ABSTRACT
A prime opportunity for greater integration of CSD and SSD exists at what might be termed the participation-performance nexus, the stage at which talented performers move from recreational participation into performance programmes. This transition point is therefore a very signifi cant site for any discussion of NGBs’ inclusive, strategic management with reference to strategic CSD practice. Most NGBs, Lottery-supported or otherwise, attempt to model their development pathways to illustrate the progression of talented athletes and sometimes to show how resources will be deployed at each stage. The Gymnastics England ‘Gymnast Pathway’ (Gymnastics England 2009) is an example of this. The accompanying notes offer a refreshing acknowledgement of the need to function strategically and align resources to the needs of the participant:
The Model refl ects a step change in the strategic and operational thinking of the sport. It places the participant at the heart of the planning and delivery process with all interventions – coaching, clubs, competition, volunteering designed to ensure that the requirements to support a participant at any given stage in the pathway are met.
