The government-run school of sport will open its doors when the new scholastic year starts in September. For the first time, up to 40 Form 1 students will have the opportunity to attend a mixture of classes that will help them improve their academic skills as well as further their training in the sport of their choice.

The idea is to prepare the students in a dual career path – both in the traditional subjects the students will need to pursue their studies at tertiary level and to further improve their chances of being successful in sport. The school will start off with just Form 1 students, but within five years it will be a normal secondary school with students in each of the five academic years.

The concept of this school goes a long way to continue to break the myth that studying and sport do not go together. And it is positive that many parents have welcomed the idea and did not prevent their children – selected on the basis of their sporting skills by different associations – from taking up the opportunity.

Hopefully, it will also lead to the “production” of better athletes in their respective sport. Malta is a sport-loving nation, but Maltese individuals and teams have rarely managed to succeed in the international sphere. Having children who, from the age of 10, are able to focus on their sport (while at the same time following their academic courses) will hopefully lead to better results in the future.

The fact that these students will be able to have a mixture of lessons in academic subjects as well as lessons in sport will mean that they do not need to make their choices at such a young age. If, for some reason or other, they lose interest in their sport or are unable to pursue a career in the discipline they choose (either through injury or choice), they will still be able to follow a professional career of their choice.

Of course, it is understandable that the school might face some teething problems in the early stages. But having a gradual build-up – in the sense that it will start off with up to 40 students in the first year, with the number increasing every September for five years – will enable the administrators to tackle them in the right manner.