Author Topic: "Accessible" olympic sports  (Read 13885 times)

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
"Accessible" olympic sports
« Reply #25 on: 07 August, 2012, 07:07:09 am »
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
"Accessible" olympic sports
« Reply #26 on: 07 August, 2012, 07:09:26 am »
According to the DT only 20% of the GB Team are from independent schools.

Only 7% of the population are from independent schools, so 20% = hugely over-represented.

d.
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

Rig of Jarkness

  • An Englishman abroad
Re: "Accessible" olympic sports
« Reply #27 on: 07 August, 2012, 07:10:02 am »
One aspect that continues to surprise and disappoint is the lack of black track cyclists in GB colours.  Such a contrast to athletics. 
Aero but not dynamic

frankly frankie

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Re: "Accessible" olympic sports
« Reply #28 on: 07 August, 2012, 08:49:24 am »
Anyone can join a rowing club, but rowing, especially in an eight, requires a lot of time, and more commitment than any other sport I can think of, because of the need for all 8 (or 9) to train together as a unit.  I tried it and found it was simply incompatible with 'having a life'.
when you're dead you're done, so let the good times roll

Wowbagger

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Re: "Accessible" olympic sports
« Reply #29 on: 07 August, 2012, 09:03:34 am »
There is a lovely irony in reading a thread about accessible sports on a cycling forum.
The irony's lost on me, I'm afraid.

Possibly this ?
Quote

We have identified four sports where there is virtually no chance that anyone from a poor country can win a medal - equestrian, sailing, cycling and swimming
from Professor David Forrest, a sports economist at the University of Salford  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-19144983
Accessibility has nothing to do with medal winning.

It's the publicity associated with medals which will get people interested, but once that interest has been kindled, cycling is very accessible. There are roads everywhere and basic bicycles are cheap.

With the other three that Prof Forrest mentioned, just to get started you need access to a boat or a horse, some suitable water or some open country. Very few kids will have that access, and certainly not without a parental vehicle to cart them around the place.
Quote from: Dez
It doesn’t matter where you start. Just start.

Re: "Accessible" olympic sports
« Reply #30 on: 07 August, 2012, 09:06:47 am »
One aspect that continues to surprise and disappoint is the lack of black track cyclists in GB colours.  Such a contrast to athletics. 


Or should we be questioning the apparent over representation of the black UK population in athletics?

"Il veut moins de riches, moi je veux moins de pauvres"

Jacomus

  • My favourite gender neutral pronoun is comrade
Re: "Accessible" olympic sports
« Reply #31 on: 07 August, 2012, 09:07:18 am »
We were discussing last night whether any Olympic sports required no expensive equipment in order to compete at the highest level, and decided there weren't any.  Have you seen the price of running shoes?  Even swimmers have very special kit.  Maybe beach volleyball is cheap - I can't see that special shoes help much on soft sand.

In ancient times everyone uised to compete naked, which was more egalitarian (although maybe the wrestlers had special high-performance skin oils harvested from the sacred olive groves of Narcissus).  I wouldn't like to see naked men in slo-mo, though.

Beach volleyball is played barefoot, so very cheap indeed.
"The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity." Amelia Earhart

Re: "Accessible" olympic sports
« Reply #32 on: 07 August, 2012, 09:09:17 am »
Very few kids will have that access, and certainly not without a parental vehicle to cart them around the place.

Scott Brash, son of a builder and educated at the local comp.

Is that not accessible enough for you?

One of the advantages I supose of living in Peebles is access to the open countryside
"Il veut moins de riches, moi je veux moins de pauvres"

Jaded

  • The Codfather
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Re: "Accessible" olympic sports
« Reply #33 on: 07 August, 2012, 09:17:08 am »
Open countryside is a privilege, though.
It is simpler than it looks.

Re: "Accessible" olympic sports
« Reply #34 on: 07 August, 2012, 09:33:15 am »
Boris Johnson had an excellent article in The Telegraph yesterday.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/borisjohnson/9455037/More-reasons-to-raise-a-cheer-for-Londons-golden-Games.html

"All you need to practise the long jump is a sandpit. All you need to get ready for a 10,000-metre race is guts, determination and talent."

Not quite true I suspect - but I like the sentiment!

mattc

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Re: "Accessible" olympic sports
« Reply #35 on: 07 August, 2012, 09:36:16 am »
...

It's the publicity associated with medals which will get people interested, but once that interest has been kindled, cycling is very accessible. There are roads everywhere and basic bicycles are cheap.

With the other three that Prof Forrest mentioned, just to get started you need access to a boat or a horse, some suitable water or some open country. Very few kids will have that access, and certainly not without a parental vehicle to cart them around the place.
I have a dream ... of kids cycling to their chosen club, where they can participate in the equipment-intensive stuff, at sensible cost due to shared ownership. EVERYONE lives in cycling distance of a field, river, lake, coast or velodrome.
Has never ridden RAAM
---------
No.11  Because of the great host of those who dislike the least appearance of "swank " when they travel the roads and lanes. - From Kuklos' 39 Articles

Jaded

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Re: "Accessible" olympic sports
« Reply #36 on: 07 August, 2012, 09:42:55 am »
Running has to be the only truly accessible sport.
It is simpler than it looks.

Piemaster

Re: "Accessible" olympic sports
« Reply #37 on: 07 August, 2012, 09:48:15 am »
Not only does the 'technical equipment' bit put african nations at a disadvantage for rowing/sailing surely some of them have a bit of a problem with the 'accessible water' bit as well?

Jaded

  • The Codfather
  • Formerly known as Jaded
Re: "Accessible" olympic sports
« Reply #38 on: 07 August, 2012, 09:56:34 am »
Quite.

Unless we are only talking about accessibility for comfortable Westerners.
It is simpler than it looks.

mattc

  • n.b. have grown beard since photo taken
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Re: "Accessible" olympic sports
« Reply #39 on: 07 August, 2012, 10:01:28 am »
The vast majority of human civilisation is clustered around water.

(I think we should be focusing on the inequities of the snow-based sports  >:( )
Has never ridden RAAM
---------
No.11  Because of the great host of those who dislike the least appearance of "swank " when they travel the roads and lanes. - From Kuklos' 39 Articles

Re: "Accessible" olympic sports
« Reply #40 on: 07 August, 2012, 10:01:47 am »
I was thinking about this based on my school days. I'm not sure that there are any truly "accessible" sports, inasmuch as there are no sports which people don't benefit from having more money.

At my (comprehensive junior and Grammar secondary) schools, the gymnastics squad was only open to those who'd previously done gymnastics - which meant private gymnastic clubs/classes were essential. I lived close to a swimming pool, and my parents would pay for me to join all the swimming holiday clubs, and I wasn't a bad swimmer (I'm still better-than-average, although a shoulder injury put paid to my swimming days recently), but they couldn't afford the early morning before-school private tuition that the "good" swimmers at school got. Even the girls who were in the all-England under-sixteens (or whatever) hockey and netball teams were coincidentally from reasonably well-off families, while my friends who were couch-surfing between divorced parents' flats were always left on the sidelines...

It's always going to be the case that no matter how much love, encouragement and support you give a child outside of school, they'll never do as well as the child who has love, encouragement, support and money.
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Re: "Accessible" olympic sports
« Reply #41 on: 07 August, 2012, 11:03:03 am »
"It's always going to be the case that no matter how much love, encouragement and support you give a child outside of school, they'll never do as well as the child who has love, encouragement, support and money."

quite right Kathy, money talks, No; 2 son missed out on representing Wales in a home International Junior show jumping team because we couldn't stump up the £3000 required, like wise he missed out on  International Tetrathlon team selection due to the fact they wanted 600 quid for a training camp, in most cases that we've encountered it doesn't matter how good you are if you haven't got the money you will always be overlooked,   

Wowbagger

  • Former Sylph
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Re: "Accessible" olympic sports
« Reply #42 on: 07 August, 2012, 11:07:44 am »
I agree with all of what Kathy says, but there's another element which is often lacking, particularly for girls, and that is plentiful role models.

Media sports exposure is very male dominated and certain sports tend people towards certain physiques. I understand that the young GB athlete who did so well in the weight-lifting got an awful lot of stick from the Twitter twits quite simply because her chosen sport was somehow perceived as unfeminine.
Quote from: Dez
It doesn’t matter where you start. Just start.

Wowbagger

  • Former Sylph
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Re: "Accessible" olympic sports
« Reply #43 on: 07 August, 2012, 11:18:54 am »
"It's always going to be the case that no matter how much love, encouragement and support you give a child outside of school, they'll never do as well as the child who has love, encouragement, support and money."

quite right Kathy, money talks, No; 2 son missed out on representing Wales in a home International Junior show jumping team because we couldn't stump up the £3000 required, like wise he missed out on  International Tetrathlon team selection due to the fact they wanted 600 quid for a training camp, in most cases that we've encountered it doesn't matter how good you are if you haven't got the money you will always be overlooked,

When I was Junior Organiser for Essex Chess, I used to run tournaments in which the first prize was 10 times the entry fee (normally I would charge £4 to enter the under-8, £5 for the under-10, £6 for the under-12). I received a fair bit of criticism from some of the "old guard" who deprecated the fact that kids were being encouraged to play for money.

I pointed out that, if we wanted to encourage our players to get to the top, they would need to stump up the cash to finance their trips to the World or European Championships, which would often involve a parent going as well, especially in the younger age groups. By the time my younger son, aged 12, was invited to play for an England team visiting Leningrad, he had saved over £1000 from his winnings and paid his own fare.

Other players under my field of influence did better still: one lad, from Wanstead, won the European u14 Championship in Romania and went on to share first place, unbeaten, in the World u16 with 5 others, but, agonisingly, was placed 4th on a tie-break and didn't get a medal.
Quote from: Dez
It doesn’t matter where you start. Just start.

Charlotte

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Re: "Accessible" olympic sports
« Reply #44 on: 07 August, 2012, 11:30:31 am »
Archery.

Most schools have a hall that's suitable.  All you need is a heavy arrow curtain,  some straw butts and a bunch of trainer bows and arrows - which can be had pretty cheaply.  In the summer, you can use whatever field you have.

As a sport, it's suitable for able bodied and disabled alike. The benefits include improving mental capacity, physical health and general fitness. Archery can also improve patience and focus and can give the student  a great sense of personal achievement.  It's also a lot of fun.

Even at the high end of the sport, a good recurve bow won't cost as much as a good race bike and although like any sport, you can spend a lot on gear if you want, it's easy to get into as a junior because a lot of clubs have kit to lend out.
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Re: "Accessible" olympic sports
« Reply #45 on: 07 August, 2012, 11:43:32 am »
Fencing.

You can start in a field, for crying out loud. there are kits suitable for 8yr-olds upwards, with face masks and foam swords.

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David Martin

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Re: "Accessible" olympic sports
« Reply #46 on: 07 August, 2012, 11:50:27 am »
Fencing.

You can start in a field, for crying out loud.

Doesn't fencing normally go round the outside of the field? Just hedging my bets here, but seem to be running into a wall.  IGMC.
"By creating we think. By living we learn" - Patrick Geddes

Re: "Accessible" olympic sports
« Reply #47 on: 07 August, 2012, 12:00:45 pm »
Archery.

Most schools have a hall that's suitable.  All you need is a heavy arrow curtain,  some straw butts and a bunch of trainer bows and arrows - which can be had pretty cheaply.  In the summer, you can use whatever field you have.

As a sport, it's suitable for able bodied and disabled alike. The benefits include improving mental capacity, physical health and general fitness. Archery can also improve patience and focus and can give the student  a great sense of personal achievement.  It's also a lot of fun.

Even at the high end of the sport, a good recurve bow won't cost as much as a good race bike and although like any sport, you can spend a lot on gear if you want, it's easy to get into as a junior because a lot of clubs have kit to lend out.


Many outdoor instructors are qualified as Archery Leaders, the most basic teaching qualification. It is possible for them  to supervise shooting sessions as described above.

Re: "Accessible" olympic sports
« Reply #48 on: 07 August, 2012, 12:06:35 pm »
Fencing.

You can start in a field, for crying out loud.

Doesn't fencing normally go round the outside of the field? Just hedging my bets here, but seem to be running into a wall.  IGMC.
You'll be running into the point of my foil in a minute. Engarde!
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Pingu

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Re: "Accessible" olympic sports
« Reply #49 on: 07 August, 2012, 01:24:31 pm »
Fencing.

You can start in a field, for crying out loud.

Doesn't fencing normally go round the outside of the field? Just hedging my bets here, but seem to be running into a wall.  IGMC.
You'll be running into the point of my foil in a minute. Engarde!

I am rubber, you are glue!