Nearly 100 aspiring Olympians & Paralympians will attend the National Talent Camp, run by the Youth Sport Trust from 18-21st December. Athletes from across the nation will be travelling to Loughborough University to be part of the prestigious national training camp for elite young athletes across a range of sports. This year, young people from nine different sports have been selected to attend, including canoeing, rowing, hockey, wheelchair basketball, volleyball, netball, girl’s rugby union & football and cycling.
Eight young volleyball players have been chosen to attend the intense camp:
- Thomas Ketley (16) and Toby French, both 17 from Essex
- Sophie Szyszko (17) from London
- Alex Hutchinson (16) from Lincolnshire
- Ieuan Lamb (16) from Nottinghamshire
- Grace Lazard(14) from Surrey
- Bethany Hewitt (17) from Teesside
- Samantha Latham-Talbot (17) from West Midlands
The four day National Talent Camp offers the potential stars a unique insight into the world of performance sport and prepares them for the personal, academic and vocational challenges which lie ahead.
For the volleyballers, they will have the unique opportunity to work for 3 days with Britain’s only ever Olympians, Audrey Cooper and Amanda Glover. Having successfully qualified for the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, the Beach Volleyball pairing exceeded all expectations and finished in 9th position; a phenomenal achievement. As athlete mentors, Cooper and Glover will offer an insight into what it takes to be an elite athlete and share their knowledge and experience.
It will be no easy ride though for the young stars, as they will be tested in both their mental and physical attitudes towards their sports, through a mix of tough training sessions and classroom based workshops, which challenge their way of thinking about what it takes to be the best in sport. The youngsters will not only learn about being an elite performer, but also the factors that contribute to being successful, including working with the media. They will stick to a strict schedule, which mirrors that of an elite athlete, including everything from early morning training sessions and drills to early nights and a no frills meat and vegetable diet.
Glover and Cooper have experienced all of these aspects during their careers as players and subsequently as coaches. They have been through the highs, the lows, the dedication required, the support needed and the sheer determination to make things happen. They are delighted to be involved with the camp and see it as another great opportunity to move the sport forward.
Olympic gold medallist Jason Gardener believes the young people can use the National Talent Camp, as a huge development platform: “These youngsters have been given a great opportunity to learn from some of the UK’s most successful sports stars, so it’s something they should be grabbing onto with both hands. The fact that they have been chosen for this prestigious camp, already shows they are demonstrating real sporting promise, but being an elite athlete is not all about your talent; you need to be all rounded and realise that a lot of determination, hard work and sacrifice is needed to be top of your game. The camp really draws on these factors and helps these young athletes to understand the challenges they face being an elite performer, being the best and staying at the top level and the life commitment needed in order to succeed.”