ATL

Sporting inspiration

Olympic-medallist badminton player Gail Emms shares her experiences of how sport can put young people back on track

Today's media is regularly filled with reports about young people losing their way in life: getting into trouble, lacking purpose or a sense of belonging, and disregarding their education. At one point in my teens, I could have been one of them, but I was lucky enough to find sport - one of the most influential factors in my life.

That's why I jumped at the chance to become one of the Youth Sport Trust's athlete mentors and get involved with an initiative called Sky Sports 'Living for Sport'. I am part of a team of current and retired athletes that visits young people in schools across the UK, sharing experiences of life and sport, to help inspire and encourage those young people who may be disengaged or troubled to get back into school life.

Through the initiative, pupils have the opportunity to try a diverse range of sports, from kayaking to Thai boxing. Teachers work closely with the pupils involved to choose the right sports and activities to help build their confidence and boost self-esteem through teamwork and achieving personal goals. Sport has so many different aspects to it, but fundamentally it is about bringing the best out of people and for me that is its biggest attraction.

Sport can also play a great part in introducing invaluable life skills such as a sense of responsibility and discipline. To give a young person a part to play within a team can give them a great sense of belonging, and make them feel appreciated and confident. Seeing boundaries at work within a sporting field can also help to exemplify why they exist within life.

For as long as I can remember, sport has been a part of my life. Growing up, my parents always encouraged me to be active and gave me invaluable support in everything I did. However, when I was 13, my parents divorced and my father's business went bankrupt. Suddenly, life as I knew it completely changed. I went from a feisty, confident athlete to a moody and resentful teenager. I fell out of sport and in with a bad crowd - I wanted to fit in and find another avenue to vent my frustrations.

One evening I was out drinking with my new friends. When I returned home later that night I was greeted at the door by my worried mother. The disappointment on my mum's face will haunt me forever - she had gone through so much in the past few years, and I certainly wasn't making life easier for her. I decided that would be the end of that chapter of my life. From that point on I focused all my energies on making my family and friends proud of me on the sporting field.

Being involved in 'Living for Sport' is allowing me to share my story with pupils who may be going through similar issues and who will hopefully experience the life-changing effect sport can have. Four out of five teachers believe that pupils have benefited from being involved in this initiative and almost 70% of teachers reported the project had a positive impact on bullying in their schools*. I hope that my story and involvement with the scheme will help continue to have a positive impact.

I would like to show young people that sport can empower you to achieve whatever you desire. My experiences will hopefully inspire and motivate young people in similar situations. I truly believe that sport can help many young people in the same way that it helped me. I think 'Living for Sport' is a fantastic way to demonstrate how many successful athletes have overcome various struggles and obstacles to achieve their success. I am proud to use my story to positively impact the lives of others.

For more information, visit: www.skysports.com/livingforsport or www.youthsporttrust.org.

*Figures from independent research, published in September 2008, conducted by the Institute of Youth Sport, Loughborough University.

Image (c) Phil Wrigglesworth