How do you plan, lead and evaluate an active leisure event that meets a clear aim with the resources available?
The internally assessed unit: planning, leading, managing and motivating others to deliver an active leisure event or activity, then evaluating its success against its aims, covering the full project cycle from planning to review.
A focused CCEA A2 Sports Science overview of the internally assessed practical unit, covering how to plan, lead, manage and motivate others to deliver an active leisure event, and how to evaluate its success against its aims, the full project cycle examiners assess.
Reviewed by: AI editorial process; not yet individually human-reviewed
Have a quick question? Jump to the Q&A page
Jump to a section
What this unit is asking
This is the internally assessed unit of CCEA A2 Sports Science. Rather than sitting a written paper, you plan, lead, manage and motivate others to deliver an active leisure event or activity, and then evaluate how well it met its aims. Because this dot point covers a practical, coursework unit, it is presented as a single overview of the whole project cycle rather than split into separate examinable points.
Planning the event
A strong plan is specific and realistic for the resources to hand. The aim states what the event is for (for example, a safe and enjoyable multi-sport festival for a group of peers), and the objectives break that aim into measurable targets, which is what the evaluation will later be judged against.
Leading, managing and motivating
On the day, you lead by example, brief everyone clearly on their role, manage the timings and equipment, and adapt the plan if circumstances change. You motivate others by giving positive feedback and encouragement, setting achievable challenges, and creating an inclusive, welcoming atmosphere so that everyone takes part regardless of ability. Different leadership styles (for example a more directive style for safety briefings, a more supportive style to encourage a nervous participant) suit different moments of the event.
Evaluating success
A good evaluation is honest and evidence-based: it does not simply say the event "went well" but measures each objective against the evidence and explains why, then proposes realistic changes for next time. This reflective skill is a major part of how the unit is marked.
Examples in context
Example 1. Adapting leadership style to the moment. During the festival, a student uses a firm, directive style when briefing the safety rules, because clarity and authority matter most there, then switches to a supportive, encouraging style when a nervous participant hesitates at a station. Matching the leadership style to the situation keeps the event both safe and inclusive, and showing this judgement is exactly what the assessment rewards.
Example 2. Using feedback to close the loop. After the event, short questionnaires reveal that participants enjoyed it but that one station had too little equipment, causing queues. The student records this against the objective of full participation and recommends adding equipment or splitting the station next time. This shows the evaluation closing the project cycle, turning evidence into a concrete improvement, which is the hallmark of a strong internal-assessment outcome.
Try this
Q1. List four things that should be included in the plan for an active leisure event. [4 marks]
- Cue. A clear aim and objectives, a resource audit, a risk assessment, assigned roles, a contingency plan (any four).
Q2. Explain why feedback from participants is useful when evaluating an event. [2 marks]
- Cue. It provides evidence of whether the aims were met and highlights specific improvements that observation alone might miss.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of CCEA exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
CCEA A2 sample8 marksDescribe how you would plan and lead an active leisure event for a group of peers, and explain how you would manage and motivate those involved.Show worked answer →
For an internally assessed unit, the expected answer is the project cycle, applied: plan, lead and manage, then motivate, with evidence at each stage.
Planning: set a clear aim and objectives (for example a fun, safe multi-sport festival for 30 peers); audit the resources available (time, venue, equipment, helpers and budget); carry out a risk assessment; produce a detailed plan with timings, roles and a contingency for problems such as bad weather.
Leading and managing: on the day, lead by example, give clear instructions and brief everyone on their role, manage the timings and equipment, and adapt the plan if something changes. Good organisation keeps the event safe and running to schedule.
Motivating others: use leadership skills to keep participants and helpers engaged, give positive feedback and encouragement, set achievable challenges, and create an inclusive atmosphere so everyone takes part. Recognising effort and adjusting the difficulty keeps motivation high.
Markers reward a clear aim, a thorough plan including risk and resources, evidence of leadership and management on the day, and specific motivational strategies.
CCEA A2 sample6 marksExplain how you would evaluate the success of an active leisure event you had organised.Show worked answer →
Evaluation means judging the event against its aims using evidence, then drawing out improvements.
State the original aims and objectives, then gather evidence of whether they were met: attendance and participation figures, feedback from participants and helpers (for example questionnaires or discussion), observation of safety and timings, and whether the event stayed within budget.
Use this evidence to judge what went well and what did not against each aim, identifying the reasons. Then make specific, realistic recommendations for improvement, for example better briefing of helpers, more equipment at a station, or a clearer contingency plan.
Markers reward measuring success against the stated aims, using a range of evidence, and giving justified recommendations for improvement rather than vague comments.
Related dot points
- Planning a personalised training programme: collecting client information, setting SMART goals, selecting methods and applying principles, structuring sessions with warm-up and cool-down, and using periodisation to organise training over time.
A focused CCEA AS Sports Science answer on planning a training programme, covering client screening and goal setting, choosing methods and applying training principles, session structure with warm-up and cool-down, and periodisation, the applied basis of the AS personal trainer task.
- The structure and scope of the active leisure industry: the public, private and voluntary sectors, the range of facilities and services, the roles and careers within the industry, and the economic and social importance of the sector.
A focused CCEA AS Sports Science answer on the structure of the active leisure industry, covering the public, private and voluntary sectors, the range of facilities and services, the roles and careers within it, and the economic and social importance of the sector.
- The social, mental and emotional benefits of participation in physical activity, the barriers to participation for different groups, and the strategies the active leisure industry uses to widen participation.
A focused CCEA AS Sports Science answer on social and mental wellbeing, covering the social, mental and emotional benefits of participation, the barriers to taking part for different groups, and the strategies used to widen participation.
- Sports psychology: types of motivation, arousal and its effect on performance, the theories linking arousal to performance, anxiety and stress management, and goal setting to maintain motivation.
A focused CCEA A2 Sports Science answer on sports psychology, covering intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, arousal and its effect on performance, the drive and inverted-U theories, anxiety and stress management, and goal setting.
- The definitions of health, fitness, exercise and wellbeing, the relationship between them, the dimensions of wellbeing (physical, social, mental and emotional), and the benefits of an active lifestyle for each dimension.
A focused CCEA AS Sports Science answer on health, fitness and wellbeing, covering the definitions of health, fitness and exercise, the relationship between them, the physical, social, mental and emotional dimensions of wellbeing, and the benefits of an active lifestyle.