'Too many Olympians went to private school' (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Its not wholly unacceptable at all! How many of the medalists that were privately educated paid full fees?
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How many of these schools don't share their facilities with local state schools or sports clubs?
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Shouldn't we be focusing on sports clubs to produce top competitors not school PE teachers? Shouldn't there be a better scouting system so that young children are identified by PE teachers and fast tracked to sports clubs that have specialist coaches?
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If he has a problem with the facilities available to those that choose to pay for their education then perhaps he should be campaigning for a change in the sports that are included in the Olympics - out with archery and in with darts, out with equestrian and in with dog agility, out with cycling, out with rowing, in with the obstacle course and crazy golf.

MMmmm this'll be interesting, little johnny coming home from the local comprehensive announcing he's taking up rowing or he wants a £5000 bike to have a do at the £30 per hour velodrome. Or maybe yachting at this years regatta.
Get a grip unless they invent bean bagging or the hoop as an olyimpic event you've no chance. I always wondered what the benefits of bean bagging was when it was raining. You throw it up, then you catch it. Ahh bean bagging, sport was so simple then.

Much of the sport on offer at the Olympics will be out of the reach of children/youths from ordinary backgrounds simply because you need pots of money to be able to start practising them or reach training locations. Much better that as many young people as possible take part in and have access to sporting facilities at whatever level throughout their lives at local level. The Olympics is just a once in four year hype.

I agree that the cost of some sports is beyond most ordinary people, e.g. equestrian, sailing etc. However, Blackburn has its Harriers Athletic Club with a sports ground at Witton Park and there are several swimming baths. Young people should be encouraged to try whatever sports they can afford and not be put off by people with such negative attitudes.

grumpyoldlady wrote:
I agree that the cost of some sports is beyond most ordinary people, e.g. equestrian, sailing etc. However, Blackburn has its Harriers Athletic Club with a sports ground at Witton Park and there are several swimming baths. Young people should be encouraged to try whatever sports they can afford and not be put off by people with such negative attitudes.

Aye, negative attitudes are the main factors in keeping people down. A crab climbing out of the fisherman's bucket will be dragged in by the others and that is evident in the way people behave. Colne wins a Gold Medal in a sport anyone can take up. You can buy a bike for about £100 and anyone thinking it has to cost £5000 is being willingly stupid and blind to the truth. And people would rather see Kazakhstan win the gold medal than see someone from the town they hold to be their rivals. Negative, stupid and beneath contempt.