Overview
The 1st4sport Level 3 Certificate in Understanding Sports Performance (QCF) is awarded by 1st4sport Qualifications and has been developed with the support of industry experts. The 1st4sport Level 3 Certificate in Understanding Sports Performance (QCF) is regulated at Level 3 on the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) and forms part of the SkillsActive Advanced Apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence (AASE). For further information on the regulated status of the 1st4sport Level 3 Certificate in Understanding Sports Performance (QCF), please log on to the Register of Regulated Qualifications website.
For further information on AASE, visit the SkillsActive website.
Criteria
The 1st4sport Level 3 Certificate in Understanding Sports Performance (QCF) has been designed to meet the needs of young people (aged 16–18) who have the realistic potential to achieve excellence in their sport and are seeking to perform at the highest level as their main career goal. It is designed to be achieved in conjunction with the 1st4sport Level 3 Certificate in Achieving Excellence in Sports Performance (QCF) as part of AASE.
It is designed to deliver the knowledge and understanding required to allow you as an athlete to apply yourself to professional development in the technical, tactical, physical and psychological aspects of your chosen sport. Importantly, it will also directly address other issues such as lifestyle, communication, wider career management and health and safety.
Only learners who are accepted on to the AASE programme will be able to access and achieve the 1st4sport Level 3 Certificate in Understanding Sports Performance (QCF). AASE entry routes are only open to:
- full-time contracted apprentices at professional clubs
- full-time elite athletes receiving support from the lottery world class programme and identified by their governing body of sport
- any young people involved in the Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme (TASS)
- those talented young people in the ‘academy environment’ at professional clubs not yet offered full-time terms.
You will need to refer to your governing body of sport for further entry information related to your sport.
What can I use it for?
The 1st4sport Level 3 Certificate in Understanding Sports Performance (QCF) forms a crucial part of AASE. It helps develop and nurture elite athletes. The programme gives athletes more high quality coaching hours, better access to modern, well equipped facilities and the use of new technologies. It also provides for second career development, should an athlete fall short of their ultimate sporting goal or choose to follow an alternative career path.
Outline
On successful completion of the 1st4sport Level 3 Certificate in Understanding Sports Performance (QCF), you should:
- understand the technical, tactical, physical, mental and emotional demands, and technical and tactical skill requirements of an elite athlete’s role in a sport
- understand how an elite athlete works with coaching and other support staff to identify own technical, tactical, physical conditioning, mental and emotional needs
- understand the importance of an elite athlete setting goals for own technical, tactical, physical, mental and emotional development in their sport
- understand how an elite athlete applies self to a technical, tactical, physical conditioning and mental skills and attitudes development programme
- understand how an elite athlete prepares and applies technical, tactical, physical and mental skills and attitudes to competition
- understand how an elite athlete can improve their technical, tactical and physical training performance and mental skills and attitudes through evaluation and review
- understand about injury, injury prevention and recovery in own sport
- know about the risks of drugs in own sport
- understand how an elite athlete can contribute to a nutritional strategy
- understand how to implement and review a nutritional strategy for an elite athlete
- understand how an elite athlete plans and manages their own sporting commitments
- understand how an elite athlete plans and manages own time outside of sport
- understand how an elite athlete plans their sporting career
- understand how an elite athlete implements and develops a career plan
- understand how an elite athlete plans and manages their own finances
- understand communication skills as an elite athlete
- understand how to take part in discussions with other people
- understand the importance of good working relationships in sport
- understand how to maintain effective working relationships with others
- understand how to deal with problems with working relationships
- understand how to improve working relationships with other people
- understand how an elite athlete presents a positive image of self, their organisation and their sport
- understand how to handle public appearances
- understand health and safety requirements for training and competition venues
- understand how to maintain health and safety at training and competition venues
- understand how to promote health and safety to other people during training and competition
- know how to respond to emergencies
- understand how to support people who have been involved in an emergency
- understand how to report incidents and emergencies.
How will my learning programme be structured?
The recognised centre that delivers the qualification usually designs its own learning programmes. They may, therefore, vary in length and format. Depending on your needs, delivery centres can offer intensive courses or a series of learning events over a period of weeks. Whatever the timescale, all learning programmes should include the following phases:
- an induction to the qualification and your programme of learning and assessment
- a learning programme that meets your needs, focusing on the theoretical aspects of performing within the elite sports training and competition environment
- a programme of assessment, spread throughout the course, including evidence of your ability to understand how to participate in, and contribute to, coaching programmes by an appropriately qualified assessor.
At the end of the programme, you will be provided with formal feedback on your performance and an action plan for your further development.
Assessment
Five of the nine units directly provide for the assessment of elite performers’ application of technical, tactical, physical, nutritional and psychological aspects of your chosen sport. The remaining four units address wider issues such as lifestyle, communication skills and career management. While these are extremely important issues for elite performers, they are also crucial for a successful transfer to secondary or supplementary careers.
Fees
Recognised centres offering this qualification determine their own fees, and they will vary from centre to centre. The fees charged should entitle you to a programme of learning and assessment, registration and certification for the qualification, a 1st4sport Learner Pack and an appropriate learning resource. For further information on the costs of courses, please contact a recognised centre.
Opportunities for funding may be available via a recognised centre, if you are eligible.
Next Steps
The 1st4sport Level 3 Certificate in Understanding Sports Performance (QCF) is only available through sports engaged in the AASE framework – not as a stand-alone qualification. Sports involved in the programme work in partnership with appropriate recognised centres that are able to fulfil the needs of the sport and SkillsActive. You will need to refer to your governing body of sport for further entry information related to your sport.
For further information on the AASE programme, and details of the sports involved, please contact SkillsActive at AASE@skillsactive.com or 1st4sport via email at enquiries@1st4sportqualifications.com or by calling 0113-290 7610.
