BBC Sport Academy is the rather grand title for the corporation’s new website dedicated to sports participation.

Contrary to the title, it’s not a virtual gathering place for the UK’s elite young athletes, but a starting point for young people wanting to improve their performance or start a new sport.

Most of the in-depth coverage is dedicated to nine major sports - football, tennis, cricket, golf, rugby union, rugby league, athletics, basketball and swimming. Each of these sports features a skills section with video masterclasses and animations, training manoeuvres, a jargon guide, equipment lists, association contacts, opportunities for disabled participation, news, and links to related websites.

While fine in themselves, the video masterclasses, illustrated drills and animations are only really useful if you have a coach or a friend to help you out. More user-friendly are the jargon guides and the the rules sections, which are both easy to understand and practical.

One of the big selling points is supposed to be the sporting hero spotlights for each sport. There are few illuminating insights on how to be a winner, but they do provide bizarre nuggets of useless information.

Tim Henman, we are told, likes Robbie Williams, and his ideal date would be Princess Diana. Jonah Lomu wouldn’t mind being a marketing manager for a New Zealand bank when he retires from rugby and footballer Kieron Dyer didn’t take much notice of his teachers because: “I just had the impression I was gonna make it.”

The contacts list seems a bit lofty. How many 13-year-olds, however confident, are going to call up their local Lawn Tennis Association development officer? Much of the information is aimed at students, but it will be parents and teachers tapping into it for the grassroots contacts.

As well as sections for the listed sports, there’s an email-a-coach facility, plenty of general information on gym fitness, healthy eating and injuries, and tips from professionals. Minority sports such as squash, weightlifting, table tennis and heptathlon also get limited coverage.

Sport Academy might not make anyone a better athlete, but it will certainly make them a more knowledgeable one.

www.bbc.co.uksportacademy