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Sport and fitness for today’s youth
November 2010 £2.75
Kids to pilot new Olympic competition CHILDREN in nine selected communities across the country will be the first to take part in a new Olympic and Paralympic-style school sports competition. Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt has announced the launch of a pilot event which will see young people competing within their own schools and against other local schools in a wide range of sports, including Olympic and Paralympic disciplines. The scheme will culminate in a national competition in 2012 in the Olympic Park, with formal opening and closing ceremonies and medals. Schools in the Black Country, London, Cornwall, Greater Manchester, Hertfordshire, Kent, Lincolnshire, North Yorkshire and Tyne and Wear will start competing from early next year, before taking place in local finals in each county during summer 2011. These children’s experiences will then help finalise plans for the nationwide event in 2012. Mr Hunt said: “Win or lose – competitive sport teaches children important life lessons – in commit-
ment, discipline and teamwork. “Our new Olympic-style school sports competition will spark a revolution in school sport, and leave a lasting legacy from London’s Games. “Schools in the pilot areas I have announced will help us develop a nationwide competition. We want to involve as many schools and young people as possible, so that children of all abilities and ages are able to take part and strive to be the best that they can be.” Schools will compete against each other in leagues at a local level from 2011 with winning athletes and teams qualifying for area finals. They will be encouraged to host inhouse Olympic-style sports days for children of all abilities and there will be a Paralympic element at every level of the competition for young people with disabilities. The competition is a key part of the Government's plans for a lasting sporting legacy from hosting the London 2012 Games and organisers will be working closely with sports governing bodies to finalise the details of the new scheme.
Traditional games in decline at schools
The Youth Sport Trust has teamed up with Adidas for the new AdiStars initiative – an online game encouraging young people to do more sport. Football superstar Steven Gerrard recently visited St Margaret’s School in Liverpool to launch the project, which helps 13 to 19 year olds set up fun sporting challenges and offers rewards for sustained activity. Through the support of adidas, the Youth Sport Trust will be able to create an additional 7,000 AdiStar Young Ambassadors who will promote the programme and the Olympic and Paralympic values in schools, with the aim to increase sports participation. Young people can access the adiStars through www.london2012.com/adiStars.
TRADITIONAL team games are in decline as more schools offer pupils PE lessons in cheerleading, yoga and boxing. New government figures have revealed that martial arts and mountaineering are also on the up, while the number of schools where hockey, netball and rugby are played is dropping. However, the yearly figures also showed more pupils doing two hours of PE each week – 82 per cent of children from years one to 13, up from 77 per cent last year. Other sports that have seen strong growth in schools are golf, cycling, badminton, table tennis, canoeing and archery. Girls are more likely to be offered dance, gymnastics, netball and hockey lessons, while boys are more likely to be offered cricket, basketball, rugby union and golf.