IN BRIEF

• Jaguar Academy of Sport Ambassador Rio Ferdinand shared his tips for success with future sporting stars
• Premiership player mentored football Rising Stars Gemma Bonner and Jordan Nobbs
• Fellow British sporting legends including Patrons Dame Kelly Holmes and Denise Lewis as well as Ambassadors Jade Jones and Jamie Baulch continue their work with the Jaguar Academy of Sport Rising Stars

IN DETAIL

03 September 2013. Jaguar Academy of Sport Ambassador Rio Ferdinand has shared his tips for sporting success with the Academy's Rising Stars.  Attending a talent day in Jaguar's hometown of Coventry, Rio gave the young athletes advice on what it takes to succeed at top level competition.

Alongside Olympic gold medalist Jade Jones and heptathlete Denise Lewis, Rio shared his advice on preparing for competitions and dealing with the pressure of high profile events. 

Rio Ferdinand, Jaguar Academy of Sport Ambassador said: "Preparing mentally is just as important as preparing physically for a game.  I have a set routine I follow in the days leading up to a match which puts me in the right frame of mind to perform.  I visualise my opponent, the first touch, the first tackle, so that nothing is a surprise. On the day you have to distance yourself from the emotion, otherwise you'll lose focus.  Learning the self‑discipline to stick to your plan and concentrate on the end game even when things aren't going to your way is essential to compete at the highest level."

Rio worked with all the Rising Stars who were able to take on his experiences and advice on becoming world class and dedicated some extra time to tutoring young female footballers Gemma Bonner and Jordan Nobbs, who recently competed at the 2013 UEFA Women's Championship.

Jade Jones former Rising Star and now Ambassador, worked with 15 year‑old Asia Bailey who is hoping to follow in Jade's footsteps and one day win an Olympic gold medal. The pair spoke about the preparation required ahead of a competition and Jade tutored Asia on specific taekwondo moves.

All the Rising Stars had the opportunity to take part in a competition simulation and put into practice the knowledge they'd learnt about mentally and physically preparing to compete.  Workshops were help focusing on competition preparation including nutrition, sports psychology and UKAD 100% me anti‑doping.

Rio Ferdinand, Jaguar Academy of Sport Ambassador said: "The Academy Rising Stars are a hugely talented group of young people and it is obvious to me that there are future champions here today. Gemma and Jordan really impressed me and are already on the road to success having recently competed at the Women's Euros. I look forward to watching them compete in the future."

Jade Jones, Jaguar Academy of Sport Ambassador said: "I'm always delighted to be invited to the Academy workshops, not so long ago I was in their position taking on all the advice of the Ambassadors and I'm honored to now be able to share my advice to help all the Rising Stars on the road to success. At just 15 years of age Asia is already demonstrating all the attributes of a fantastic athlete both physically and mentally, she is a very determined young lady."

Click here to download high res images

(ENDS)

Aimée Hancock
Jaguar Brand Communications Officer
T: 02476 564156
M: 07557 540612                    
E: ahancock@jaguarlandrover.com 

Carla McAlpine
Jaguar Academy of Sport
T: 020 72879610
M: 07718 897803
E:  carla@influenceassociates.com

NOTES TO EDITORS:

Website: www.jaguaracademyofsport.co.uk   

The support the Jaguar Academy of Sport has provided has made a significant difference to the Rising Stars development pathway, with 33 per cent of the 2010 Rising Stars and 30 per cent of 2011 Rising Stars moving on to Talent Development Pathway Funding.

The Jaguar Academy of Sport has received 'Highly Commended Status' from the Marketing Society Awards 2012, recognising the work it is doing to support the next generation of British sporting talent. 

*How to become a Rising Star

To be eligible for the Jaguar Academy of Sport Bursary Fund, young athletes, both able‑bodied and those with a disability, should be nominated to SportsAid for financial support by their sport's own national governing body (NGB). This ensures the Jaguar Academy of Sport helps to support the right athletes, at the right time, in the right way.

Who are the Patrons, Ambassadors and Members of the Jaguar Academy of Sport?

Patrons: including Sir Chris Hoy MBE, Sir Ian Botham OBE, Sir Steve Redgrave CBE, Gareth Edwards CBE, Denise Lewis OBE and Dame Kelly Holmes DBE, MBE, our list reads like a 'who's who' of British sporting legends. Now they are working together, united in one goal ‑ to nurture the next generation of British sporting greats.

Ambassadors: a selection of Olympic gold medal winning athletes, European Champions League winning footballers and rugby legends including; Rio Ferdinand,Colin Jackson CBE, Jessica Ennis CBE and Jonny Wilkinson OBE.

Members:include David Flatman, Clare Balding and Sally Gunnell OBE to name a few, these members are amongst the leading sports personalities who are dedicated to helping young people emulate their success through the Academy.

About SportsAid

• SportsAid is a national charity with Royal patronage that works with the national governing bodies of more than 70 sporting disciplines to identify young sportsmen and women who show great potential. The charity, established in 1976, also works closely with Sport England and UK Sport.
• Typically aged 12 to 18 the athletes supported by SportsAid aspire to be our next Olympic, Paralympic or world champions and are among the UK's brightest hopes for future sporting success. The SportsAid Awards they receive are funded by the charity's partners and donors and recognise their achievements by helping them to meet the high costs of training and competing, which are more than £6,000 a year per athlete.
• At London 2012 almost two‑thirds of the British team were former recipients of SportsAid's support, winning 20 of Team GB's 29 gold medals and 27 of ParalympicsGB's 34 gold medals.
• SportsAid is a registered charity (1111612). For more information visit www.sportsaid.org.uk, follow @TeamSportsAid on Twitter, contact the charity on Facebook, or sign up to receive its monthly newsletter. SportsAid's patron is Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge.

Kelly Holmes Education

Website: www.kellyholmes.co.uk/education

Patron Dame Kelly Holmes and her team at Kelly Holmes Education deliver the Mentoring and Education Programme (MEP) with a skilled workforce of specialist tutors and speakers.

The programme is a collection of themed Talent Days and Workshops which support the Rising Stars to overcome a number of obstacles they may encounter during their sporting career.

Topics covered include:

External Influences on Performance Seems to be a space in here
Presenting Yourself to Sponsors

Looking After your Body for Life
Being World Class
Financial & Life Planning
Building a Successful Team
Celebrating Success