Many young people are hoping to be successful in the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games. We take a look at the commitment involved and talk to some Olympic hopefuls.
With the next Olympic Games fast-approaching, many young people are gearing up to compete. Amongst our current youth there are sports stars in training, in the hopes that they will make the team and achieve their dream! The various sports range from gymnastics to football, but everyone has one thing in common: the desire to succeed.
A lot of effort goes into perfecting skills and tactics in order for them to unleash their full potential when it comes down to it. Both the coach and athlete give over hours of their time each day to training. Their often-strict regime allows little time for socialising and school work.
Gymnast Laura Jones, 15, trains three early mornings a week, every night and during school hours. “I miss seven lessons a week and have to do my work at home. It can be difficult catching up with all my school work and I don’t get to see my family much.”
Laura trains at the East Midlands Gymnastic Centre and has achieved 2nd place in the British Championships, as well as coming 5th on the beam at the European Championships.
Our community has produced many athletes, including Becky Downie, 15, who had success in the last Olympic Games, gaining a bronze medal, and Jacob Mellis, 16, who was recently signed by Chelsea Football Club.
Local tennis player Emily Crowe, 15, is currently in the top thirty in the country for under-16s and first in the county for under-16s. She is the 16s and 18s Dollamore Open champion 2007 and the Victoria Leicestershire Open champion 2007. She also made it to the Road To Wimbledon National Finals. Despite being so successful, Emily decided to stay in full-time education, unlike most promising athletes.
Emily says: “Most players competing at my standard are full-time and therefore attend school at the academy, only doing 5 GCSEs, but I chose to continue at Rushcliffe Comprehensive School, doing the same number of GCSEs as everyone else at my school.
"It’s determination and hard work that earns success. I want to prove that staying in full-time education doesn’t limit my chances of progressing in tennis.”
On top of her work, Emily fits fourteen hours training into each week, as well as fitness building and matches: “Playing any sport takes a lot of dedication. It’s hard to fit everything in, but somehow I manage. My school is very supportive of my situation, and my friends all understand and support me.”
There are some downsides to being a talented sports star, though. A lot of pressure is put on young people to succeed: “Expectations are the worst thing associated with sport, the pressure that is put on young athletes is ridiculous; we are treated like adults, and in some cases I think people try to stop you living your childhood.”
In our local community alone there are lots of eager young hopefuls, waiting and practicing for their time in the limelight. The 2012 Olympics should provide them with the perfect opportunity to shine, but in the meantime they will keep practising and dreaming!
