Step into Sport
The purpose of the Step into Sport programme is to increase the quantity, quality and diversity of young people engaged in leadership and volunteering.
The Step into Sport (SIS) programme targets young people aged 11 to 19 who are within the school system. The programme provides coordinated opportunities for young people to engage in leadership and volunteering roles both within their schools and the local community. They are provided with training and development opportunities and support from their school, School Sports Partnership (SSP), and County Sports Partnership (CSP).
What is involved?
SIS is based around a defined pathway for leadership and volunteering in school and community settings. The Step into Sport Pathway includes generic leadership courses such as Sports Leaders Uk level 1 and 2, as well as sport specific leadership courses. Young people are trained as leaders and supported through school and then community volunteering.
Young leaders are encouraged to find volunteering opportunities within their school or community and to work towards 50, 100 and 200 hours of volunteering in order to earn their school or community Bronze, Silver and Gold Step into Sport Volunteering Awards.
A new part of the pathway is the Leadership Academy. Each SSP will have a Leadership Academy which will provide additional training and support to outstanding and committed leaders (14-19).
What is a Leadership Academy?
A Leadership Academy provides additional regular support for outstanding leaders aged 14-19. Delivered by the SSP's, the format of the academies may vary but the principal aims are:
- Signpost to or deliver appropriate qualifications
- Provide opportunities for peer-to-peer learning
- Share volunteer opportunities with young people and support them into these placements
- Provide mentoring support to young leaders
- Celebrate and reward the contribution of young leaders
Who is involved in Step into Sport?
On a national level, Step into Sport is managed jointly by the Youth Sport Trust and Sport England, with support from Sports Leaders UK, and is delivered through the SSP network.
Various other organisations and networks are involved and these help to create a clear pathway for young people, including:
- County Sports Partnerships
- National Governing Bodies of Sport (eg. The FA or England Gymnastics)
- Local Authority Sports Development Units
- Local Volunteer Centres
- Community Sports Clubs
What does a Step into Sport Volunteer do?
A Step into Sport volunteer can be anyone aged 11 - 19 years who is at school. All you need is an interest in sport and leadership and plenty of enthusiasm.
As a Step into Sport volunteer you will be helped to find volunteer placements either at your school or within the local community at a sports club.
Once you have your placement you will work towards achieving 50, 100 and 200 hours either in school or in the community in order to achieve your bronze, silver and gold Step into Sport awards.
Step into Sport Volunteering Hours
School Volunteering
All volunteering hours that take place within a school setting are counted as school volunteering hours. These can include:
- Helping out in lessons
- Assisting at your local primary school
- Lunch-time clubs
- After-school clubs
- Intra-school competitions
Community Volunteering
Any volunteering that is done outside the school setting is counted as community volunteering. This could be anything from coaching or refereeing at your local club to taking photos of an event or helping design a club website.
- Local sports club
- Youth clubs
- Scouts or guides
- Duke of Edinburgh
- Inter-schol competitions
- Sport Unlimited activities (these may be run at you school - you will need to ask your PE teacher)
What types of volunteering can I do?
When people think of volunteering in sport the usually think of sports coaching and while this is one of the common areas of volunteering, there are a wide range of other opportunities including:
- Umpiring or refereeing
- Administration
- Developing or improving a clubs website
- Marketing and publicity
- Event volunteering
- Organising or assiting at competitions
This year a number of volunteers have helped out at their local club by taking photo's and writing match day reports, others have helped design club uniforms, created new websites or organised events. As long as its related to sport and voluntary, you can count it!
Volunteer Passport
Youth Sport Trust have launched the new online passport for active volunteers. Students will now be able to log and manage their volunteering online with the Youth Sport Trust. To register onto the programme students will need to obtain the school voucher code from their school mentor. This will allow them to register onto the SiS volunteer passport and enable them to record your volunteering hours and work towards their award.
The SiS Volunteer Passport can be accessed through the YST website at http://sisvp.youthsporttrust.org/sisvp/
Please click on this User Guide for details of how to use the Volunteer Passport for PDMs, SiS mentors, Volunteer Coordinators and students.
For a case study relating to a Step into Sport Volunteer's experience, please click on the link below
How do I get involved?
If you are interested in Step into Sport and would like to be a volunteer, speak to your PE teacher or Head of PE and ask them to find out about Step into Sport for you. Alternatively you can speak to your School Sports Coordinator.
Alternatively please feel free to contact;
Chris Turner
Club Development Manager
01785 619681
cturner@staffordbc.gov.uk
