Why the Best Teachers Borrow From High Performance

In high-performance sport, 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀 𝗹𝗲𝗳𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲.

Training sessions are designed with purpose.

Progress is tracked.

Every detail matters.

Athletes don’t just turn up and “play” — they follow a pathway that stretches them, supports them, and helps them reach their potential.

The best PE teachers already know this.

They don’t copy elite sport, but they 𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗼𝘄 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗶𝘁.

They see the value in 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲, 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 ‘𝘄𝗵𝘆’.

Think about 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀.

In elite sport, it could be refining technique or recovery.

In PE, it could be as simple as giving students the language to reflect, or setting small, achievable targets that build confidence and competence.

And then there’s 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆.

Elite coaches break complex skills into steps.

They make pathways visible.

When students know where they’re heading, they engage more deeply and take greater ownership of their learning.

Borrowing from high performance doesn’t mean turning PE into an Olympic training camp.

It means recognising that young people thrive under the same principles:

𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲, 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲.

When PE borrows from high performance, it becomes more than activity.

It becomes an environment where 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁.