Welcome to the Institute of Youth Sport
Established in 1998 with funding from Sir John Beckwith, the Institute of Youth Sport is a leading research centre which draws together staff with a common interest in the welfare, education, performance and development of young people participating (or being encouraged to participate) in sport and physical education. The Institute is located within the School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences at Loughborough University and, with a staff of approximately 20 full and part-time research staff, is the largest research institute in the UK dedicated to the study of young people and sport.
The Institute is multi-disciplinary in its membership and research. We bring together and work with experts with a wide range of experience from the social and sports sciences. Our research spans a wide remit, from mass participation to elite sport and from local projects to complex national initiatives and international developments. The research addresses all aspects of taking part in sport and physical activity and in managing such opportunites for young people. Currently the work of the Institute is organised under five themes:
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Elite young performers: gifted and talented in physical education and sport
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Young people, school-based and community sport
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Physical activity and health in young people
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Social inclusion through sport
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Sport and young disabled people
More details of our current projects under each theme can be accessed from our Research Programme page. In addition, the Institute also undertakes:
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Exercise testing for children
Further details about this can be obtained from Dr. John Morris (J.G.Morris@lboro.ac.uk).
A key feature of the work of the Institute is the integration of research across a range of disciplines, and the combination of both research and development within the Institute activities. Thus, research is practice-referenced to inform development, which is undertaken by Institute staff and others nationally. We have a specialist expertise is monitoring and evaluating sport projects, and working with providers and policy makers to help them develop their provision in the most effective ways.
The Institute works closely with other centres within and affiliated to the School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, including the British Heart Foundation National Centre for Physical Activity and Health, the Centre for Olympic Studies and Research, the Institute for Sport and Leisure Policy and the Peter Harrison Centre for Disability Sport. The Youth Sport Trust, the national charitable organisation based on the same campus, is also a long-term partner.
The Institute of Youth Sport undertakes a wide range of contract research. We carry out research for, or are involved in projects with, a large number of organisations including The British Council, The British Paralympic Association, the Department for Culture Media and Sport, the Department for Education and Skills, Sport England, sportscotland, Sports Leaders UK, UKSport and UNICEF. We work with many sports individually and among others have recently carried out research for the Football Association, the England and Wales Cricket Board and The Cricket Foundation.
As part of our commitment to the development of sport, the Institute of Youth Sport aims to play a leading role in the academic study of youth sport, through its publications, presentations and contributions to research forums. In addition to producing around 30 official research project reports a year, our staff regularly present at national and international conferences, contribute to refereed academic journals, and collaborate with other academics in the UK and abroad. In 2006 the Institute initiated a series of annual one-day conferences, taking place every September, on the theme of Researching Youth Sport to provide a forum for the exchange of knowledge and ideas for researchers, practitioners and policymakers.
We continually seek to expand our experience in youth sport research and welcome enquiries from those who wish to learn more about our work. Dr Mary Nevill, Director of the Institute (M.E.Nevill@lboro.ac.uk) will be pleased to respond to any initial contact.
