Six out of 10 pupils believe that being the captain of a school sports team makes you more popular and more than half think it makes you more successful in later life, new figures show.
The poll of 800 11 to 19 year-olds was carried out by the Youth Sport Trust, the umbrella body for all specialist sports colleges in England.
More than four out of 10 said they wanted to volunteer at the Olympics, but just one in 10 said they were keen to give up their time to help with the tennis at Wimbledon (last year’s ladies singles winner Amelie Mauresmo, pictured) or the rugby and cricket world cups.
The figures were released as the trust began its search for the next generation of football referees and cricket umpires at the UK’s largest camp for youth volunteers. The Step into Sport camp, held last week at Loughborough University, gave 400 16 to 19-year-olds the chance to complete coaching awards and entry-level qualifications to get them onto the officiating ladder.
