Marc CLOES Department of Physical Education and Sport University of Liège (Belgium)

1. Organisation of“Sport + Studies Programmes”at secondary school level:The perceptions of the students and the staff Marc CLOES Department of Physical Education and Sport University of Liège (Belgium) Pre-Olympic Scientific Congress Thessaloniki - August 2004, 8-13

2. Introduction • Top level sport • requires a long term preparation • needs an adaptation of the life organization of the athlete since the first steps of his/her specific training • is in concurrence with school/social objectives

3. Introduction • Developmental model of educational/athletic career (following Wylleman & Lavallee, 2004)

4. Introduction • How can the athlete to combine sport and school preparations? • To follow a normal school programme • To have some adjustment of the normal context

5. Introduction • When the pupil follows a normal school programme and participates to sport training during his/her leisure periods • he/she does not take want to risk their academic preparation (parents) • he/she needs a particular environment (proximity, parents’ availability) • he/she risks reaching top level participation (team sports)

6. National initiative Academic governing body Athletic governing body Local initiative Introduction • Description of the European SSP approaches De Knop et al. (1999)

7. Sport + Studies Programmes (SSP) Introduction • How to help youth to follow a sport career? • The school/federation organizes sport training close to the learning environment without modification and the school programme (only schedules) • A specific programme is proposed to the young athletes

8. Introduction • What are the criteria for success in these SSP? • Availability of a boarding school with specific educators and tutors • Minimal schedule adaptation • Training, medical and scientific staff • Facilities and equipment • Open minded school staff

9. Introduction • SSP are • considered (now) by politicians as a priority to improve the level of the athletes • promoted by sport administrations or federations • used by schools to motivate pupils to develop more positive attitudes toward academic learning

10. Introduction • Combining sport and school preparations • lies on several choices (administrators, educational staff, parents and ... athletes) • is subject to legal adaptations

11. Introduction • When the pupil is integrated into a SSP • he/she must find a balance between classmates and sport friends • he/she risks experiencing some problems with the teachers • he/she could encounter psychological difficulties due to the “isolation” and/or the stress

12. Introduction • What are the questions that could be asked about SSP? • What is the effectiveness of the SSP on the sport achievement ? • What is the academic achievement of SSP students? • Which difficulties do they encounter during their SSP experience? • What are their motivational characteristics? • What are the relationships with their environment?

13. What is the effectiveness of the SSP on the sport achievement ? • Little systematic data exists • If 20% of the student-athletes involved in a Swiss SSP would like to have a professional sport career, no of their predecessors get a full time job and 12% became part time professionals (Hug, 2003) • Some student-athletes of a Wallonian SSP achieved at top level tennis (Henin, Rochus) • The Flemish “Topsportscholen” project will provide useful information (Wylleman et al., 2001)

14. Only good students are admitted • All SSP guidelines emphasize the need to achieve the school requirements Cloes et al. (2004) What is the academic achievement of SSP students? “School requirements are rather high considering available time. People think that our school looks for elite level concerning work and school achievement. In the region, the school is considered as the most difficult, the hardest.” (Mons’ director, 2001-02-22)

15. What is the academic achievement of SSP students? • They have good management strategies “…They are able to manage better their time because they achieve well. Before, they didn’t need to manage their time like that. They have learned quickly. It’s the same with the parents’ control of the homework. Here, they need to work alone…” (Jambes’ director, 2001-02-23) Cloes et al. (2004)

16. What is the academic achievement of SSP students? • Little systematic data exist about the achieving rate • Following Hug (2003), most of the student-athletes follow higher education; they are considered as characterised by a higher maturity but not academically zealous • SSP administrators pointed out that most of student-athletes achieved without problem (Cloes et al., 2004). • A follow-up interview confirmed that opinion

17. Which difficulties do student-athletes encounter during their SSP experience? • Several studies focused on that aspect • Findings were rather positive whatever the SSP approach • In the Flemish experience (Wylleman et al., 2001), the SSP was positive even if combination of academic and athletic loads stayed difficult for 62% of the parents while 38% of them underlined the boarding as a major problem, as their children • The Swiss study evidenced that youth as well as their parents were satisfied of the SSP (Hug, 2003)

18. Which difficulties do student-athletes encounter during their SSP experience? • Analysis in an hybrid SSP (Cloes et al., 2004) • Students-athletes had at least 28 sessions of school preparation per week and at least 14 hours of training

19. Cloes et al. (2004)

20. Comparison of athletes and their classmatesPositive aspects Cloes et al. (2004)

21. Principals were clearly aware of athletes’ opinions • The emphasis given by athletes to sport preparation was shared by the school leaders “…They (athletes)were used to play with their small club faraway and they are now together with athletes of similar level and become a kind of elite. Only the best are selected. It must bring something to them…” (Jambes’ director, 2001-02-23) Comparison of athletes and their classmatesPositive aspects • Principals were clearly aware of athletes’ opinions Cloes et al. (2004)

22. Comparison of athletes and their classmatesPositive aspects • Principals were clearly aware of athletes’ opinions • Concerning the importance of the category “Enjoyment” in two schools, school leaders tended to qualify the pupils’ opinion “... They (the athletes) seem glad to be here but in terms of enjoyment… They are glad about their selection and consider that they are members of an elite…” (Mons’ director, 2001-02-22) Cloes et al. (2004)

23. Cloes et al. (2004)

24. Comparison of athletes and their classmatesNegative aspects Cloes et al. (2004)

25. Principals were clearly aware of athletes’ opinions • They mentioned the difficulties encountered by athletes to combine school and sports requirements “…At the beginning, many (athletes) consider that school is difficult because they moved from another school to ours. ... It needs adaptation. It’s true that school requirements are important, mainly for the oldest. ..., it’s require fine management, rigor and maturity. ... School problems exist because we don’t decrease the requirements.” (Liège’ co-ordinator, 2001-02-16) Comparison of athletes and their classmatesNegative aspects • Principals were clearly aware of athletes’ opinions Cloes et al. (2004)

26. Positive attitude toward school • Perceived school competence What are the student-athletes motivational characteristics? Cloes et al. (2002)

27. What are the student-athletes motivational characteristics? • Competence in practised sport • 13 closed questions (score comprised between 13 and 52) • Means scores did not differ between the beginning and the end of the school year (39/52) • Athletes were quite realistic: to participate to SSP does not mean an automatic achievement “I have understood that it’s not because you are in the SSP that you will automatically arrive” Cloes et al. (2002)

28. What are the relationships with their environment? • Reasons to participate to SSP • Factor analysis of 9 items • Social influence (parents, coach or friends) • Enjoyment (school becomes more funny, more contacts) • Preparation (a good occasion combine school and sport preparation) Cloes et al. (2002)

29. What are the relationships with their environment? • Relationships athletes-classmates • Most of classmates (48.6%) have regular contact with athletes (friendly relationships: 72%) • 84.3% of the athletes considered that they have regular contact with their classmates (friendly relationships: 70% ; school work: 15%) • Differences between schools Cloes et al. (2002)

30. Relationships athletes-classmates Hug (2003) What are the relationships with their environment? • Relationships athletes-classmates • Only 14.4% of the athletes mentioned contacts with their classmates (separated classes) • Teachers considered that athletes were not really involved in the school life

31. What are the relationships between SSP and the environment? Social and family environment Athlete Sport environment School environment Hug (2003)

32. Conclusion • According to the organization of the SSP, student-athletes can encounter different problems • Among the adjustments that must be made to help pupils to be successful at school, they are the modification of the schedule of courses and examinations, distance courses, lengthening of the school year… • These modalities mean changes in the society’s philosophy

33. Conclusion • “Mainstreamed” classes seemed to represent a positive solution even if there is no available comparison between specific centres and traditional environments • School cannot work alone and needs additional means to follow the student- athletes • A philosophical question was raised on the legitimacy of the disparity of the treatment of athletes and other young people who could also require additional means to achieve in the society

34. Conclusion • Longitudinal studies should provide complementary data There are many things to do yet

35. Thank you for your attention

36. References Brettschneider, W.-D., Heim, R. & Klimek, G. (1998). Zwischen Schulbank und Sportplatz – Heranwachsende im Spannungsfeld zwischen Schule and Leistungssport. Sportwissenschaft, 28, 1, 27-39. Cloes, M., Schelings, V., Ledent, M, & Piéron, M. (2002). Sport-études : comparaison des caractéristiques motivationnelles et des relations sociales des élèves sportifs et de leurs condisciples. eJRIEPS (e Journal de la Recherche sur l'Intervention en Éducation Physique et Sport),http://www.fcomte.iufm.fr/recherch/sportetudes.pdf. Cloes, M., Schelings, V., Ledent, M, & Piéron, M. (2004). Positive and negative aspects of « Sport + Studies Programmes » organized at secondary school level, perceived by athletes and their classmates. In, M.A. Gonzàlez Valeiro, J.A. Sanchez Molina & J. Gomez Varela (Eds.), Preparacion professional y necesidades socials (Educacion fisica, deporte, ocio, tercera edad, salud...). Proceeding of the AIESEP International Congress La Coruña 2002. Oleiros - A Coruña: INEF Galicia, 364-368. De Knop, P., Wylleman, P., Van Hoecke, J? & Bollaert, L. (1999). Sport management – A European approach to the management of the combinaison of academics and elite-level sport. In S. Bailey (Ed.), Perspectives – The interdisciplinary series of Physical Education and Sport Science. Vol. 1. School sport and competition. Oxford: Meyer & Meyer Sport. 49-62.

37. Delfosse, C., Cloes, M., Ledent, M., & Piéron, M. (1994). Attitude vis-à-vis de l’école chez des enfants en âge d’école primaire, participant ou non à un programme scolaire d’activités physiques quotidiennes. Revue de l’Education Physique, 34, 2-3, 77-88. Delfosse, C., Ledent, M., Carreiro da Costa, F., Telama, R., Almond, L., Cloes, M. & Piéron, M. (1997). Les attitudes de jeunes Européens à l’égard de l’école et du cours d’éducation physique. Sport, 159/160, 96-105. Honta, M. (2003). Sport et action publique locale: des initiatives entre concurrence et complémentarité inter-institutionneles. Le cas de la ville de Mérignac (Gironde). STAPS, 63, 107-122. Hug, P.-A. (2003). Evaluation de la filière gymnasiale sport-études du Canton de Vaud. Lausanne: Académie internationale des Sciences et Techniques du Sport. Tremblay, (2003). Wylleman, P., De Knop, P;, Anseeuw, L., De Clercq, D., Bouckaert, J., Bassez, P., Van Assche, E., Vanden Auweele, Y & Lambeir, G. (2001). Evaluatie van de opzet en de werking van de topsportscholen in Vlaanderen. Globaal rapport. {Evaluation of the aim and functioning of the topsportschools in Flanders. Global report}. Brusssels: Interuniversitair Onderzoekscentrum voor Sportbeleid. Wylleman, P., & Lavallee, D. (2004). A developmental perpective on transitions faced by athletes. In, M. Weis (Ed.), Developmental sport and exercice psychology: A lifespan perspective. Morgantown, WV: FIT. 507-527.

38. Cloes et al. (2002, 2004)

39. Cloes et al. (2002, 2004)

40. Cloes et al. (in progress) • Study focusing on a SSP set up by a school located in a poor socio economic environment to motivate pupils to develop more positive attitude toward academic learning

41. Cloes et al. (in progress) • Study focusing on SSP organized at higher education level