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Sport and fitness for today’s youth
February 2010 £2.75
Sam claiming schools snub talent scheme By Louise Cordell PUPILS are being denied opportunities to excel at sport because many schools see talent selection programmes as too ‘elitist’, according to a national coach. Sam Buck, head coach at Cambridge Dive Team has found local schools reluctant to get involved in a scheme set up to offer talented children free coaching for fear of excluding less talented kids. Sam, who was recently named Young Coach of the Year at the UK Coaching Awards, revealed that, in the four years the national initiative has been running, only 12 schools in the area have agreed to take part. He said: “The feedback we got was that many teachers felt that the talent selection process was too elitist and that it wasn’t the best way to get the kids involved. We’ve found a very strange attitude within schools – sporting achievement used to be celebrated, but now it seems way down the pecking order and academic achievement is more highly prized. This is a shame, because some kids are not academic, but given the opportunity, they could find something different that they are great at.”
The talent selection programme involves the coaches going into PE lessons to find pupils with potential, then inviting them to further try outs at the pool – the most promising are then offered three months of free diving lessons. However, every other pupil that takes part is also entitled to a lesson at the club, giving them a chance to try something new. After struggling to get schools involved in the scheme, Sam decided the only option was to side step the teachers and set up a pre-school trampolining group for kids aged three to five, which feeds into the diving classes. The club is now aiming to expand by 150 members over the next year, however, Sam is concerned that it will not meet this goal if schools don’t change their approach. He added: “It was disheartening and I felt like we had to start thinking of other options. We want to keep finding more talent, but we need the schools to get on board and give their pupils that chance.” Sam also added that there has been an improvement in the response from schools since the club made contact with the local SSP and showed them what the scheme is all about.
TV series follows kids for a decade
Record-breaking sailor and former PE teacher Dee Caffari has been presented with an Inspiration Award for her work with young people in schools. She is the first woman to have sailed single handed and non stop around the world in both directions and has now been awarded an MBE for her achievements. Dee was also recently presented with the Helen Rollason Award for Inspiration at the Sunday Times Sportswoman of the Year Awards. The recognition came after she entered the sixth edition of the gruelling Vendee Globe race, coming in sixth out of 30 skippers and one of only 11 boars to make it back in one piece. Full story, Page 17
A NEW Channel 4 documentary, screening this month, is set to follow the lives of seven overweight children for a decade. The ‘Generation XXL’ series will be tracking kids aged seven to 11 over ten years to see how they cope with their size and what it feels like to be growing up fat. The opening film will feature three of the older children in the group, looking at how aware they are of their bodies and how the rest of the world sees them. The show will document their observations and daily routines and well as results from scans and physical and psychological tests. Paula Watson manages a healthy lifestyle programme for obese children and their families at Liverpool John Moores University, and appears as an expert in Generation XXL. She said: “A child doesn't have to look very big to be classified as obese. It's becoming almost the norm.”
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Talking device could bring obesity solution By Louise Cordell A TALKING weighing device that tells kids how quickly they are eating their food could be a solution to childhood obesity according to researchers. The ‘Mandometer’ tracks what is eaten at mealtimes and tells the user if they are gobbling their food too fast – a habit that experts have linked to weight gain. A recent trial with 106 obese children has showed promising results with all weighing less and eating smaller portions 12 months later. The device was originally developed at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm to help to retrain individuals to eat less and more slowly by providing real-time, computerised feedback during meal times. In order to find out if it could be effective in the fight against childhood obesity, researchers at Bristol Royal Hospital for Children and the University of Bristol carried out a randomised study of patients aged between nine and 17 years. One group received Mandometer therapy to lose weight and the other were provided with standard care. Both groups were encouraged to
Contacts Group editor: Andrew Harrod – ah@whpl.net Tel: 01226 734639 Reporters: Louise Cordell – lcordell@whpl.net Tel: 01226 734694 Mary Ferguson – mf@whpl.net Tel: 01226 734712 Christina Eccles – ce@whpl.net Tel: 01226 734463 Dominic Musgrave – dm@whpl.net Tel: 01226 734407 Sales and marketing director: Tony Barry Sales and product manager: James Dickson jd@whpl.net Tel: 01226 734672
increase their levels of physical activity to one-hour a day and to eat a balanced diet. After 12 months, the Mandometer group not only had a significantly lower average body mass index and body fat score than the standard care group, but their portion size was smaller and their speed of eating was reduced by 11 per cent compared with a gain of four per cent in the other group. The improvement was also maintained six months after the end of treatment, suggesting that the trial could have contributed to longer term behavioural change. Professor Julian Hamilton-Shield, lead researcher said: “Mandometer therapy, focussing on eating speed and meal size, seems to be a useful addition to the rather sparse options available for treating adolescent obesity effectively without recourse to pharmacotherapy. “The Mandometer requires further evaluation in other settings and with different groups of patients, but retraining eating behaviour and reinforcing feelings of satiety does seem to improve weight loss in obese adolescents.”
www.futurefitness.uk.net Studio manager: Stewart Holt sth@whpl.net Deputy group editor: Judith Halkerston jhalkerston@whpl.net Circulation enquiries to: Kelly Tarff kt@whpl.net Tel: 01226 734695
Jason Gardener
2012 pressure warning OLYMPIC gold medallist Jason Gardener has warned of the dangers of putting too much pressure on elite young athletes in the build up to London 2012. Jason, who acts as a school sport ambassador for the Youth Sport Trust, has voiced concerns that the rapid rise to stardom of world champion diver Tom Daley and Paralympic gold medallist swimmer Ellie Simmonds might place unrealistic expectations on other young performers. The 2004 relay champion said: “Following the recent phenomenal successes of Tom and Ellie, there is now going to be a huge weight of
expectation on any young athlete who starts to show signs of greatness at an early age. It should not be forgotten that the likes of Tom and Ellie are exceptional talents and the danger is we put other young athletes in that bracket too soon, which could have potentially damaging consequences. For me, there is no argument that a career in elite sport opens up the most amazing opportunities and I would urge any young person who has a talent in that field to follow their dreams, but they must be allowed to enjoy their sport and most importantly have access to the right support and, crucially, when they need it.”
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Genetic link to severe obesity in children? By Louise Cordell
Steve Curtis and Dave Varley MSP
Picture: Mike Park
University launches Active Campus to boost activity levels THE University of Hull is encouraging its students to get active, with the help of Hull City AFC and the Jane Tomlinson Run For All campaign. The University’s sports development team has devised Active Campus – a series of routes for walkers, joggers or runners to use, which include stops at three pods of specially designed outdoor fitness equipment. Steve Curtis, sports development manager, said: “We are delighted to
get this initiative off the ground. It is envisaged that the Active Campus will make a real difference to activity levels and have an impact on the healthy routines of our students and our staff. “As a department we are also heavily involved with the local community, through grassroots sports and supporting Hull’s bid to become a World Cup host city, and the Active Campus is just another step towards our integration with the community.”
RESEARCHERS have discovered what they believe is a genetic cause of severe obesity in children. In the first study of its kind, Cambridge University scientists have found that the loss of a key segment of DNA can lead to severe childhood obesity. To get the results, researchers looked at 300 severely-obese children, scanning their entire genome looking for types of mutation known as copy number variants (CNVs). Lead scientists Dr Sadaf Farooqi from Cambridge University and Dr Matt Hurles from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, found that certain parts of the genome were missing in some patients with severe obesity, compared with over 7,000 controls. Dr Farooqi said: “We found that part of chromosome 16 can be deleted in some families, and that people with this deletion have severe obesity from a young age. “Our results suggest that one particular gene on chromosome 16 called
SH2B1 plays a key role in regulating weight and also in handling blood sugar levels. “People with deletions involving this gene had a strong drive to eat and gained weight very easily.” It is believe that the findings will have implications for the diagnosis of childhood obesity, which has sometimes been misattributed to abuse. Some of the children in the study had previously been classified as ‘at risk’ by Social Services on the assumption that their parents were overfeeding the children – however, they have now been removed from the register. Dr Farooqi added: “This study shows that severe obesity is a serious medical issue that deserves scientific investigation. It adds to the growing weight of evidence that a wide range of genetic variants can produce a strong drive to eat. “We hope that this will alter attitudes and practices amongst those with a professional responsibility for the health and well being of children.”
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‘Active childhood protects against later obesity’ By Louise Cordell THE type of exercise children do, rather than the amount, is most important in maintaining a healthy weight, according to a new study. Researchers from the universities of Bath and Bristol have been looking into how major a role activity plays in the battle to keep obesity at bay. The results have been put together with previous work done in the field and provide evidence that being active in childhood protects against later obesity. They show that making even small increases to daily exercise routines can have dramatic long term results – as long as the exercise chosen is one that makes the participant breathless. Researchers found that doing just 15 minutes a day of at least moderate exercise at age 12, led to ten to 12 per cent less body fat in boys and girls when they reached age 14. The results are particularly important as the study followed the same large group of UK children who were assessed two years apart. Combined with the use of high-tech equipment, this has provided the
most accurate measures of both fat and activity levels every achieved for this type of research. Professor Chris Riddoch from the University of Bath led the study and said: “Although this study spans only two years, the important thing is that we have a far clearer idea of the sequence of events. “It is a really important link in the chain of evidence showing that inactivity leads to obesity, rather than obesity – for example caused by overeating – leading to inactivity. “It is the strongest suggestion yet that we need to look at how active children are, rather than automatically blaming their diet, when we wonder about why children are become overweight and obese.” Each child wore a special ‘Actigraph activity monitor’, which monitored their movements for ten hours a day for three to seven days. They also had their body fat measured using an X-ray emission scanner, which differentiates both muscle and fat deposits in the body and is far more precise than the BMI system.
Vika throws weight behind idea FEMALE students at Newcastle’s Walker Technology College have been given the opportunity to take up the unusual sport of weightlifting. Girls from all year groups were visited by ex-Olympic weightlifter Vika De Giorgi, who demonstrated the posture, muscular agility, synchronisation and coordination needed to compete. Vika is aiming to set up a weightlifting club in the Walker area, in order to make the activity sustainable for young people and help train the sport’s stars of the future. She pointed out to the pupils that,
with weightlifting, athletes compete in their own weight category so people of every size are welcome – and that the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2014 are a great target for anyone new to the sport. Joyce Matthews, PDM of Newcastle School Sport Partnership, said: “We are constantly striving for new activities to engage young people, and Vika has the same philosophy that we have in the partnership. “Sport changes lives and this could be one of these activities that realises untapped potential in our students.”
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University role for Stephen COMMONWEALTH gold medal winner and former badminton professional Stephen Baddeley is to be the new director of sport at the University of Bath. Following his badminton career he has been Britain’s team manager at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992, coached for Scotland and Switzerland, become chief executive of the Badminton Association of England and then director of national sport for Sport England. He said: “The University of Bath has an outstanding sports development system underpinned by world class facilities and it is an immense privilege to be taking on this exciting role, especially during the run up to 2012. The challenge is to build on what is already a great set-up by taking it one step further.” Bath has already been chosen as the venue to host the ParalympicsGB team’s preparations in the run up to London
Stephen Baddeley 2012, and discussions are still ongoing about hosting an Olympic team.
Shokk appointment for David YOUTH fitness brand Shokk has appointed David Reid as new national sales manager. The move coincides with the first anniversary of the launch of Scotland’s first Shokk outlet in Dundee, which attracts over 300 members aged between five and 16. David Weir, director with énergie
and Shokk Scotland, said: “We are delighted to welcome someone of David’s calibre to the organisation. It is our intention that his appointment will assist us in developing the brand more rapidly, and help with our work creating a physical activity offering that is effective, safe, fun and accessible.”
Fruity pictures could help kids to eat healthily NEW research by psychologists at the University of Reading could encourage young children to eat healthier foods. Initial findings from the study suggests that toddlers aged around 21 to 24 months who regularly look at pictures of vegetables and fruits that are not part of their normal diet, are much more enthusiastic about trying them. Researcher Dr Carmel Houston-Price, said: "From earlier research we knew that children are more willing to look at foods when they have seen books about them and we wanted to see if the books also made children more willing to eat unfamiliar foods." The aim of the study is to help the many young children who are particularly fussy when it comes to trying new foods, and will often refuse to eat unfamiliar things. Parents were given picture books about four foods, two fruits and two vegetables. Two of them were familiar to the child, such as carrots and grapes, and two were unfamiliar, such as radish and lychees. They read the book every day with their toddler for two weeks.
The toddlers then took part in 'a willingness to taste test', at which they were offered four vegetables (the two in their book and two not in the book), followed by a plate of four fruits. Overall, the children were more interested in tasting unfamiliar foods if they had previously seen pictures of these in books. So, for example, children who had seen lychees in their books tasted these before trying a fruit not shown, such as blueberries. Toddlers who had seen blueberries chose these before lychees. Dr Houston-Price added: “We think that showing children pictures of healthy foods might work to increase their willingness to taste them. In the future we will examine whether picture books might be used to help parents introduce new foods at home, and whether parents whose children are fussy eaters might particularly benefit from this strategy.” This preliminary study involved a small sample but the Economic and Social Research Council has now awarded the researchers a £100,000 grant to undertake a bigger study with 120 children in the spring.
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High jumper Steve raises the bar ... By Louise Cordell BRITAIN’S most successful ever high jumper is now working to inspire teachers and pupils to achieve through sport. Steve Smith, whose jumping record has not been beaten in 16 years, is now a director of Raise the Bar, a training and development company. The organisation was formed six years ago and originally provided former sporting champions as corporate motivational speakers. However, the last two years has seen an increase in requests for speakers from schools, partnership development managers and school sport partnerships. Steve said: “Everything we do has always been sport driven – we aim to use sport as an inspirational learning model. This makes our experts particularly relevant for the education sector and we have found the service growing in popularity. “This is down to the fact that, because our speakers can charge relatively high rates for the corporate work they do, they are able to work with the education sector, engaging teachers and pupils, at reduced and affordable prices.”
As well as motivational speaking, the company’s experts also provide one off workshops, team building days and engagement programme – with different speakers specially selected to make the most of their particular area of expertise. They are called on by schools and SSPs for a range of different reasons from generating high profile public relations to rewarding hard working staff. Steve added: “Some partnerships want a speaker to attend their event, because a world class athlete will help them attract an audience, leading to more funds raised for their grassroots sports projects and positive PR which will improve their standing in the community. “Others want a speaker for staff conferences, because they know that being a PE teacher is not an easy job and want to make them feel valued. “I understand how one individual can make a massive difference in life – my own PE teacher was a turning point in my sporting career. “So a world class athlete speaking to teachers about how they can make real changes in pupils lives can make them feel great about the job that they do.”
Emily takes award for second year running EMILY Llewellyn has been awarded her second Young Sports Personality of the Year Award. The Sussex University business and management student was recognised at the 2009 Sussex Sports Awards, after impressing judges with her achievements in the equestrian disciplines of dressage, eventing and jumping. Emily accepted the award for the second year running following an impressive season, during which she won several national events, including the British National University and National Under 25 Championships. She currently competes as part of the youth GB team, which she helped retain its gold medal at this year's European Championships and is now hoping to compete in the London Olympics. She said: “I have been looking forward to the Olympics for years.
Steve Smith
“From here on I will be getting myself in the best shape possible, so I can secure a place in the team."
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£20m sports college creates new centre of excellence By Louise Cordell NOTTINGHAM City Council has created a new £20m school as part of the Building Schools for the Future initiative. Oak Field School and Sports College is a purpose-built facility, created to replace two schools in the area – one which specialised in students with physical disabilities and the other in pupils with learning disabilities. The new school is now a centre of excellence for up to 140 pupils with severe or profound learning and phsical disabilities, aged from three to 19. It has also maintained sports college status and, as part of this development, has invested in stage two IFI accredited CV and resistance equipment from Cybex. Helen Coulson, school sport coordinator, said: “Our sports college status enables us to not only imbue our students with the confidence achieved from using a gym, both socially and physically. It also allows us to reach out to the wider community too. “One of our initiatives includes training parents of our students to become gym instructors.” In total the school invested in £25,000 of equipment including treadmills, bikes, upper body ergometer, VR3 chest press, leg curl and cable column. Helen said: “The gym is vital to actively promote healthy lifestyles amongst our students, as well as encouraging independence. It is a key component in our PE curriculum, allowing us to expand our portfolio and bring in new things to aid our students’ enjoyment of physical activity. The IFI accredited equipment has also enabled us, for the first time, to work with our on site physiotherapists and look at what will complement their programmes for students who can
now access the equipment. We want to help our students to make appropriate life choices both now and in the future and prepare them for life beyond school. Most importantly though we want them to have fun, feel better and learn better.” She added: “The gym will be used by students during the day and is also offered to staff and parents free of charge during particular time slots. In time, we aim to open up the gym to the community and to former students in the area during evenings and weekends.” Penny Evans, director of specialism, added: “We have already had good results in terms of weight loss for those of our students who have been using the equipment. We are conscious that people with learning disabilities are more likely to develop health problems and are more prone to obesity and the associated health problems so it is important to establish the principles of health living while our pupils are still at school.” Commenting on their decision to use Cybex, Penny said: “We undertook a rigorous selection process via a tender. This was measured on a points system but the IFI accreditation of the equipment was key within the criteria. After we had selected four bids, we then undertook presentations followed by feedback and a second marking process. Cybex came out clearly in the lead on the criteria. Crucially, they listened to our requirements and understood and responded to them. As well as supplying equipment, they provided gym layouts for the initial site at Shepherd School and the new school, as well as training for our instructors and impartial advice on technology solutions for the gym.” The school is now working towards IFI accreditation, as well as developing tests on Cybex’s CV
equipment to evaluate improvements in fitness amongst the students and setting up an in house reward system. Ultimately the aim is to use this reward system for vulnerable adults in the wider community too. Headteacher, David S Stewart OBE said “As a health promoting school, we have had an absolute commitment to the health and wellbeing of our whole school community. We want to promote a real sense of self worth and self
esteem.” Oak Field School and Sports College offers its pupils purpose built classrooms, a variety of outdoor play areas for each key stage, sports hall with drama area, hydro and hot pool, multi use sports pitch with basketball court, physiotherapy and nursing facilities. There are 26 teachers at the school and over 100 members of staff.
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1,000 days to become a champion By Louise Cordell THE University of Leicester has launched a talent drive to mark 1,000 days until the start of the Paralympic Games in London. The aim is to let people know that there is still time to become a gold medalist in front of a home crowd in 2012 and that athletes with a disability have never had a better chance to become part of the Paralympics GB team. The Talent 2012: Paralympic Potential scheme is a nationwide search being run by UK Sport, EIS and the British Paralympic Association. It is the first time a campaign of this size, so close to a Games, has been run – however, while it can take athletes up to eight years to reach an Olympics, research has shown that potential participants for the Paralympics can be ready to compete much sooner. Results at the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing showed that 33 per cent of British medalists had been part of a world class elite programme
for less than two years and 19 of the British Gold medals were won by first time Paralympians. Chelsea Warr, head of athlete development at UK Sport, said: “The ability to achieve a Paralympic Gold medal is a rare commodity and identifying those capable of doing so in the final 1000 days before 2012 will be no easy task. It is possible however, as results at the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing have shown, that with hard work, dedication and the right coaching set up, we can make someone’s dream a reality.” The campaign is open to athletes aged between 15 and 35 with any form of disability who believe they have what it takes to become a Paralympic Champion in 1,000 days’ time. Phil Lane, Paralympics GB chief executive, said: “Whilst we have come second in the medal table at the past four games, there are many events that we simply haven’t been able to field an athlete in. With the competition getting tougher all the time it is vital that we have explored all avenues to recruit new athletes.”
Sports day with a difference BRISTOL University has put on an event to offer local pupils a sports day with a difference. Around 60 pupils aged ten and 11 from the Bridge Learning Campus in Hartcliffe, visited the university’s Centre for Sport, Exercise and Health. They teamed up with student volunteers and University staff to take part in a range of activities including futsal, cheerleading, multi-sports games, relay races and a sports quiz. The aim of the annual event is to encourage and motivate the pupils to participate in sport and to try new
activities, and also gives volunteers the chance to demonstrate their leadership skills as part of the ‘Community Sports Leadership Award’. Matt Edwards, community sport development officer, said: “The event provides a chance for the pupils to try new sports, work as a team and most importantly have fun. It is an excellent opportunity for our students and staff to get involved with a community project and experience the rewards of volunteering – both on the day itself, and in terms of developing their skills and experience for the future.”
Tom Daley during a youth lobby campaign which supported the Make Space for Health initiative.
Tom takes young sports personality of the year award TOM Daley, the youngest ever British World Champion has been named the BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year for 2009. The year's judging panel included BBC Sport presenters John Inverdale and Jake Humphrey, Blue Peter presenter Helen Skelton, former winners Kate Haywood and Harry Aikines Aryeetey as well as two representatives from the Youth Sport Trust – director of sport Alison Oliver and director of communications and policy, Mark Atkinson. Alison Oliver said: “This year's
finalists for Young Sports Personality of the Year were some of the best ever. “The breadth and depth of their experience – competing on the national, European and world stage – at such a young age is truly inspiring. They all deserve enormous credit for their achievements and should feel very proud of their successes. “I would like to congratulate Tom Daley for his success throughout the last year and look forward to seeing what the next year will bring.”
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EXF providing knowledge as well as equipment EXF Fitness is teaming up with its American partner, Perform Better USA, to launch a series of one-day ‘Learn by Doing’ seminars. The company has put together a team of experts in physical conditioning and performance and the sessions will be taking place up and down the UK from February.
£3m upgrade for college facilities THE Manchester College has invested £3m to upgrade its fitness facilities as part of its commitment to the health of students, staff and the community. Neil McMillan, sports operations manager, said: “We have a robust and inclusive policy to health and wellbeing. To this end we have purchased high quality equipment to create a professional standard of facility, staffed with a highly-trained team so that the experience is comparable to that in a private gym. “However, unlike private health clubs, our memberships start at just £1 per visit.” Facilities at both of the college’s two campuses have been refurbished with around £100,000 being spent on 30 CV and resistance stations from Cybex. A new fitness suite was created in place of old workshops, a multi use games area has been built outside a new cafeteria, a spa, hair and beauty department has also been added, as well as a restaurant. Since both facilities reopened memberships have rapidly increased, with nearly 1.000 members attending across the two campuses.
Charles Burch, EXF managing director, said: “We have been involved at the sharp end of elite sport for several years and have worked with bodies like GB Cycling and GB Taekwondo as well as football, rugby and athletics. “We feel this is the right time to
utilise our expertise and contacts in this field and take them to a wider public. We believe in not just providing the equipment but also the knowledge to enable individual exercisers, gym managers and sports coaches to get the maximum benefit from their training.”
Teen dieters may put their bones at risk By Louise Cordell TEENAGE girls who diet and become too thin may be putting their bones at risk, according to the latest research from the Children of the 90s’ project. While experts have long been aware that the amount of muscle in the body is related to bone growth, these new findings show that fat mass is also important in building bone, particularly in girls. The researchers looked at over 4,000 young people aged 15, using scanning techniques that calculated the shape and density of their bones, as well as how much body fat they had. Those with higher levels of fat tended to have larger and thicker bones and this connection was particularly clear in the girls. For example, one key measure showed that in girls, a five kilogram increase in fat mass was associated with an eight per cent increase in the
circumference of the lower leg bone. This showed that fat plays an important role in female bone development – particularly as girls tend to have higher levels of fat than boys, even when they are normal weight. Jon Tobias, professor of rheumatology and leader of the research, said: “There is a good deal of pressure on teenage girls to be thin, but they need to be aware that this could endanger their developing skeleton and put them at increased risk of osteoporosis. Many people think that exercise is the key to losing weight and building strong bones at the same time – but this may only be true up to a point. “If you do a good deal of low impact exercise, such as walking, you will certainly lose fat but you may not be able to put enough stress on the bones to build them significantly. To offset the detrimental effect of fat loss on your bones, it may be important to include high impact exercise as well, such as running or jumping.”
Charity brings three new additions on board THE national youth sports development charity, StreetGames, has announced three new additions to its board – Richard Moore, Victoria Hill and David Innes. Richard is CEO of consultancy Capitalize and has over 17 years of marketing and sponsorship experience, Victoria Hill is currently direc-
tor of insights for Co-ordinated Action Against Domestic Abuse (CAADA) and David Innes is a corporate partner at city law firm Travers Smith. Jane Ashworth, StreetGames chief executive said: “These new appointments to the StreetGames board come at an exciting and important
time for the charity. In just three years we have helped develop a network of community projects that deliver sport on the doorstep of young people living in disadvantaged communities. Between them, these projects have already generated over a million attendances. But there is so much more to do.”
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Exercising boys ‘more likely to go to university’ By Louise Cordell TEENAGE boys who take part in sport are more intelligent and are more likely to go on to university, according to new research. The study, carried out at the Sahlgrenska Academy in Sweden, involved 1.2 million Swedish men doing military service and their physical and IQ test results taken when they enrolled. Results showed a clear link between good physical fitness and better intelligence test results, with the strongest links for logical thinking and verbal comprehension. However, it was only fitness – not strength – that played a role in improved IQ results. Michael Nilsson, professor at the Sahlgrenska Academy, said: “Being fit means that you also have good heart and lung capacity and that your brain gets plenty of oxygen. “This may be one of the reasons why we can see a clear link with fitness, but not with muscular strength. We are also seeing that there are growth factors that are important.” By analysing data from twins, the researchers have been able to determine that it is primarily environmen-
tal factors and not genes that explain the link between fitness and a higher IQ. Maria Aberg, project researcher, said: “We have also shown that those youngsters who improve their physical fitness between the ages of 15 and 18 increase their cognitive performance. This being the case, physical education is a subject that has an important place in schools, and is an absolute must if we want young people to do well in maths and other theoretical subjects.” The researchers have also compared the results from fitness tests during national service with the socio-economic status of the men later in life. Those who were fit at 18 were more likely to go into higher education, many secured more qualified jobs. The link between physical fitness and mental performance has previously been demonstrated in studies carried out on animals, children and old people. However, studies on young adults have been contradictory to date. It is thought that this may be due to the fact that around the age of twenty our brains may still change rapidly as a result of both cognitive and emotional development.
CDCs with Stuart Johnson, Lisa Wainwright and Jilly Holroyd
Programme launched in Kettering VOLLEYBALL England has launched a Community Development Coach programme at the National Volleyball Centre in Kettering. 14 coaches have been selected to help increase participation and will be working to get over 5,000 more young people across the country taking part in the sport. The new programme is part of the organisation’s ‘Can You Dig It’ campaign, which is aimed at raising awareness of volleyball, encouraging more people to get involved by strengthening links between schools and clubs. The CDCs will train players, encourage potential event organisers and volunteers and ensure that talented young players receive quality coaching and the opportunity to
make the most of their potential. They will work in a variety of settings including schools, clubs and community venues to develop sustainable programmes within each region. Lisa Wainwright, Volleyball England CEO, said: “I am happy to welcome our new community development coaches on board. They will play an instrumental role in our efforts to get more people involved in volleyball. “It’s a really exciting time for volleyball in this country, with increased funding from Sport England and a real focus to increase the number people playing the sport. “Our goal is to show people that it’s a great sport for all ages to enjoy, so we are excited about the future.”
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UK kids ‘much less fit than a decade ago’
Former Wimbledon champion Pat Cash has hosted a Sky Sports Living for Sport tennis masterclass at the O2 Arena for pupils from The Norwood School in South London. The children were taught some tennis basics by Pat and former British tennis player Barry Cowan and then took part in a question and answer session with the professionals.
Pat said: “It was great to get on-court and help some of the young people to learn new tennis skills. This is a really positive initiative which motivates and inspires thousands of young people through sport. I was helped by a variety of people throughout my career and fully appreciate how beneficial mentoring and sport can be for young people.”
CHILDREN in the UK are much less fit than they were as little as ten years ago, according to a new study. Researchers at Essex University have staged fitness test on 600 ten year olds a decade apart in an area with low levels of obesity. They found that there has been a significant fall in fitness levels and concluded that the average ten year old in 1998 could beat 95 per cent of 2008’s youngsters in running tests. The researchers also found that this ‘large and worrying’ fall in fitness levels cannot be explained by increasing weight gain. This means that monitoring children’s health by routinely weighing them at school may not be enough to tackle the problem. Fitness levels in children have been falling by more than four per cent a decade around the world, however rates in the UK are thought to be falling the fastest. Until now this trend has largely been attributed to rising numbers of overweight and obese young people. The children assessed in the study attended schools in Chelmsford, Essex, a town that ranks among the top 20 per cent most affluent areas in the county.
They were weighed and underwent a 20 metre shuttle run test to assess their fitness levels. Over the decade, the girls’ BMI did not change and average weight among the boys rose slightly. However, cardiorespiratory fitness levels fell significantly in both boys (by seven per cent) and girls (by nine per cent) over the decade. These findings backed up previous research, which had indicated that English children’s cardiorespiratory fitness is falling at twice the predicted global average rate. Dr Gavin Sandercock, lead researcher, said: “In terms of children’s health, cardiorespiratory fitness may be more important than BMI. This is because fitness lessens the chances of the serious health problems and death associated with obesity. It is worrying, therefore, that the cardiorespiratory fitness of boys and girls in the present study declined significantly. Perhaps more worrying is the rate of this decline. Measurement of BMI alone may not be sufficient to monitory children’s future health, as health benefits associated with higher cardiorespiratory fitness are independent of BMI.”
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Parents misled by healthy food tactics NINE out of ten parents are misled by the tactics used to market children’s food according to a British Heart Foundation survey. It has revealed that they can be distracted by health-like claims when products are really loaded with fat, salt and sugar. The new study asked parents what they thought about statements such as ‘free from artificial colours and preservatives’ and ‘a source of calcium, iron and six vitamins’. It found that 76 per cent of mothers believe that ‘wholegrain’ means the product is healthy – when in reality a portion of ‘wholegrain’ Nestle Honey Shreddies contains more sugar (13.6g) than a ring doughnut (9.2g). The results also revealed that 63 per cent of parents think that foods claiming ‘source of calcium, iron and six vitamins’ are good for their kids – but in fact Coco Pops cereal bars that make this claim are higher in saturated fat and sugar than the average chocolate cake. Peter Hollins, BHF chief executive, said: “Mums are having the wool
pulled over their eyes by food manufacturers. “Smoke and mirror tactics means that foods targeted at children and high in fat, salt and sugar are being disguised with partial health claims suggesting they’re a healthy choice. “Regularly eating these types of foods could have serious implications for kids’ future health.” The survey also revealed that 84 per cent of parents supported calls for a single, front of pack food labelling scheme, combining traffic light colours and guideline daily amounts, which has been resisted by many food companies. Peter added: “Partial health claims and the mish mash of food labelling systems serve only to confuse shoppers about the nutritional value of what they’re putting in their shopping baskets. "It’s time for food companies to stop making excuses, support one system and ensure shoppers are given ‘at a glance’ information about the foods they’re giving their kids."
Commonwealth swimming gold medalist, Adam Whitehead, attended the National Pool Lifeguard Championships to show his support for UK lifeguards. The event was held at Stechford Cascades in Birmingham and 15 teams of lifeguards battled to win the five heats. Tests included a rowing challenge, a lifeguard skills and technique check, first aid and incident tests and a torpedo buoy relay.
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news 17 Record-breaking sailor Dee Caffari gave up life as a PE teacher nine years ago and went around the world in search of adventure. She is now heading back into schools to encourage kids to reach their own sporting goals. Future Fitness found out more.
Dee and her waves of encouragement
Dee on her yacht
Picture: Onedition
DEE Caffari is the first woman to have sailed single handed and non stop around the world in both directions and has been made an MBE for her achievements. While still competing in global competitions, she is now also keen to use her experiences to inspire young people and help them realise what is possible. Dee said: “I made the career change from school teacher to sailor nine years ago. “I loved teaching, but it was like I had found the right job too early – I still wanted to go on adventures myself and decided that if I didn’t seize the opportunity then, I never would. “What I am pleased about now is that I can go back into schools and tell my story, and hopefully inspire kids to try something new themselves. The message I want to get across is that life is there for living and that they should grab every new experience with both hands.” Dee was also recently presented with the Helen Rollason Award for Inspiration at the Sunday Times Sportswoman of the Year Awards. The recognition came after she entered the sixth edition of the gruelling Vendee Globe race, coming sixth out of 30 skippers and one of only 11 boars to make it back in one piece.
She added: “Being given the Inspiration Award really meant a lot to me, because inspiring kids to make the most of every opportunity is really what I am passionate about. “It is essential to let them know that there are opportunities out there and that sports other than the traditional football and netball are available to them. If kids are only exposed to traditional sports and they don’t enjoy them, then it can shut them off to so much, because they assume they are not ‘sporty’. “So they need to be reminded that there is lots out there and that they sh ould try everything once and decide what appeals to them.” Dee points out that schools have changed a lot in the time since she finished teaching and believes that the curriculum, funding and time available for sport have all been hit hard. She added: “I think this is really sad because not everyone is academic at school, and they need access to other areas where they can shine. “It is really important that children are given access to a wide range of activities outside school and that all of these are as accessible as possible, with all barriers like cost and travel removed.”
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Study may aid fight against teen obesity By Louise Cordell
Bradley Jackson and Andy Reed
Pledge unveiled at ceremony SPORTS Leaders UK has unveiled its 2012 Games legacy pledge at a House of Lords awards ceremony. The organisation put on the event to recognise its young leaders and celebrate the recent announcement of its partnership with the Government programme, Change4Life. The legacy pledge firstly promises to mobilise over 200,000 young volunteers leading over 500,000 hours of physical activity each year, and also to secure fulfilling roles for those sports leaders by raising attention of their
skills with major employers and organisations deploying volunteers. Secondly it aims to contribute over 400,000 more active people towards Sport England, and the Department of Health’s target to get one million more people more active by 2012. Bradley Jackson, 18, from Warrington was awarded the Sports Leaders UK Volunteer of the Year Award 2009, for his work with local schools by Andy Reed MP. He will now act as the Young Ambassador for Sports Leaders UK during 2010.
A NEW study from the University of West Scotland could aid the fight against teenage obesity. Researchers are undertaking an eight week study – the first of its kind in Scotland – which aims to show that it is intensity, rather than duration, of physical education that is a key factor in improving fitness levels. The project involves studying over 60 fifth and sixth year pupils at Holy Cross High School in Lanarkshire and monitors changes in their fitness levels as a result of altering their PE curriculum. The aim is to improve understanding of the relationship between exercise intensity and improve health, in the hope that this will provide a guide for future studies involving individuals, families and schools. Professor Julien Baker, lead researcher, said: “It is widely accepted that during adolescence there seems to be a rapid decline in the type and intensity of physical activity engaged in. “The potential therefore for physical education within schools to affect young
people’s physical activity levels should not be underestimated.” The researchers will take blood samples to measure biochemical changes and body mass, skinfold measurements and blood pressure will also be tested. Pupils will be split into three groups, with two performing an anaerobic shuttle run test at different intensity levels, and one maintaining a normal PE routine. This will enable researchers to compare a high intensity, short duration exercise routine with what is currently taught and find out if there is a more efficient method of improve the health of young people. Professor Baker added: “If, as we predict, a curriculum of higher intensity, shorter duration exercise results in greater health benefits, this could ultimately revolutionise the way in which PE is delivered in Scottish schools. “This curriculum would not only be easier to deliver by secondary schools, but it would also have greater health benefits to pupils. In addition it would also have wider implications with regards the way amateur and professional athletes should train to maximise their fitness levels.”
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Real measures needed to impact on obesity By Jonathan Williams IF you have been reading recent press coverage then you may have noticed the distinctly inconsistent messages coming from the media on childhood obesity – for example, childhood obesity epidemic overestimated, indications that childhood obesity is levelling off, childhood obesity levels still far too high! I have dealt with my share of statistics, certainly over the last year, having been directly involved with the NHS Nice Committee, and of course I appreciate the value of reliable academic research. However, the philosophy I uphold in running my own business has always been about taking action. In this regard, I would commend a piece in the Manchester Evening News (30/12/09) titled ‘Parents must lead way in health drive'. This timely article outlined the need for action, highlighting the recent call for parking restrictions around schools. A one-mile limitation, for example, around the school gates would force a ‘walking bus’ sce-
Jonathan Williams nario where pupils would, under supervision, have to be physically active for the identified distance. As part of the process in producing the Nice, Physical Activity Guidelines for Young People, such legislation was something that I directly campaigned for. Guidelines are important, but without implementation, they are not worth the paper they are printed on.
Are we as an industry, or even a nation, going to sit back and let things happen or are we going to execute some real tangible measures that will impact on obesity and inactivity for future generations? Unfortunately, we simply cannot rely on the majority of parents to take matters into their own hands. There is either a distinct lack of education to even recognise the problem or, on many occasions such issues fall far too low down the agenda. Even when there are good intentions, I have often witnessed parents picking their children up from our activity centres with a can of Coke, chocolate bar and packet of crisps in hand. When are we going to accept that the social and environmental conditions for young people are very different to that of ‘yesteryear’ or ‘the good old days’. The quicker we face up to this, the quicker our nation will start to embrace many of the solutions that, as an industry, are already in our grasp. Jonathan Williams is managing director of Shokk
Kids with healthy parents are likely to follow in their footsteps – PE teachers By Louise Cordell PE teachers believe that children would be more active if their parents took regular exercise, according to a new study. Research carried out by Fit For Sport in primary and secondary schools around the UK has shown that 98 per cent of teachers believe that kids with healthy parents are likely to follow in their footsteps. The majority questioned – 66 per cent – also agreed that while most parents have an interest in their child’s fitness level, they do not have enough understanding to translate this into effective lifestyle changes.
Teachers believe that out of school activities are particularly important for keeping kids fit, with more than half of those surveyed claiming they notice a drop in fitness levels after children return from inactive school holidays. The results also revealed that 94 per cent of teachers believe that there is a direct link between a child’s fitness levels and their performance in academic studies. Dean Horridge, Fit For Sport CEO, said: “Whilst government campaigns are raising awareness, it is clear that parents still need a helping hand translating this into simple, achievable and sustainable changes. “Families need to move away
from this quick fix mentality and incorporate daily lifestyle habit changes. “The media and so-called ‘expert’ advice has confused and over complicated what is needed to improve our nation’s health and advice on daily habit changes for both families and children is the first step. “We need to help them understand what is required to make a difference – whether it is to lose weight or just get fitter. “We do not need to eat salads for the rest of our lives or have to go to the gym seven days a week, but we must educate on all the achievable changes to daily activity levels and sensible eating habits.”
£25m stroke of luck for initiative YOUNG people will be able to enjoy brand new and revamped swimming pools across England in 2010 thanks to a new wave of investment. The government’s free swimming initiative has already seen kids across the country take part in more than ten million free swims and seven projects in towns including Doncaster, Luton and Stevenage have already been completed.
This year, 27 more projects are set to be finished by the end of March and a further 25 by the end of the year. Altogether £25m is being invested in the scheme, which contributes to improvements of all sizes, from financing new pools to paying for new lockers and lighting. Iain Wright, schools sport minister, said: “Swimming is a fantastic activity that parents and children can do
together, or that young people can enjoy with their friends. “New and enhanced pools will mean it is even easier for people to go swimming. “We want every single child to be able to swim well by the time they are 11 years old and we’ve made excellent progress on that aim, with 83 per cent of those leaving primary school able to swim 25 metres unaided.”
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Balby Carr Sports College has turned around pupil performance and behaviour with a combination of community pride and enthusiasm. Future Fitness found out more ...
Academies bring better academic performance, behaviour and attendance
Pictured from left, Kirsty Smith, Jenny Knibbs, Laura Jenkins and Jess Andrews, who represented the school at the England Colleges Trials
Year 9 Boys Football Champions
BALBY Carr gained specialist sports college status in 2003 and since then has devoted itself to getting its pupils and the local community involved in a wide range of activities. Its focus is on providing young people with the opportunity to enjoy and improve at their chosen sport and particularly on bridging the gap between them leaving school at 16 and entering adult level competition. To do this, the college has created four sports academies – boys’ football, girls’ football, golf and leadership. Each provides pupils with six hours of high quality training and coaching each week, alongside their full time BTEC diploma or A levels. They also have strong links with local teams, even acting as the youth development centre for the Doncaster Rovers’ Belles football team. The leadership academy was launched as a pilot scheme this year, giving pupils the chance to gain a range of coaching awards while gaining experience delivering breakfast, lunchtime and after school clubs. Ben Mawson, the college’s community sports development manager, said: “Everyone benefits because while they are getting coaching practice, we have more capacity to put on clubs that all the pupils can enjoy. “It also caters for those pupils who wanted to stay on for sixth form, but who work better as leaders than performers. “The scheme has been such a success we will definitely be continuing it in the future and we are already expecting at least double the numbers to join up next year.
‘We are keen to get young people to try something new rather than duplicate what is already out there’ “We are also in talks with the FA about introducing refereeing courses too – so that we can do our bit to address the national shortage.” The college is now planning to increase its offering by introducing more academies, including an American football academy which is set to launch in September 2010. The idea came about after taster sessions proved popular at the school – especially among pupils who were less interested in traditional sports. Ben added: “We are keen to get young people to try something new rather than duplicate what is already out there. “We hope this new academy will also lead to exchange schemes with American universities – the scholarship route has already been key for some of our high achievers in other sports and we would like to see that continue.” As well as improving heath and fitness the academies have also led to better academic performance, behaviour and attendance. Ben added: “Pupils lower down the school are aiming to join the academies and want to work hard to make sure they get the results they need to get in – working towards something gives them an incentive. “We are all proud of what we have achieved so far, and the kids all want to be a part of it.”
Supporting health in the community ONE of Balby Carr’s main aims is to support health and wellness in the community – so its facilities are hired out to the public whenever they aren’t being used by pupils. Each week over 1,700 people are involved in sport at the college out of school hours, including training sessions for the Doncaster Rovers and Belles football teams. The sports hall, gym and all weather pitches are offered out for local cricket, basketball and tennis clubs and local schools hold their competition finals in the grounds. Ben Mawson said: “We keep prices very affordable as part of our commitment to the community, because we are not an affluent area. “Any profit is put straight back into the academies to make sure we can
provide the best equipment and facilities possible.” The college has also started up a new community scheme called ‘Operation Anticipation’ which involves cooperating with local schools and police to provide entertainment on Mischievous Night. In November over 350 local kids turned up at the school for an evening of sumo suits, rodeo bulls, dance mats and a FIFA world cup championship on giant video screens. Ben added: “We wanted to do our bit to keep the kids off the streets and out of trouble and we had a great response. We will be running the event annually from now on – it’s all part of our ongoing aim to change people’s mentality through sport.”
Balby Carr’s Golf Academy is growing in popularity with its numbers more than doubling in the last year. When the academy was launched it had just six pupils, but it is now training 14 boys and one girl. The students get to use the professional facilities at Retford Golf Club and receive up to 18 hours a week throughout college time to practice, receive coaching and play in competitions. Ian Lindley, golf academy director, said: “We want to give talented golfers the chance to develop their abilities to the highest level and give them opportunities that they might not otherwise have had. The academy’s main focus is to unlock the potential each student has, whether that is reducing their handicaps, getting national recognition, securing a scholarship or even turning professional.”
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Humiliation can bring life-long aversion By Louise Cordell
tears.
A NEW study has claimed that pupils who are humiliated in PE classes can be turned off fitness for the rest of their lives. Professor Billy Strean of the University of Alberta has found that a life-long negative attitude towards physical activity can be caused by just one bad experience, depending on the personal characteristics of the coach or instructor. For example, he states that negative experiences could come from a teacher who has low energy, is unfair or who embarrasses students. While conducting the research, Professor Strean collected accounts from individuals who remembered their negative experiences with coaches and instructors. One participant wrote: “I am a 51 year old woman whose childhood experiences with sports, particularly as handled in school, were so negative that even as I write this my hands are sweating and I feel on the verge of
“I have never experienced the humiliation nor felt the antipathy toward any other aspect of life as I do toward sports.” Professor Strean’s aim is to raise awareness of such experiences so those who instruct children in sport will realise they have the ability to create either a fun and playful experience or an experience of humiliation. His report includes tips for coaches and teachers, including putting attention on fun, connecting with friends and learning, and, until kids enter their teens, minimizing attention on outcomes. Professor Strean also found study participants had better experiences from minimally organised games such as street hockey, compared to the more organized activities, and recommends that teachers try not to over-organise sports – instead allowing the children to explore sporting activities on their own, with minimal rules and no scorekeeping.
Villains invest in mats ASTON Villa football club has invested in a set of dance mats to encourage local children to use its facilities. A new programme, recently launched by kids from local school, Mansfield Junior, has been introduced to offer the local community the chance to get active. Bob Williams, director of the club’s community interest company, said: “We selected the ZigZag dance mats for their versatility. We encourage children and adults to use facilities in the club, so it is important that the fitness equipment appeals to a wide age range – and these mats are a great way for children to get more active while having fun.” The dance mat studio will also be used by dance organisation in the community and year five children on the Villa Vitality Programme, a scheme which helps children learn more about food and how to lead a healthier lifestyle.
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22 training and CPD
Fitness sector boost for school leavers THOUSANDS of school leavers are to be given help starting a career in the fitness sector. During the next two years, over 3,000 young people will benefit from a range of initiatives and programmes from Lifetime to help get them into work. Heather Frankham, Lifetime CEO, said: “The government’s focus on getting the nation more active offers school leavers fantastic career opportunities.
Coaching day marks launch of club network YOUNG athletes from around Hampshire and the Isle of Wight have taken part in a County Coaching Day to celebrate the launch of their new McCain Athletics Club Network. Over 80 top performing athletes and their coaches attended sessions held by some of the county’s top coaches at the Mounbatten Centre in Portsmouth. Mike Smith, Hampshire AA pres-
ident and coach to former Olympians including Roger Black, spoke at the event, welcoming the formation of the Hampshire Network and challenging clubs and coaches to improve standards of performance. Michael Coker, the network’s coaching and performance coordinator said: “It was a fantastic day for the athletes and coaches some of which are the ‘ones to watch’ for the future.
“The launch of this Athletics Club Network will hopefully encourage and enable all athletes to compete at all levels of competition and will be a great way to share best practice amongst the clubs and coaches.” A new Local Coach Development Programme was also launched to over 30 local coaches, who took part in a physical preparation programme.
“We are pleased to be able to help them get their feet on the career ladder and boost their confidence by offering free and effective routes into work.” The Activity Leader Apprenticeship is being rolled out nationwide and aims to provide learners with the skills and knowledge leisure employers look for during the recruitment process. After a full time, funded, three-week study programme learners have the opportunity to gain employment or a paid or voluntary work placement whilst completing their full NVQ in approximately 12 weeks. Lifetime will also be delivering the six month ‘Transforming A Generation’ programme, which specialises in training and mentoring 18 to 24 year olds with a tailored 24-month personal development plan.
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AfPE trainers work across the country THE Association for Physical Education has a team of trainers who work across the UK and internationally to ensure that all PESS professionals receive the best physical education and school sport related continuing professional development. Its programme provides CPD and resources in physical education for head teachers, teachers, teaching assistants and Adults Supporting Learning in primary and secondary schools. All AfPE’s CPD is accredited by Edge Hill University and can contribute to a distance learning masters or a first degree, with a varied selection of options including high quality physical education and school sport, leadership and management, teaching and learning, areas of the new secondary and primary curricula, health and safety and Assessing Pupil Progress. Other courses include:
Assessment for Learning – A course linking elements of the DCSF (2008) Assessment for Learning strategy, the principles underpinning assessment for learning, headline practical ideas/strategies, day-to-day, periodic and transitional assessment and the implications for monitoring, recording and reporting. Risk Management in Physical Education and School Sport – A one day course delivered by the lead author of the 'Safe Practice' publication looks at the risk management process through practical tasks. The Crucial Role of Leadership – Exploring practical elements of effective leadership and raising awareness of how leaders can promote wellbeing of learners through high quality care.
Providing specialist qualifications within sport and fitness industry BTEC Sport qualifications are designed to provide specialist work-related qualifications within the sport, health and fitness industry. They give students the knowledge, understanding and skills that are required for employment and help to prepare them for employment. The qualifications also provide career development opportunities for those already in work. The BTEC in Sport has a wide range of units, choice and flexibility and is the most advanced vocational sport qualification available today. A BTEC in Sport can help students along the path to achieving their goals and dreams of pursuing a career in
the sport, health and fitness industries. The BTEC level three Sport qualifications have also been mapped to qualifications from Central YMCA Qualifications (CYQ) the UK’s leading health and fitness specialist awarding body to the level two Fitness Instructor qualification. This means that a large part of the CYQ qualification can be achieved through completion of the level three BTEC Sport qualification. Hodder Education has a range of BTEC Sport text books that support the new BTEC 2010 specifications, containing information and activities for every unit on the qualification.
Have you got news for us? Call Louise Cordell on 01226 734694 or email her: lcordell@whpl.net You can write to us at Future Fitness newsroom, 47 Church Street, Barnsley, South Yorkshire S70 2AS
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The journey to the 2012 Olympics and beyond By Louise Cordell THIS year’s Sports College Conference, ‘A New Beginning’, is set to take place in Telford on February 10 and 11. The theme of the event will be focussing on the journey to the 2012 Olympics and beyond and is aimed a head teachers, directors of specialism and subject leaders in sports colleges and academies. Those attending will be celebrating the achievements of the 500 UK schools with a sport spe-
Sue Campbell, YST Chair
cialism and the 450 school sport partnerships, as well as providing ideas and inspiration to maximise learning and achievement for young people. Delegates will be able to see a range of keynote speakers from the world of education and sport as well as taking part in training and development opportunities.
‘The YST Innovation Awards 2010 will also be presented at the conference to reward schools that have demonstrated innovation and good practice over the last year’
The YST Innovation Awards 2010 will also be presented at the conference to reward schools that have demonstrated innovation and good practice over the last year. A winning and highly commended school will be named for three categories including: Embedding the specialism to ‘narrow the gap’ in whole school attainment. Innovative practice in core physical education at Key Stage 4. Using the specialism to drive learning with targeted sectors of the wider community.
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Wide range of seminars, classes, discussions and presentations By Louise Cordell DELEGATES attending the Sports College Conference on February 10 and 11 will be able to benefit from a wide range of training seminars, classes, discussions and presentations across the two days. Firstly, Mini Key Notes will be delivered by a high-profile motivational speaker, with the aim of informing delegates about current policy areas, issues, or themes relevant to sport colleges. The will be followed by ‘An Audience with’ session, which will give 20 to 30 delegates the chance to ask the speaker questions in a smaller setting. Topics will include: Narrowing the gap through valuing the importance of every child, Raising the game for 2012, The Ofsted
framework, Global citizenship through international development and the new secondary curriculum. The Active Learning Zone is sessions which involve delegates in learning in an interactive way, including: linking PE and science, community partnerships, influencing the Building Schools for the Future programme and the dance spectrum. The Learning Lounge, is intended to provide delegates with an informal opportunity to participate in a range of ‘guided’ learning conversations and will host seminars covering: Maths and ICT in sport, Building schools to club links, Classroom quality standards for PE and Working with supplementary schools. There is also a new Sharing the Challenge programme for this year
which will give delegates the opportunity to hear from schools and organisations about the practice, programmes or resource that they have developed to address specific issues. This session will provide delegates with a chance to find out and explore how they may be able to develop this or something similar in their own school. Finally, workshops will be held on subjects including: Creating and building a successful School Sport Partnership, Engaging with the media, Effective practice in KS4, International Development and Leadership in the 21st century school.
New training programme launched A NEW training programme has been launched by SAQ to help teachers develop basic movement skills in young children. Suitable for foundation and key stage one teachers, the course
demonstrates how to teach a series of ten mat based exercises that are child friendly and that can go on to be used in physical education and dance lessons. Developmental movement like this has been practised at St
Botolph’s Church of England primary school in Leicester since 2003 and tracking the children’s progress has revealed significant improvements in academic ability, behaviour and physical prowess.
Chris Grant, Youth Sport Trust board member, will be leading a seminar on ‘Leadership in the 21st century School’
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Partnership trades celebrities for gifted student athletes NEWCASTLE School Sports Partnership is using talented pupils rather than celebrities to get young people excited about sport. The area’s most gifted student athletes have been selected for the new ‘One of Us’ scheme by their heads of PE and will be acting as mentors and role models for their peers. Joyce Matthews, partnership development manager, said: “We have heard about a lot of schools who have brought in sporting celebrities for the day to inspire the kids, but I think they can actually be difficult for pupils to relate to. “What they represent doesn’t seem achievable, so we thought what was needed were role models they can see every day. “I knew for a fact that there are a lot of exceptional young people in Newcastle, so we set out to find them.” Heads of PE for all the schools in the partnership were sent nomination forms to complete, encouraging them to put forward pupils who were high achievers in their chosen sport, but who were also all round role models for others. The scheme was open for young
All of the ‘One Of Us’ students receiving their bursary from Malcolm Dix of Sport Newcastle “Our mentors will be going out to and each pupil will receive a suppeople in year ten and above, who their school’s feeder primaries to port package including a £150 burwere trialling at a national level and take to the kids there, and we are sary and branded kits from Sport who were willing to be an advocate producing DVDs and posters so Newcastle. for sport and a healthy, balanced that everyone can see what they Joyce added: “We have a lot of lifestyle. have achieved. sporting talent in this region and 13 pupils have now been selected “We are also planning on using we want to give pupils the opportufor the scheme, with nearly every schools sports week to spotlight nity to show it off and provide othsecondary school in the partnertheir sports and will be ers with achievable inspiration. ship represented. organising demonstrations and “Kids often don’t realise that they There is a wide mixture of sports team talks to help them showcase are sitting next to someone who is represented, from ballroom danctheir talents.” doing something amazing. ing to rugby league and fencing,
Firm nets job with latest advertising campaign FOOTBALL goals produced by Mark Harrod Ltd were used in the latest advertising campaign for Castrol Edge Oil, starring the world’s most expensive football player, Christiano Ronaldo. The goals supplied were specially designed to look like socketed premier league goals with free hanging net supports, but were actually freestanding goals fitted with a specially made stabilizing plate to enable them to be easily moved into a number of
different positions for filming. Filming took place in Manchester and South Africa with the adverts being shown all around the world to coincide with Castrol’s sponsorship of the 2010 football world cup. Mark Harrod, MD, said: “It was very exciting for the company to be involved in a project with such a high profile star and I was thrilled to be invited to the set to watch filming take place on location in Manchester.”
Sporting talent from nine sports attend camp THE fourth National Talent Orientation Camp has taken place at Loughborough University. The camp, which aims to prepare the country’s best young sporting talent for life as elite athletes was attended by athletes from nine sports, including rowing, canoeing, sailing, cycling, wheelchair basketball, hockey, rugby union, women’s rugby union and netball. Jason Gardener, Olympic gold medallist from Athens, attended to support the camp and, through a series of scenarios replicating the experiences of major multi-sport events, challenged the young athletes to consider what it takes to become the best. Thomas Brady, who attended the NTOC in 2007, believes the lessons
he learnt at the camp are still helping him in his journey towards achieving a medal at London 2012. He said: “I still use some of the vital experiences that I learn and took away from the camp, for example if you don’t succeed at something, keep going back until you do succeed. “This mentality has proven to get me through lots of situations. “I have just finished the 2009 season being ranked top junior, top U23 and fourth in the seniors for Britain. “This year I am going to train over the winter period in Australia, taking away with me all the important things I learnt at the camp to start the 2010 season as best as I possibly can.”
Association scores a hit with game strategy THE Football Association has announced that the first year of its National Game Strategy has been a success. Initial results from the £200m, fouryear project to revitalise grass roots football have been hailed as impressive and the Association believes it is on track to bring UK schoolboys’ technique up to the standards of their peers in Spain, France, Holland and Germany. The figures have shown an increase of over 1,650 referees – the first rise in 20 years, and the formation of 4,212 new teams. Another 32,000 coaches have qualified for the FA’s Level One Award and 62 per cent of clubs have access to an FA qualified coach, compared to one per cent in 2000. The girls' game has also seen an increase in popularity with the num-
ber of new teams exceeding targets, an increase of 1178 new teams so far. Finally, nearly 1.2 million children aged five to 11 have taken part in the FA Tesco Skills Programme, aimed at raising technical standards, thanks to an increase of specialist coaches. Kelly Simmons, the FA's head of national game, said: “We are delighted with the progress we have made in year one of the strategy, and would like to record our appreciation to our FA partners and the volunteer workforce who have made this possible. However, there is still much work to do as we move into season two, and we must continue to work together to deliver on our overall goal of giving everyone the opportunity to play football in a safe, fun and high quality environment.”
One in ten children ‘obese by 2015’ ONE in ten children in England will be obese by 2015 says new research. Results from the annual Health Survey for England suggest that obesity figures will rise significantly within five years and that those kids from poorer and less educated households will be worst affected. The authors looked at obesity trends among children in England aged two to ten and young people aged 11 to 18 from 1995 to 2007 and then calculated the likely rate of obesity in 2015. The results showed that, in that time, the number of obese boys aged
two to ten more than doubled from 3.1 per cent to 6.9 per cent and among girls in this age group it rose from 5.2 per cent to 7.4 per cent. They also revealed that one in ten boys and just over one in ten girls from manual class households will be obese by 2015 – compared with 6.7 per cent for boys and 8.3 per cent of girls from non-manual households. The report stated: “If trends continue as they have been between 1995 and 2007, in 2015 the number and prevalence of obese young people is projected to increase dramatically.”
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27 365 directory 23 Training & Qualifications Training Equipment YMCA FIT 111 Great Russell St London WC1B 3NP T: 0207 343 1855 W: www.ymcafit.org.uk E: info@ymcafit.org.uk Central YMCA Qualifications 111 Great Russell St London WC1B 3NP T: 0207 343 1800 W: www.cyq.org.uk E: info@cyq.org.uk Jump Rope Uk Ltd 16 Riverside Park Wimborne Dorset BH21 1QU tel: 01202 840590 fax: 01202 840577 jumpropes@ntjr.co.uk www.ntjr.co.uk National Extension College The Michael Young Centre Purbeck Road Cambridge CB2 8HN T: 0800 389 2839 W: www.nec.ac.uk E: info@nec.ac.uk
Sports Facility Development Sports Solutions GB Suite One Copse Farm South Marston Park Swindon SN3 4UQ T: 01793 833456 W: www.sportssolutionsgb.co.uk E: chris.bevan@sportssolutionsgb.co.uk
Crazy Catch Wall Tree House Farm Steane Brackley NN13 5NS T: 01295 816765 W: www.flicx.com E: ricx@flicx.com
Interactive Equipment/ Dance Mats Pulse Dance Machine The Bromley Centre Bromley Rd Congleton Cheshire CW12 1PT T: 01260 294600 W: www.pulsefitness.com E: info@pulsefitness.com Cyber Coach Unit 1a Britannia Business Park Union Rd The Valley Bolton BL2 2HP T: 0845 869 2848 W: www.cyber-coach.co.uk E: info@cyber-coach.co.uk
Fitness Equipment Pulse Fitness The Bromley Centre Bromley Rd Congleton Cheshire CW12 1PT T: 01260 294600 W: www.pulsefitness.com E: info@pulsefitness.com SportsArt Fitness 2 Dean Court Unit 10 Shuttleworth Mead Bus Park Padiham Lancs BB12 7NG T: 01282 779234 W: www.sportsartfitness.com E: mark.turner@sportsartfitness.com
British Colleges Sport 2/3 North Street Workshops North St Stoke-Sub-Hamdon Somerset TA14 6QR T: 01935 823444 W: www.britishcollegessport.org E: kate.paul@britishcollegessport.org
Hexa Sports Ltd New Bond Street Birmingham B9 4EJ tel: 0121 7720724 sales@hexasports.co.uk www.hexasports.co.uk
Design & Build
Climbing Walls
Pulse Select The Bromley Centre Bromley Rd Congleton Cheshire CW12 1PT T: 01260 294600 W: www.pulsefitness.com E: info@pulsefitness.com
Football Facility Build Goals Soccer Centres plc Orbital House Peel Park East Kilbride G74 5PR T: 01355 234800 W: www.goalsfootball.co.uk E: keithm@goalsfootball.co.uk Pulse Soccer Centres The Bromley Centre Bromley Rd Congleton Cheshire CW12 1PT T: 01260 294600 W: www.pulsefitness.com E: info@pulsefitness.com
Freedom Climber Cherry Cottage Guildford Rd Cranleigh Surrey GU6 8LS T: 07554 016220 W: www.revolutionaryproducts.co.uk E: andrew@revolutionaryproducts.co.uk Entre Prises Eden Works Colne Rd Kelbrook Lancs BB18 6SH T: 01282 444800 W: www.ep-uk.com E: info@ep-uk.
Audio Equipment
Professional Associations Association for Physical Education Building 25 London Road Reading Berkshire RG1 5AQ T: 0118 378 2440 W: www.afpe.org.uk E: enquiries@afpe.org.uk
Sound Dynamics 51 Bridge St Belper Derbyshire DE56 1AY T: 01773 828486 F: 01773 828475 W: www.sound-dynamics.co.uk E: support@sound-dynamics.co.uk
Sports Clothing Kitking 9, Upper George Street Leicester, LE1 3LP 0116 262 7332 E: sales@kitking.co.ukst rskitking@aol.com
If you would like to advertise in this directory please contact James on 01226 734 672
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