By the BBC's Mike McKay

A high-level group of sports academics, administrators and civil servants begin a keynote series of meetings in London on Tuesday - their task, to draw up an action plan for training the sports stars of the future.

The group is agreed on one thing - the United Kingdom's system of coaching and promoting sports talent lags badly behind many other leading nations.

Many of the country's top thinkers in sports and athletics will meet in "workshop" sessions over the coming months to recommend a blue-print for change to government ministers.

The group is being steered by Sue Campbell, recently appointed special advisor to Sports Minister Kate Hoey and School Standards Minister Estelle Morris.

Widely-respected in UK sports administration, Ms Campbell is chief executive of the Sports Youth Trust.

She said: "My Lancashire father used to say things are 'left to happenchance'. That's very much the picture in sport in this country. What these meetings aim to do is develop plans for a very much more structured system of sports training, coaching, promotion and opportunity."

Cinderella subject

Ms Campbell says everyone in sport recognises what the problems are - the real challenge is to produce a formula for ensuring talent is not overlooked or poorly trained at any level.

The first overhaul session will focus on physical education in schools and involve representatives from, among others, the British Advisors and Lecturers in Physical Education and the Physical Education Association of the United Kingdom.

Many educationalists believe PE has become the Cinderella subject of the school curriculum.

They say the government has been so eager to emphasise academic skills - such as literacy and numeracy - that it has marginalised school sports.

The loss of recreation grounds and the decline in status of PE teachers has exacerbated the problem.

One of the delegates at Tuesday's session, Professor Margaret Talbot, head of sport at Leeds University, said: "This series of discussions, for professionals, is one of the most encouraging signs for years - that, and the appointment of Sue Campbell, to head them."

Prof Talbot's own research over the last 12 months has revealed a severe deficit in PE, particularly in primary schools where, in some places, scarcely any physical education goes on at all.

Morale among the increasingly isolated PE teachers is "desperately low" in many schools, says Ms Talbot.

Ms Campbell says that the "brainstorming" sessions will eventually broaden out to include cricket, football, swimming, tennis and other sport in the community up to national and professional level.

Governing bodies such as the FA, the Lawn Tennis Association and the England and Wales Cricket Board are expected at future discussions.

'Structured support and training'

Ms Campbell is much taken with the American policy of after-schools coaching, based on the role of athletics directors - a post which she says "virtually enjoys the same status as a school principal".

"We have to develop a system in which we too provide much more structured support and training outside normal school hours for our talented youngsters," she said.

"We must be more pro-active. We could make more effective use of lottery money - but it needs to be focussed rather than willy-nilly payments."

She also admires the Australian system of sports development - based on the concept of large single clubs buttressed by a circle of smaller, feeder clubs.

To some extent, she says, this is happening with swimming clubs in the UK. But the principle may need to be extended.

In February, the government is due to publish its sports strategy. The Campbell "think tank" series will be an important and on-going part of that strategy.

Ms Campbell says there have been "false dawns" before. She has taken on her new role after assurances that her mission will be treated by government with the utmost seriousness.