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Newham Sports Academy Members

It seems outdated to think that for a short time women were not allowed to participate in the modern Olympic Games. It was only four years after beginning in 1896 that women were admitted to compete in events such as tennis and croquet. Over a hundred years later women fully participate in events ranging from archery to wrestling to BMX racing.

The elite-level coaches at Newham Sports Academy want to maintain the heritage of sporting women. Girls are less than half the Academy's members, but they are already proving that girl power is alive and running toward Olympic stardom. Launched in October 2006, Newham Sports Academy gives non-elite athletes a shot at bringing home the gold in the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Newham Sports Academy is located in one of the city鈥檚 most impoverished boroughs. Forty-three percent of the population is poor and working class. Producing winning athletes is no small effort. If over 60% of contemporary Great Britain medalists come from independent school backgrounds and they lack access to state-of-the-art training facilities, do athletes from a borough like Newham have any chance of breaking into the top ten rankings of their fields? Only with this ranking can athletes qualify for the resources National Governing Bodies offer.

Equalizing Access

Access is especially relevant for female athletes. They are more likely to be shortchanged by inequalities in funding and coaching. According to Liz Davidson, National Development Manager for the Women鈥檚 Sports Foundation, 鈥淭here is a tendency for slightly lower funding鈥� when it comes to subsistence grants for elite female athletes. Women receive approximately 拢1000 less than their male counterparts. If this inequality happens among elite athletes, the reality for non-elite athletes is starker.

Coaching that works

Doja Atanda, 13, tried out for the Sports Academy because she saw an opportunity for a higher level of coaching. When asked what makes coaches like former competitive athlete Coral Nourrice different, she describes them as 鈥渉arsh鈥ut in a good way.鈥� Doja has only been participating in athletics for two years, but has already built up an impressive list of cross-country achievements. She is looking forward to this July鈥檚 English Schools Track & Field Championships to see how being part of the Sports Academy has pushed her along. Triathlon competitor and Academy member Venita Dabhi, 16, agrees with Atanda about the quality of coaching, 鈥淭hey pay more attention to us and set specific goals for each of us.鈥�

Once the girls are accepted as Newham Sports Academy members, the coaches work to bring them up to speed both physically and mentally in preparation for competition beyond their usual comfort zone of inter-club races. Advice and mentoring comes from psychologists, as well as sporting medalists and former Olympians Callender, Tony Jarrett, and Julian Golding. Free access to Newham鈥檚 sports facilities and bursaries toward equipment costs begin to take advantage of Olympic promises. Callender proudly tells of the coming renovations to the Newham Leisure Centre鈥檚 facilities, such as a new ten-lane track and improved seating. 鈥淲e, as British people, need to open our eyes to the possibilities,鈥� he said as he showed off the beginning stages of a new conditioning weight room.

Challenging Stereotypes

Unlike the 40% of girls who, by age seven, claim not to be 鈥渟porty,鈥� young women like Venita and her sister Neha Dabhi, 13, do not see obstacles to their sports involvement as females. Instead, they expressed a desire to show what Asian athletes can do. 鈥淧eople think Asians are only good at science or can be lawyers, but we want to show that we鈥檙e good at sports, too.鈥�

Davidson, of the Women鈥檚 Sports Foundation, thinks Newham Sports Academy is on the right track. She believes that the coaches will inspire non-elite female athletes to achieve and, more importantly, improve the overall sporting environment. If the dedication and determination of the coaches and athletes are any indication, the Newham Sports Academy is already harnessing the benefits of the 2012 Games for one of London鈥檚 most neglected talent pools.