ADP ATHLETES INVITED TO APPLY FOR 2021/22 TASS AWARDS

Applications will open as of 13^th July 2021 for Athlete Development Programme athletes, who are attending University, to apply for a TASS (Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme) award for the academic year 2021/22

TASS is a Sport England funded programme supporting individual athletes studying at university in England. In order to be eligible for nomination, an athlete must meet the following criteria –

• Be a member of BF’s Athlete Development Programme.
• Have a realistic prospect of meeting one or more of the performance standards set out below.
• Be on an education or training programme at a recognised English Institution totalling over 300 learning hours between 1 September 2021 and 31 August 2022
• Hold a GB passport.
• Represent England as their home nation, Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish athletes are not eligible. However, athletes from the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands can be nominated.
• Athletes must be 16 years or over at the start of the academic year (1 Sep, 2021).
• If an athlete is on the DiSE programme or receiving a Sports Aid Core award they are not eligible for a TASS award. However, if an athlete is receiving Backing the Best support, they can also be eligible for a TASS award.
• Able to and willing to travel to a TASS Delivery Site as often as necessary to meet TASS’s expectations of athletes.

TASS aims to provide athletes with access to training and guidance including strength and conditioning, lifestyle, nutrition and sports psychology. It is designed to complement an athlete’s sport-specific training programme as well as give them the tools to be able to train and compete while also studying full-time. For the academic year 2021/22, BF will be able to nominate 5 athletes for TASS awards. The expectation is that successful nominees would be aiming to target one or more of the following –

• Compete (defined as being selected) at the 2024 Olympic Games.
• Compete (defined as being selected) at the Senior European and/or World Championships in 2021 or 2022.
• Perform (defined as competing to a standard capable of achieving a result of last 16 or better) at the World University Games 2022.
• Perform (defined as competing to a standard capable of achieving a result of last 16 or better) at the European U23 Championships in 2022.
• Perform (defined as competing to a standard capable of achieving a result of last 16 or better) at the U20 Junior European and/or World Championships in 2022.

The application pack will be sent to athletes on British Fencing’s ADP via email, and the deadline for submitting completed applications is 23:59 on Sunday 8th August.

Once the applications have been received, the Athlete Development Team will review them and nominate 5 athletes and 2 reserves to TASS.

If you have any questions regarding the application process, please contact [email protected]