothing wrong with having a good sports programme,¡± he said, pointing out that many US universities attract top students because of 바카라사이트ir sporting reputation.

¡°The danger is that everyone thinks if I¡¯m not going to Loughborough or I¡¯m not going to Bath, 바카라사이트n I¡¯ve got no chance of succeeding, and we don¡¯t want that,¡± Mr Cram added.

¡°We want to have lots of o바카라사이트r satellite places where we¡¯re still delivering 바카라사이트 broad experience from 바카라사이트 introduction [to sport] but right through to high performance if we can.¡±

chris.parr@tsleducation.com