{"id":1040008996,"date":"2025-12-01T14:38:17","date_gmt":"2025-12-01T14:38:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/athleticsweekly.com\/?p=1040008996"},"modified":"2025-12-08T20:45:00","modified_gmt":"2025-12-08T20:45:00","slug":"steve-cram-and-steve-smith-help-search-for-the-next-generation-of-young-athletes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/athleticsweekly.com\/news\/steve-cram-and-steve-smith-help-search-for-the-next-generation-of-young-athletes-1040008996\/","title":{"rendered":"Steve Cram and Steve Smith help search for the next generation of young athletes"},"content":{"rendered":"

British Olympians are co-chairing a brain-storming group of athletes and coaches who aim to create a strategy to attract \u2013 and retain \u2013 young athletes in Britain.<\/p>\n

Words and phrases like 'recruitment and retention of young athletes' will be familiar and perhaps tired concepts to older athletes and coaches. But the quest to find new runners, jumpers and throwers is never-ending.<\/p>\n

In recent years and particularly since the pandemic, the number of youngsters who are taking up athletics and maintaining an interest into their late teens and 20s seems to be dwindling.<\/p>\n

So in order to combat this, supermiler Steve Cram and high jump legend Steve Smith have been quietly working behind the scenes in recent months as co-chairs of an independent selection of people called the Vision Group which is attempting to find some solutions to the problem in collaboration with the home country athletics associations in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.<\/p>

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Cram says: \"I know people will say 'we've been here before and I wasn't listened to'. So please don't have that attitude because that was a little bit 'me'.<\/p>\n

\"I thought 'really, do we have to go through this again?' But I care so much about our sport and I know that most of you are exactly the same and because of that I believe we should give this a bit of a shot.\"<\/p>\n

He adds: \"\"We've got a good group of people together who have come up with some thoughts and ideas. They might not be the solution but we need something to hang our hat on.\"<\/p>\n

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English Schools 2025 (Gary Mitchell)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As well as Cram and Smith, the group includes Olympic and world 400m champion Christine Ohuruogu, young Scottish sprinter Tammy Oshinowo, Loughborough Uni director of sport Louise Gear, Forte Talent CEO and former parkrun CEO Nick Pearson, ex-thrower and rugby league player Abi Ekoku, youth coach Gary Laybourne and masters sprinter and young athlete academy coach TJ Ossei.<\/p>

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The project has also tapped into some work done by a company called Sherbert Research, which has spoken to a number of teenagers who are either current athletes or have lapsed or are disinterested in athletics for whatever reason.<\/p>\n

The research has found the following barriers when it comes to youngsters getting involved in the sport:<\/p>\n

\u2022 Awareness: Many don\u2019t know how to get involved or feel athletics is only for the \u2018talented\u2019
\n\u2022 Perceptions: Seen as overly competitive and less fun or social than other sports
\n\u2022 Accessibility: Costs, travel, and unclear competition pathways limit participation
\n\u2022 Inclusion: Clubs and coaching experiences can feel inconsistent or unwelcoming
\n\u2022 Changing demographics: New audience needs and expectations aren\u2019t fully addressed<\/p>\n

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English Schools 2024 (Andy Cox)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Cram and Smith hope their group can identify what current and active teenage athletes need in order to stay committed to the sport. They also want to find out why 'lapsed athletes' left athletics and also why non-athletes have chosen other sports instead of athletics.<\/p>

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The research already has found out that for many young athletes it hasn't so much been a case of 'quitting' athletics but simply finding a 'better fit' or something they enjoyed more than athletics.<\/p>\n

They have also found that young people want athletics to feel:<\/p>\n

\u2022 More social, less solitary
\n\u2022 More flexible, less all-or-nothing
\n\u2022 More inclusive, less intimidating
\n\u2022 More fun but (still) serious when it matters<\/p>\n

Athletics has been described by youngsters in the research as intimidating and only for \u2018talented\u2019, or too serious and hard to access.<\/p>\n

Some early recommendations from the project include:<\/p>\n

Start with open doors<\/strong>
\n\u2022 Create low-pressure, visible entry points that feel welcoming \u2014 not selective or intimidating
\n\u2022 Re-think how, where and by whom children and teens first experience the sport<\/p>\n

Offer formats that flex with real life<\/strong>
\n\u2022 Build options that fit around exams, work and wellbeing
\n\u2022 Let teens step in and out without guilt and return when ready
\n\u2022 Support different levels of commitment, from casual enjoyment to serious progression<\/p>\n

Rethink what competition can be<\/strong>
\n\u2022 Design events with energy, music and shared moments, not just results
\n\u2022 Celebrate progress, resilience and effort, alongside elite achievement
\n\u2022 Give space for those chasing big goals, but don\u2019t let that be the only story<\/p>\n

Let young people help shape it<\/strong>
\n\u2022 Involve teens in co-creating formats, events and club culture
\n\u2022 Use vision groups to make sure the sport feels relevant, inclusive and worth returning to<\/p>\n

The group have also come up with six main principles so far, which are:<\/p>\n