Young athletes in Hartlepool to get double the chance to reach their full potential

Hartlepool Sixth Form College has received a top award for its commitment to supporting young athletes.

The Blakelock Road site has been awarded a TASS (Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme) Dual Career Accreditation for enabling students to reach their potential both on and off the field.

The Sport England-backed scheme supports rising sporting stars to gain qualifications alongside their sport and have the chance to follow other interests and personal development.

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Ian Hewitt, Elite Sports Academy co-ordinator at Hartlepool Sixth Form College, said: “I’m thrilled with our TASS Dual Career Accreditation. It is a reflection of the hard work of our staff in supporting our talented athletes to compete at an elite level, alongside gaining recognised qualifications.

“Hartlepool Sixth Form College has a reputation for sporting success and with our TASS accreditation we can further support young people, who are at the top of their game, to achieve both their academic and sporting ambitions.” 

As a dual career accredited site, the college will be an important extension of the network of universities that already partner with TASS, delivering core support services to more than 400 student athletes each year.

While some of the existing services delivered focus solely on developing the young person’s sporting performance, a dual career support structure and academic flexibility policies will be central to the help available to athletes based at an accredited site.

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For student athletes, the increased academic flexibility may mean they have the opportunity to access online notes or resources, have a choice of assignments, or even reschedule deadlines or exam dates in exceptional circumstances.

TASS national director, Guy Taylor, said: “We’re delighted to be awarding TASS Dual Career Accreditation to colleges and universities across England.

“Dual career support is at the forefront of what TASS does and that’s why the accreditation scheme is so important for us in recognising those institutions who place precedence on their athletes’ education too. 

“We hope that the academic flexibility policies put into place for the Accreditation will begin to develop an effective and lasting dual career structure within each institution.”