Forty youngsters from four colleges and academies in London have been chosen to take part in a national sports scheme project. 

The ‘TASS Potential’ programme has been created by the Sport England-funded Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme (TASS) with the aim to recognise and develop talent in schools. 

In this project, TASS are partnering with King’s College London to offer a meaningful introduction to the support services that are part of a TASS Award through bespoke workshops for students aged 16 to 18. 

The local further education establishments whose pupils will benefit from this collaboration are Esher College, The College of Haringey, Enfield & North East London, Haringey Sixth Form College and City of London Academy. All selected athletes have been identified as showing potential in Olympic or Paralympic sports that are not traditionally supported within the schools’ sport programmes.  

At the introductory workshop at King’s College London, the TASS Potential students were given an inspirational talk by Paralympic Gold Medalist Ellie Simmonds and a tour of the university’s sporting facilities.  

Over the next six months, they will attend further sessions focusing on lifestyle, nutrition, maintaining a healthy body, goal setting, mental preparation and athlete development, and strength and conditioning.  

The workshops are designed to offer a taster of the scheme’s support services, with practical exercises and activities being delivered by qualified practitioners from the university. 

TASS hopes that the partnership will help to inform the college students about how to balance life as a student-athlete and prepare them for a dual career. 

Laura Edwards, TASS Lead at King’s Sport, King’s College London said:

“We are delighted to be part of the TASS Potential Project which cements the university’s ambition to make the world a better place and a civic university at the heart of London. 

“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to offer support and specialised workshops to student-athletes across London, aiming to educate, inspire and improve through the support services available to them. The Project will also provide an opportunity to understand student life at King’s and an understanding of sport in Higher Education.                                          

“In partnership, TASS and King’s Sport can help build a community by fostering an inclusive environment for student-athletes, lecturers and other support staff to learn from one another. It is set to be a fantastic project and we are looking forward to seeing the results both through the students’ successes and meaningful partnerships established.”  

Lianne Purvis, TASS Potential Lead at Esher College said: 

“The Potential Project allows our students to achieve their full potential academically and athletically. The support from Kings College London and TASS will be a game changer for our students!.” 

Daniel Searle, Director of Sport, Science, Enterprise and Innovation at Haringey Sixth Form College commented: “This is a fantastic project. Working with Kings College, a prestigious university, on the TASS project, will empower our students to pursue their ambitions to continue to participate in elite sport whilst studying towards a degree. Students are looking forward to the programme and have already commented on how motivating it is.” 

Grace Harrison, TASS Potential Project Lead: “TASS are delighted to have partnered with King’s College London for the 2019-20 TASS Potential Project. We hope this project will be a motivating and educational experience for all 40 students involved. The project aims to introduce these students to life as a dual career athlete; a process that we hope will make a real difference to the students’ development in their sporting and academic careers. 

“We also hope this project will pave the way for a school support structure that will enable talented athletes to pursue a dual career pathway. Through being a part of the TASS Potential Project, we hope that positive and sustainable partnerships can be maintained between King’s College London and Esher College, The College of Haringey, Enfield & North East London, Haringey Sixth Form College and City of London Academy.”  

For any further details on the TASS Potential Project, please contact: 

Caroline Lievesley, TASS National Lead – Marketing and Communications