A process whereby effective opportunities, processes, systems and structures are set up to enable and encourage people in all or any particular groups and areas to take part in sport and recreation or to improve their performance to what level they desire (Collins, 2010). Sport Development is a complex and insightful topic which has its positives and its negatives whether this is a political issue, someone's own personal issues or just how it has developed through time. Within this essay I will talk about several topics such as my personal experiences which I have learnt throughout my first year of University, how I have managed with the different styles of learning compared to college, mine and other's knowledge of sport development and the effects history has had on it. This will link to the national occupational standards throughout.
Sport development systems have two main objectives: to increase the number of participants actively engaged in sport and to enhance the quality of performances in sport (Green, 2005). Sport Development did not just happen overnight there is a lot of history behind its development which happened over a long period of time from 1900's to this present day. These influences have been British Public Schools, boys playing football in school (use of rules/ control) the value was followed through to working environment/lives. Allowing the sport to become gradually more codified in schools. (For example pitch size regulation in 1900) (Harrow p.13). WW1 the military movement, religious movements and nations and nationalism these are just a few (Houlihan & Green, 2011). Sports development is a key component of contemporary British Sport. The sport development system is based around the central Government policy and local authorities, from Britain hosting the Olympics games to providing exercise classes for the elderly this is how broad it can be. In public schools they realised that it provided a place for the dispersal of excess energy, so that public schools use their energy in a positive way and not towards antisocial or criminal activity.