Harrogate Borough Council will decide on 9 October if to set-up a talented athletes academy.
The Harrogate District Talented Athletes Academy (HDTAA), would be launched in 2012, the ‘Year of Sport’, and would seek to recognise the wealth of talented young sports people in the district as a legacy project to celebrate the Olympic Games being held in this country.
Up to a maximum of 100 places each year would be given free access to the council’s fitness facilities consisting of unlimited gym usage within times specified by Brimhams and unlimited swimming during general swim sessions.
Applicants would need to meet one or more of the following
- International / national athletes (all home nations)
- Selected for a Regional (North/North East of England) Performance Squad / Elite Squad / High Performance Centre
- Selected for NGB England or Great Britain Talent ID Programme or World Class Performance / Potential / Talent
- TASS supported
- SportsAid Funded (Yorkshire & Humber Region)
- Selected for a scholarship programme or academy squad for a Professional Sports Club e.g. Leeds United, Leeds Rhinos
- Either be resident in the Harrogate District, and/or represent the Harrogate District or a club in the Harrogate District
The full list of eligible sports
American football, Archery, Athletics, Badminton, Goalball Rounders Air sports (parachuting, kite surfing, gliding), Golf Rowing Boxing (kick boxing & tai boxing), Handball Rugby League Cycling (track, road, mountain, BMX) & Union, Hockey Sailing Equestrian (racing, riding, dressage, showjumping), Basketball Hurling Squash Gymnastics (artistic & rhythmic), Baseball / softball, Biathlon, Boccia, Bowls, Korfball, Sub aqua, Ice sports (ice skating, ice hockey), Lacrosse Swimming Martial Arts (judo, karate, ju jitsu, tai jutsu, kendo, aikido, taekwondo, tang soo do), Modern Table tennis Motor sports (motor racing, motorcycling, speedway) pentathlon, Mountaineering/ caving Tenpin bowling Shooting (air, clay target, crossbow, muzzle loading, pistol, rifle and target) Canoeing Netball Trampoline Skatesports (skateboarding, inline skating, & roller hockey), Cricket, Curling, Diving, Fencing, Football, Orienteering Triathlon Snow sports (including skiing, snowboarding, bobsleigh, luge), Petanque Weightlifting Tennis (including real tennis), Polo Wrestling Volleyball (including beach and seated), Powerlifting Water sports (waterpolo, waterskiing, wakeboarding, windsurfing, jet skiing, power boating, rafting, surfing), Racketball, Wheelchair sports (basketball, fencing, rugby, tennis).
The Impact on the athletes chosen will be positive as the council will support them to access fitness facilities, supporting their training and fitness. It will help remove the barrier of cost for those families with talented young athletes who could otherwise not afford access to good quality fitness facilities to reach their potential.
