Pitch2Podium Initiative

Pitch2Podium is a new talent identification initiative looking to provide young players who have yet to achieve a professional football contract with the opportunity to explore how far up the Olympic ladder they can climb.

UK Sport and the English Institute of Sport (EIS) have worked closely with major football authorities (The FA, Professional Footballers' Association, Football League and League Football Education) to learn more about this exciting ‘hot bed' of talent, and to develop a well structured environment in which they can explore their potential in other sports.

The initial cohort of applicants for Pitch2Podium were selected at the first of two Olympic Talent Assessment Events held at Lee Valley Athletics Centre.

Ian Yates, EIS Talent ID Coordinator said:

"The quality of the athletes here today was not surprising given their many years of development in an elite football environment, but it was their application to the tests that was most pleasing to see with all boys pushing themselves to the limit - and then some!

"We are confident that our partnership with the football authorities will allow us to discover some special talent, and that someone who may never have imagined playing another sport - let alone featuring in an Olympic Games - could quite conceivably win a medal.

The next event will take place in Manchester on Saturday 19 July where the next cohort of Olympic hopefuls will be put through their paces.

Following this, the aim is to filter those with outstanding potential into targeted World Class Programmes within British Cycling, GB Hockey, UK Athletics, Pentathlon GB, the British Canoe Union and British Skeleton. Here, they will receive specialist coaching and support to explore their ability to make the transition to the medal podium in a new Olympic sport.