Our History...
If you’ve roared on a medal-winning British athlete at any time during the last decade then there’s a very good chance we’ve helped them on their way.
You see success doesn’t come easy for talented teenagers and ambitious 20-somethings juggling performance sport with everything else.
Growing up is difficult enough. Growing up with the pressure of hitting personal bests and realising long-held potential is a whole new level of tough. That’s where we come in.
TASS has been helping emerging stars balance life with training and competition since 2004. And our track record is second to none.
We’re immensely proud of the fact that 144 TASS athletes and alumni competed at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games, with 66 of them winning a medal.
At the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics and Paralympics, 27 TASS athletes and alumni competed. Lizzy Yarnold become Olympic champion for the second time and Menna Fitzpatrick won Paralympic gold along with guide Jennifer Kehoe.
The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games saw even more TASS athletes achieve their dreams on an international stage. Over 120 TASS athletes and alumni competed for the home nations – including 20 athletes who were recipients of our support at that time – with 75 becoming medallists.
Sport is all about numbers. And these numbers really do add up. Since October 2014 Sport England has been our funding partner and we’ve never been in a better position to support the nation’s most exciting prospects.
Since 2004 we’ve invested over £40m into athletes and their support networks. We have rubber-stamped over 7,000 awards – enabling athletes across the country to fulfil their sporting potential.
TASS is recognised as a world leader in ‘dual career’ and has worked with and advised bodies as diverse as the IOC, EU and many government and sport organisations.
In 2022/23 we’ll be supporting more than 700 athletes across 34 sports. And we’re proud to do so!
Our Values...
Talk to our TASS team and we hope you’ll recognise our passion for sport and our desire to develop serious talent. Sporting success can go hand in hand with achievement in many other areas of life – be it work, training or education – and we’re here to prove it. A sense of fair play, a professional focus and a loyalty to the athletes we support is at the heart of everything we do.
Our values reflect the core values of sporting competition. We promote honesty, respect for others and teamwork. And we encourage you to develop your mind as much as your body. At its best, sport is about the honorable pursuit of victory. It is not just about playing by the rules – it is also about playing within the spirit of the rules.
As a part of the TASS family you can rest assured that we will help you realise your ambitions on and off the field. Not everyone will win Olympic or Paralympic medals. But we truly believe that everyone can reach their potential as an athlete and in life.
Our Governance...
TASS is part of the SportsAid family – we’re funded by the National Lottery through Sport England. To do that we need to understand our athletes, their sports and where they work and train – and that’s where the TASS Management Group comes in.
Our experienced team shares a common desire to support emerging talent – the group is made up of skilled representatives from within the education and sport sectors. Academic specialists join athlete representatives so we can cover sport in England effectively and efficiently.
Good governance produces good results. And right now TASS is helping to produce outstanding results across the board.
Our Ambassadors...
Jonathan Edwards CBE became a TASS ambassador in 2016. He is a former Olympic, World, Commonwealth and European champion and now works in broadcasting as lead presenter for Eurosport.
Jonathan’s support is invaluable in helping TASS athletes to shine in both education and sport. The triple jump world record holder has met several talented youngsters and supporters of the Scheme whilst representing TASS at events. We’re honoured to call Jonathan an Ambassador and we are grateful for his continued help and support.
“Talented young athletes should be encouraged to combine their studies with elite sport, but I know as well as anyone just how difficult that can be.
“Young people should always be encouraged to realise their dreams but it is also essential, as there are no guarantees of success, that they back up the sporting potential with a balance of higher education and qualifications.
“I faced the same challenge and I understand the demands that are placed on young people as they strive to reach their potential. TASS has a great track record for helping to combine sport potential with studies and helping young people enjoy the rewards that both can bring.”