March 2009 £2.75Sport and fitness for today’s youth

Strictly Come Dancing stars Darren Bennettand Lilia Kopylova have launched a new programme to teach Latin and ballroom dancing in schools. Essentially Dance will berun along with Darren’s brother Dale Bennett– director of dance studio City Limits – and PEexpert Sue Cooper, a former school sportspartnership development manager. Thescheme is being piloted in 30 primary and secondary schools and will be rolled outacross the country in time for the new schoolyear in September. Full story: Page 3

By Lyndsey Smith

TWO key organisations have distancedthemselves from a fitness craze thatencourages young people to jump overeveryday obstacles such as walls, parkbenches and litter bins.

Parkour and similar free-runningschemes are seen by many teenagers ascool and trendy because they have fea-tured in music videos and films.

And while some forms are doneindoors with proper safety proceduresin place, others are simply done onstreets, raising concerns participantscould easily injure themselves.

The Association for PhysicalEducation and British Gymnastics saythey can’t condone them until safetyconcerns are addressed – and a propergoverning body to regulate the activityis put in place.

Glen Beaumont, health and safetyofficer for afPE, added: “As an organisa-tion primarily concerned with safetyguidance relating to physical activitywithin education, we see the urbanactivity as essentially gymnastic activityon concrete and you wouldn’t find agymnast performing without safetymats.

“The introduction of an increasingnumber of schemes and initiatives

seeking to introduce and progress park-our in educational provision hasprompted our involvement.”

Glen stressed it was purely the out-door elements of the activity they couldnot support: “We can support parkourrelated activity indoors but not puristparkour. I had an initial enquiry aboutthis subject from a PE advisor who hada group coming to deliver parkour inan indoor after school club.

“We had no problems with that what-soever – the guy taking the sessions wasa level three gymnastic coach - andthere were no safety issues.

“However we are aware that outdooractivity is happening in some schools -maybe from the kids’ own initiatives,maybe not, but we know it is happen-ing, and in the absence of an advisorybody we can’t condone it as we are veryconcerned that it is not regulated.”

Both organisations say they willreview their stance if an NGB is set upand if specially constructed facilitiesare built. Glen added: “It is a stalematebut there is a glimmer of hope. We can’tgo beyond indoor provision at themoment but I have seen a couple ofplans for specialist facilities, purposebuilt parks with safety surfaces and ifthis happens we will look at the situa-tion again.”

Key groups‘can’t condonefitness craze’

PE ‘doesn’thelp kidslose weight’A NEW review published bythe Cochrane Library hassuggested that while PElessons are good for overallfitness levels they actuallydo nothing to help childrenlose weight.

A review of 26 studies ofdifferent PE programmesacross Europe, Australia,South America and NorthAmerica, found they had lit-tle effect on children’sweight, or the amount ofsport played outside ofschool. However, classes didhelp lower cholesterol levelsand increased fitness andlung capacity, but teachingfamilies to eat more health-ily and take more exercisewere more relevant in help-ing children become slim-mer.

Researchers warned thereason games lessons wereineffective might be becausechildren disliked them andMaureen Dobbins, leadresearcher at the school ofnursing, McMasterUniversity, Ontario, said:“PE classes may be tooclosely associated withschool work. Perhaps thekey is to promote physicalactivity by getting childrenand adolescents to play inways that promote betterfitness levels, while at thesame time represent funand adventurous activities.”

01 10/2/09 11:58 Page 1

17 Youth Fitness 15/1/09 15:11 Page 1

news 3

www.futurefitness.uk.net

Editor:Andrew Harrod - ah@whpl.netTel: 01226 734639

Reporters:Lyndsey Smith – ls@whpl.netTel: 01226 734472 Louise Cordell – lcordell@whpl.netTel: 01226 734694

Sales and Marketing Director:Tony BarrySales and Product Manager:James Dickson jd@whpl.netTel: 01226 734672Sales Executives:Sarah Young sy@whpl.netTel: 01226 734709

Studio Manager:Stewart Holt sth@whpl.netDeputy group editor:Judith Halkerston jhalkerston@whpl.net

Contacts

Gettingkids fit

withoutthem

realisingPage 14

‘Parents’motivesshould bequestioned’

Page 9

Circulation enquiries to:Kelly Tarff -kt@whpl.net Tel: 01226 734695

By Mary Ferguson

A NEW initiative to get childrenactive through ballroom and Latindancing has been launched byStrictly Come Dancing stars DarrenBennett and Lilia Kopylova.

Essentially Dance will be runalong with Darren’s brother DaleBennett – director of dance studioCity Limits – and PE expert SueCooper, a former school sportspartnership development manag-er.

It’s the first package to belaunched in the UK that will trainschool staff to teach children fromkey stages one to five, of all abili-ties.

Schools will receive training fortwo staff, to be used alongside aDVD with demonstrations fromDarren and Lilia, a CD with musicand booklets guiding themthrough the dances.

The scheme is currently beingpiloted in 30 schools acrossEngland and following evaluations,will be rolled out across the coun-try in time for the new school yearin September.

Sue Cooper, the national coordi-nator for Essentially Dance, toldFuture Fitness: “The reaction so farfrom the pilot schemes has beenphenomenal.

“Many schools run after-schooldance activities but that misses outa lot of children– our aim is toembed this into the national cur-riculum so all pupils get chance totake part.”

Darren Bennett, who has beentouring the pilot schools with Lilia,said: “This package has beendesigned to build on what schoolsalready offer and get even morepeople involved .

“PE activities like cross countryrunning and netball still have their

place but it’s about giving kidsmore choice.”

Sue hopes the schools that takeup the programme will run regulardance showcases, giving the pupilssomething to aim for.

She added: “We are also encour-aging teachers to identify thosechildren with a particular talent orpassion for dance and encouragethem to start attending a localdance school.

“It’s about participation throughto excellence.”

Kids get in the mood fordancing with Strictly duo

Darren and Lilia with school children in Barnsley

Children vie for activity weekend placesBy Lyndsey Smith

AN AWARD-winning schoolsports partnership is running acompetition to offer kids thechance to take part in an activityweekend.

Torbay SSP won the nationalaward for school games at thelast School Sports Conference,and the prize was a weekend toOsmington Bay, PGL Centre,Weymouth for 40 students.

It was decided kids would takepart in the ‘Suggest An Event’competition where they wouldcome up with an activity to beincluded in the school games in

June.John Julyan, PDM, said: “The

idea came about quite simply –how on earth were we supposedto pick 40 kids?

“This helps us decide but alsogives the kids something to focuson and will be a starting point forthe run up to the games.”

The competition is open to yearsix and seven pupils who will beasked to come up with an event -archery, volleyball, table tennis,boccia, dance mats, badmintonand tetrathlon are alreadyincluded so they have to suggestsomething different. John Julyan

03 10/2/09 12:00 Page 1

news4

By Mary Ferguson

A SUFFOLK sports programme isusing free boxing lessons to engageyoungsters at risk of becominginvolved with crime and anti-socialbehaviour.

The sessions – taking place inStowmarket – are run by PositiveFutures, part of a national initiativethat aims to influence young peo-ple's lives by providing access topersonal development opportuni-ties through the use of sport andphysical activity.

Boys and girls between ten and 18have been taking part in the class-es, held at a youth club, which havebeen organised following a suc-cessful summer programme offootball and dance.

Project coordinator Paul Knighttold Future Fitness: “We had a hugetake-up for our summer pro-gramme which launched inStowmarket last year, so applied forfunding to put on an indoor activi-ty over the winter months.

“Boxing is a great way for young-sters to release aggression in a safeand controlled environment andwe have been really pleased withthe take-up.”

Both boys and girls take part inthe sessions, which run for 20weeks at 8pm on a Thursday night.Paul said the day and time waschosen carefully, after consultation

with local police.“Police statistics show that most

youth crime is committed on aThursday and Friday between eight and ten and since we havebeen running the boxing pro-gramme, that has gone down 25per cent. The sessions can be usedto get fit, meet new people, burn

off some steam and learn the disci-pline that goes with the sport."

The next step for the programmeis to take some of the participantsto a professional boxing club innearby Ipswich, owned by theinstructor who takes the classes.

Paul added: “Some of the kidshave shown a real talent for boxing

and it would be wonderful if theycold take that forward.”

The Positive Futures project hasbeen running in Suffolk since 2002 and is a joint partnershipbetween Sport England, the YouthJustice Board and the UnitedKingdom Anti-Drugs CoordinationUnit.

Boxing bid to round up youths

Youngsters taking part in the sports programme

New resistance area in£50k university schemeBy Lyndsey Smith

THE RESISTANCE area at a universityhas been transformed as part of a£50,000 scheme.

The refurbishment project at StPaul’s Sports Centre at the Universityof Portsmouth has so far seen the CVroom overhauled and dumbbells,racks and benches have beenreplaced in the freeweights area.

Dan Tilley, director of sport, said thefour floor fitness suite has seen anuptake in users.

He added: “Our equipment and theroom itself was a bit outdated andfollowing other work to the centre itwas time to catch up.

“The funding meant we could pur-chase equipment that was truly func-tional to replace our old equipment,as well as acquiring additional piecesand the suite now incorporates Cybexand Keiser equipment.”

The gym has 40 cardio-vascular

machines, an extensive free weightsarea, 24 resistance machines and anumber of designated matted areasthat can be used for stretching,abdominal and core work. The gym isopen to the public but the majority ofthe 5000 members are students.

Dan said: “The gym has been muchbusier since the upgrade and we try-ing to encourage students to makethe transition and start using all areasof the gym.”

The centre also offers a range oftherapies including HyperbaricOxygen Therapy, suited for those suf-fering from sport injuries, and housesa physiotherapy drop in centre.

Dan said: “This has proved verypopular. We offer post rehabilitationtraining with free advice and treat-ment for soft tissue injuries and wehave been able to offer a more com-plete service thanks to the newequipment.”

Right coach can be crucialCHOOSING the right coach can bekey to getting youngsters involvedin sport, an expert has revealed.

Alison Oliver, director of sport atthe Youth Sport Trust, said havingthe right person leading sessions isan important factor – and youngpeople can respond particularlywell when being coached by some-one who is close in age to them.

Alison said: “Getting young peo-ple involved in sport can comedown to the type of person leadingit. The coach is pretty key and ifyoung people can relate to them,they will feel valued and positiveabout getting involved. Young peo-ple also respond well to their peersso having a young leader can be afantastic inspiration.”

04 10/2/09 12:02 Page 1

05 Pulse 9/2/09 16:09 Page 1

news6

Tutors in a spin over pole demoBy Lyndsey Smith

A POLE dancing demonstration forkids as young as 14 has sparked ahuge row following complaints bytutors at South Devon college.

The fitness demonstration by TheArt of Dance was given as part ofthe college's Be Healthy week infront of 1,000 pupils, aged 14 to 19but was branded ‘disruptive’ bystaff when pupils started swappingmobile phone footage and pic-tures.

Owner Sam Remmer, who per-formed, said she was led to believethere were complaints from teach-ers who hadn’t attended herdemonstration, but deemed itinappropiate for their pupils.

She added: “When I returned formy second demonstration I wastold to move inside the sports halland away from the main publicarea as there had been a number of

complaints.

“It boils down to ignorance.People think there is some sort ofsexual element to the teaching anddon’t understand pole dancing atgymnastic level and the fitness lev-els involved.

“I still call it pole dancingbecause it is a fusion of gymnasticsand dance and it is that dance ele-ment that makes it fluid and grace-ful.

“You look at some music videos,ones that are highly sexual, and I’mnot doing anything like that – I amjust teaching alternative fitness.”

Sam was told many students hadfilmed her performance on theirmobiles and this was seen as a dis-ruptive influence by staff whoclaimed it was highly distracting.Footage was also on the YouTubewebsite which the college told Samto remove but she refused.

"I was told pupils were distractedfrom lessons because they wereswapping pictures and videos butthere were other demonstrationswhich pupils were filming.

“I said I would do the demonstra-tion for free providing I could postvideos on the internet and usethem as advertising. It was afterthese were displayed that pressurefrom the college increased.”

Sam is annoyed this has causednegative stereotypes about poledancing to be re-enforced and sheis determined to try to change peo-ple’s perceptions.

“When I say to someone I teachpole dancing I get the usual smuttycomments but we need to carry onwith what we are doing, with ourdemonstrations and health promo-tions.

“We have a steering group and wehope to form a national advisorygroup to make sure there are clear

sets of guidelines in place as youcan get bad practise in this as wellas any other discipline.

“You may have an ex lap dancerwith no fitness qualifications goingout there to teach and that can’t beallowed so regulating is all impor-tant.

“The one thing I have learnedfrom this experience is that if I gointo schools again I will make surewe have a male demonstrationtoo.”

A college statement said: “Bydemonstrating different non-sport-ing ways to exercise and keep fit,our intention was to encouragestudents to think more broadlyabout health and fitness.

“However, we are concerned thatthere has been negative publicityabout the pole fitness demonstra-tion and are therefore conductingan internal review of our proce-dures.”

A SCHOOL in Bristol is running anincentive scheme which rewards chil-dren for walking or cycling to schoolby giving them prizes.

St Mary’s C of E Primary Schooldeveloped a travel plan for its 320children and offers bonuses like freeswimming sessions or healthy break-fasts to the most active students.

Teacher Rachel Hill said: “The num-ber of times a child walks or cycles toschool is now recorded at school, andincentives such as free swimmingsessions at the local swimming poolor badges are given to children thatreach specified milestones.

“Special breakfasts are also providedby our kitchen staff for those childrenwho participate and arrive early at

the school. “Such incentives have proven to be

very popular and have hugely con-tributed in changing behaviour andencouraging our children and youngpeople to become more physicallyactive. For us, I think the resultsspeak for themselves.”

The number of children either walk-ing or cycling to school regularly hasincreased to over a third of all pupilssince the project, run as part of theHealthy Schools Programme, hasbeen active. Regular newsletters aresent home to parents to encouragethem to keep on with the scheme.Year six pupils take cycling proficien-cy tests and money from fundraisingpaid for bike sheds.

Pupils in Bristol get active thanks to a walk or bike to school scheme

School travel plan getsBristol kids moving

Schools get temporaryswimming pool offerSCHOOLS across London have beeninvited to use a temporary swimmingpool for PE lessons.

The 12-metre teaching pool – whichis based at Lilian Baylis School inLambeth in the sports hall – has seensessions offered to those in yearseight and nine.

Jessica Dooley, PE teacher at LilianBayliss, said: “It is the first time, cer-tainly since I have been here, that wehave been able to offer swimming tothe kids in curriculum time, so thepool has been extremely beneficialfor us.

“It is something different for themand they have all been extremelyenthusiastic and the only problem wehave encountered is there simply isn’tenough time.

“We have to book the sessions andwe are competing for time against

other schools but we have promisedall the pupils they will have at leastone session before the pool isremoved.

“It is a shame it isn’t somethingmore permanent as more swimmingcan only be beneficial for the kids’health and wellbeing.”

Before coming to London, the pooltoured the country and was used inschools in Birmingham, Sheffield andManchester.

It is part of a Pools In Schools initia-tive with Olympic bronze medallistSteve Parry which is sponsored by theDepartment for Children, Schoolsand Families.

Ministers backed the scheme aftermany schools struggled to find a wayto meet the national curriculum tar-get of swimming 25 metres by the ageof 12.

A project which set up to tackle anti-socialbehaviour in Lewisham is celebrating suc-cess.The Kickz scheme at Downham LeisureCentre has won the National Kickz Awardfor Team Achievement at a presentation atWembley Stadium.Kay Skelton, contract manager atDownham, said: “There was no where for

young people to ‘hang out’ in the area andthey had begun to use the centre as ameeting place, which at times was intimi-dating for our users and families. Kickzseemed like the perfect answer.”Kickz offers 12-18 year olds free activitiesthree nights a week. It’s based on footballskills but also offers advice on the dangersof getting involved in drugs and crime.

06 9/2/09 16:07 Page 1

news 7

Jon’s competition bidto get PE teachersinterested in triathlonBy Lyndsey Smith

A TRIATHLON development manager is hoping to launch aschool’s competition to get PEteachers more interested in thesport.

Jon Train, the regional develop-ment manager for London, saidtriathlon has found it hard to getonto the school agenda becausesome PE teachers think it is toohard and already have crowdedtimetables.

He said: “We hold a London seriesof children’s events through ourcommunity clubs but it would begreat if we could begin to establishsome kind of school competition as well.

“I can understand the time issueand we as a minority sport willalways be out muscled by the biggergoverning bodies – I mean noschool will have any trouble filling afootball team.

“However the perception it is toohard is unfair. I am sure mostschools teach cycling, running and

swimming separately so whatis the difference in putting themtogether?

“The distances for the kids arevery doable – 12-year-olds have toswim 200m, cycle 6k and run 2k –they are not unrealistic.”

Jon said Sport England fundinghad allowed more access to schoolsand there has been a growth ininterest for the sport in kidsbetween eight and 13 years old.

He added: “We are trying to see away forward and I think the key is toestablishing good working relationships with PDMs utilisingthe more enthusiastic and pro-active ones.

“This is a great event for kids totake part in.

“As well as keeping them physical-ly active it also appeals to those whomay not be into kicking a ball aboutand it can help confidence bytaking away the embarrassment fac-tor – if you come last in one event itdoesn’t necessarily mean you willoverall.” Jon Train

A PROJECT in London is aim-ing to provide children andyoung people with Down’sSyndrome the same benefitsof being on a team as theirable-bodied peers.

DS Active has been runninga weekly football scheme – theDS Tiger Cubs – for ages fiveto 25, to improve overallphysical, social and emotionalhealth.

Anthony Doherty, footballco-ordinator for people withdisabilities, said: “While par-ticipants are learning physicalskills, they are simultaneouslyincreasing their own socialand emotional abilities.

“This will be one of the fewtimes other than school whereyoungsters are interactingwith adults other than theirparents, and other peoplewith DS.

“Having the ability to trainand play at a similar levelincreases their ability to reapall of the potential benefits,and this project aims to createa multi-tier learning environ-ment.”

Project boostfor youngdisabled

07 10/2/09 12:08 Page 1

news8

Checks calledfor amid claimsof false recordsBy Lyndsey Smith

EVERY school should be inspected tocheck how much PE is actually deliv-ered amid claims some teachers maybe falsely inflating their records.

Bob Bellew, an independent PE con-sultant, says he has worked for manyeducation authorities and found thatwhile some may do the full twohours’ PE a week – others don’t actu-ally use the full two hours for exer-cise.

He said: “Schools that say they aredoing two hours’ high quality PEaren’t necessarily. It’s very easy to ticka box when you are chasing your tailand there aren’t enough hours in theday.

“The thing is teachers know no-oneis likely to come in and check. Whocomes in and monitors whether it ishigh quality? Where is the evidence?It’s not the teachers’ fault – it’s aslight in the system.”

Bob believes there should be amonitoring system in place, where

inspectors would visit schools to clar-ify what PE is actually activity-based,and offer advice on how to improve.

He added that swimming is one ofthe worst offenders for inflating activ-ity statistics – and claims someschools may put a 90-minute swim-ming session on their records whenmost of the time has been spent get-ting to the pool and changing.

Bob, an ex SSco, admits it is not aneasy problem to solve because PEteachers might have limited time andbudgets.

He added: “I don’t want to comeacross as being controversial I amjust challenging certain factors.

“I know teachers who add up whatthey need to do in a week and itcomes to 42 hours.

“You are trying to do everything andthere just isn’t the time and you seemore and more schools now buyingin specialists. I agree this is the way togo but it is a catch 22 situation asfinancial resources just aren’t therefor everybody.”

By Lyndsey Smith

A PROJECT which runs rugby ses-sions in schools has been givenalmost £200,000 from Sport Englandto widen the scheme.

The EDF Energy National SchoolsRugby Union Programme began twoyears ago and this school year 42,000pupils have signed up, meaning112,000 eight to ten-year-olds willhave taken part.

More than 80 schools have signedup for projects with clubs to learn thebasics of the game through tag rugby.

Ray Wiltshire, EDF’s head of spon-sorship, said: “To introduce rugby to

this many children is an incredibleachievement for everyone involved,especially the clubs, who have beenworking with hundreds of schoolsand inspiring tens of thousands ofyoungsters.

“It’s great for the youngsters and it’sexciting for the future of rugby, as theprogramme continues to bring on thenext generation of fans and players.”

Many schools get the chance to takepart in tag rugby demonstrationgames at the EDF Energy Cup andGuinness Premiership fixtures, withmore than 20 schools involved at theEDF Energy Cup semi-finals andfinal.

Sport England touchesdown with £200k boost

Youngsters in Devon are finding a newway to keep fit, through Chinese ‘liondance’ lessons being offered by a martialarts centre.Temple Gym in Torquay is offering classesto young people as part of the council’sChill! campaign, designed to keep youngpeople off the streets.Gym boss Derek Vernon told Future Fitnessthey practice the southern style of liondance, a ceremony to exorcise evil spirits

and summon luck and fortune.Youngsters aged between six and 16 havestarted the classes at the gym, which alsooffers kung fu, kick boxing and weaponstraining, as well as lion dance for bothyoungsters and adults. Derek said: “Thereare a lot of skills involved in Lion dancing,many of which are practiced in Kung Fu.The dancing generates suppleness, staminaand balance and also provides a great aer-obic workout.”

Athletes to attend special boot campYOUNG athletes will discover what ittakes to become the best after beinghandpicked to attend a special bootcamp.

The third national talent orientationcamp, organised by the Youth SportTrust, is for 80 youngsters aged 14 to18. Each young athlete has beenselected by their national governingbody and sports involved are canoe-ing, sailing, rowing, cycling, hockeyand wheelchair basketball.

Steve Grainger, chief executive ofthe YST said: “The young athletes areapproaching a crucial point in theirsporting careers when they will be

making decisions about their future.We are offering them an insight intothe world of performance sport whileallowing them time to reflect on theirtalent and ability and challengingthem to see if they believe it’s a path-way they want to pursue.”

The camp, to be held at Loughbor-ough University, aims to offer aninsight into the world of performancesport while preparing athletes for dif-ferent challenges . It will combinetraining sessions with workshopsdelivered by former Olympic andParalympic athletes encouragingyoungsters.

08 9/2/09 16:10 Page 1

news 9

By Lyndsey Smith

PARENTS’ motives should be ques-tioned if their kids are taking part inhard, physical training below theage of 12, according to one person-al trainer.

Mechell Grey of LA Fitness, SouthKensington, says although teachingkids about health and wellbeing ata young age is a good thing, train-ing because of body image andweight loss should not be encour-aged.

She added: “It’s two sides of thesame coin. Although I offer familysessions for mothers and daughtersor fathers and sons for example,these are teenagers.

“I don’t train small children as Ibelieve the best way for kids at sucha young age to keep fit and active isto be outside, running about andplaying.

“Don’t get me wrong, there areexceptions such as sports specifictraining – if you are training afuture Olympic athlete for example– but it certainly shouldn’t beacross the board.”

Mechell says it is not necessarily abad thing that gyms are incorporat-ing junior sections or that schoolsutilise these in their PE lessons butsessions should be conducted inthe correct way.

“Fitness at a young age should beabout kids having fun and learningabout what it means to keep fit andhealthy while being active and ifthat’s the case then great.

“What it shouldn’t be about isbody image and dramatic weightloss – a kid shouldn’t be worriedabout these things.

“PE teachers will have sports edu-cation and they will be able to regu-late activities done by their pupilsand will hopefully structure activi-ties accordingly.

“Young bodies are still growing,they are less equipped to cope withthe stresses and strains and itshould be an applied thing.

“For example they shouldn’t bedoing weight training at all – theheaviest thing they should beinvolved with is a medicine ballwith more emphasis on activityrather than strength training.”

Mechell admits she would like toget involved with kids’ fitness atsome level in the future. She added:“I would be interested and I wouldmake sure it was done in the rightway.

“Kids need to learn about tech-nology, about the benefits of beingactive and how important it is tobe physically fit but it needs to bestructured correctly and moreimportantly be made to be fun.” Mechell Grey

‘Parents’ motivesshould comeunder scrutiny’

£50k forprovidersSPORTS providers inSurrey will benefit from£50,000 in fundingenabling them to deliver17 different activities toyoungsters across thecounty.

The Active Surrey SportsPartnership has given thegrants as part of the SportUnlimited scheme, whichaims to get more childrenand young people takingpart in traditional andalternative sports outsideof school.

Paul Ainslie, co-ordinatorfor Active Surrey, said:“This is a fantastic oppor-tunity for more young peo-ple to become more activeand enjoy and appreciatethe benefits of sport.

“We have had a greatresponse from schools,clubs and coaches whowant to give young peoplethe opportunity to getinvolved, perhaps in activi-ties they haven’t triedbefore.”

A new project is to belaunched which encouragesparents and children to workout together.Company ESP Ltd has beenworking with rugby leagueand football club communitycoaches to offer multi-skillscoaching.Spokesman Scott Bentonsaid: “We are looking tolaunch parental engagementworkshops whereby mumsand dads can come into theirkids’ schools and exercisewith them using the multi-skills zones.“We have been talking withschools and they are activelyencouraging the scheme andwe may well look at activitiesin curriculum time along withbreakfast, after school andweekend multi-skills clubs.”The project will be rolled outnationally aiming to helpactivity levels and establish-ing parent and child links.

09 9/2/09 16:11 Page 1

news10

A YEAR ago Sheffield United broughtall their community work togetherunder one umbrella – The UnitedInitiative or U&I.

Targeting youngsters, programmesinclude coached training sessions,curriculum enhancement and sportscamps, aiming to contribute to thepathways for football developmentand promote exercise and activity.

At the end of 2008 the initiative wonthe Sheffield Star and St. JohnAmbulance Sport Award forCommunity, and was nominated fora Community Impact Award with theChamber of Commerce.

Sue said: “Essentially we want toencourage young people to becomevalued members of the community,to get active and get fit.

“We work to promote healthy,active lifestyles, working with schoolsand colleges and providing positiverole models through the players,especially for young boys. Sport isvery positive but it doesn’t mean weare solving all of the problems, all ofthe time.”

Sheffield United players have animportant role in the initiative,attending Fit For School activitiesand major events run at the groundor the academy. They also visit thecamps and local schools, using theirrole model status to encourage chil-dren to get involved with exercise.

Sue said she is fortunate that two ofher staff are ex-players, giving themextra kudos with the youngsters.

“The players’ involvement is key toengaging the children – the initiativecan do that by itself but involving theplayers takes it to the next level.”

Regular community match daysfeature on-the-pitch coaching ses-sions for children, ahead of the maingame and as well as encouragingexercise, the initiative is also buildingSheffield United fans for the future.

“We do get a lot of girls involvedwith the programmes and there is abig demand for after-school activitiesspecifically for girls.

“Essentially we work with primaryand secondary school children butrecently we have done a lot of workwith university students and many ofthose come in as volunteers as part oftheir courses. It works really well forus.”

Sue now wants to do more workwithin school curriculums, particu-larly supporting GCSE programmes.

She added: “The Football Leaguerecently introduced a grading systemfor clubs for their community workso we are working towards getting sil-ver.

“We are fortunate that we have a lotof support from the club as a whole,which helps us develop the work wedo.”

As childhood obesity levels in the city continue to rise, Sheffield United FC are using football to promote healthylifestyles and activity. Mary Ferguson spoke to head of communities Sue Beeley about The United Initiative.

Blades players play vital roleto net results for initiative

Sheffield kids get their Kickz out of projectSHEFFIELD United is firmly involvedwith Kickz, a youth sports project origi-nally created by the Premier League andMetropolitan Police.

The club was chosen by the FootballFoundation, Premier League andDepartment of Media, Culture and Sportto run the project in South Yorkshire.

The programme offers youngsters age11-18 the chance to take part in a varietyof sports sessions – including football –three nights a week for 48 weeks of theyear. Educational sessions are alsooffered to young people about healthylifestyles.

Kickz has been running in Sheffieldsince Autumn 2007 but Sue said thingsreally kicked off last year.

“The programme has had a really posi-tive impact and received a lot of recogni-tion. Because the kids are taking part insport sessions they are occupied andusing up energy so it’s helped to reducecrime, plus the sessions also provide aplatform for us to reinforce health mes-sages.”

Sue said a lot of the work they do, andwhere they do it, depends on funding.

They work with a lot of commercialsponsors – companies needing to dotheir bit for corporate and social respon-sibility – and the initiative has just beengiven charity status. Some of the youngsters who have taken part in the initiative

10 9/2/09 16:12 Page 1

Advertiser’s Announcement

STUDENTS at Somerlea Park JuniorSchool in Derbyshire have recentlybeen given the task of creating theirown version of the Haka. The Haka,most commonly noted for itsperformance by the New ZealandRugby Union team prior to theirmatches, is an ancient war dancenative to the Mauri people. Year 6pupils were given the job ofchoreographing their own routine in

the style of the original dance. Accompanied by a heavy, rhythmic

sound track, the pupils createdleaps, spins, arm gestures and plentyof noise during the 30 secondroutine. In order to synchronise theentire class, the staff co-ordinatingthe lesson used one of SoundDynamics portable PA systems tohelp the children count the beatsand timings required in such a

complex dance. With the task incorporating

elements of numeracy, music,creative thinking, team work andleadership skills, the eventualoutcome has been an undoubtedsuccess for the staff and pupils.

The use of the Sound Dynamicsaudio system was also a key element

in both creating and performing thefinished routine. The company,which has supplied similar systemsto nearly 100 schools in theDerbyshire area, are working closelywith schools across the UK to assistprojects including dance,cheerleading, athletics and generalphysical education.

Derbyshire pupilscreate their own Haka

11 Sound Dynamics 10/2/09 14:13 Page 1

news12

Ladies-onlygym ready towelcome kidsBy Mary Ferguson

THE operator of a ladies-only gym inEssex has launched a programme ofclasses for children.

Jodi Pyle, owner of Femme Fitness,is offering classes in gymnastics,cheerleading and street dancing, forchildren as young as four.

She is renting studio space to Danceand Cheer 49, who will deliver thecheerleading classes, but as herreceptionist is a qualified danceteacher and her beautician is a quali-fied gymnast, the other activities willbe taught in-house.

A one-day ‘taster workshop’ will beheld during half term, allowing chil-dren to try out all of the activitiesbefore parents decide to book.

But despite early interest in theidea, Jodi said she has run up againstsome challenges.

She said: “The expense is a problemas we need to buy more mats for thegymnastics which cost around £100each.

“And when it comes to promotingthe classes through local schools, ithasn’t been easy. They are happy forkids to take home a leaflet in theirbags but as a mum myself, I knowthat often they just go into the bin.

“The kids need to be able to see apresentation in assembly or try it forthemselves, which is why we areoffering the taster day.”

Jodi said she expects street dance to

be most popular, mainly because itwill operate as a drop-in class, with-out the need to pre-book a course.

“I think we may struggle with num-bers for the gymnastics becausemany children can take part for freeat after school clubs.

“However there is a leisure centreround here that offers gymnastics tooand they have a year-long waiting listso the demand is obviously there – it’sjust a case of bringing people in.”

Jodi is also launching children’sgymnastics, street dance or cheer-leading parties, to make the most ofthe large studio space.

Jodi Pyle

Pupils from Barrow Hills School inSurrey were mascots for Esher RugbyClub first team as they took onNewbury in a national division onematch.The children cheered for their PEteacher, Neil Hallett, who played fullback in the match.Neil said: “It was a perfect opportunityto reward the children for all their hardwork and success during last term’s fix-

tures and hopefully inspire some ofthem to continue playing rugby afterthey leave Barrow Hills.“The school has an excellent sportingbackground and if I can use my experi-ence of playing at this standard to helpfuture talent, then a school trip is theleast I can do.”Following the game the children wereentertained in the sponsors’ loungeand collected autographs.

Free football sessions kick off in HullSCHOOL children in Hull have beenbenefiting from free football sessionsthanks to Hull AFC’s on-going foot-ball in the community initiative.

The regional sports developmentprogramme runs holiday soccerschools, helping children to under-stand how important a healthy dietand an active lifestyle is.

Children between 5 and 12 years oldattended a three day training courseat the KC Stadium, developing basicball skills and playing in 4 to 7 a-side

games. The scheme, run in conjunction

with NPower, works with schools withpupils invited to the stadium to learnwith the tigers about energy andteamwork.

John Davies, manager of football inthe community, said: “We're glad tobe visiting schools and inspiringyoung minds with the knowledge that football is a great way of keepingfit, working as a team and havingfun.”

Call for an increase inout-of-school activitiesBy Lyndsey Smith

CHILDREN’S Minister BeverleyHughes has called for schools to domore to develop out of hours’ activi-ties for children.

Beverley said more needs to bedone to ensure every child in everycommunity has access to good quali-ty out-of school activities.

She added: “There are exciting andinnovative examples of schools pro-viding out of hours activities and weneed them to show off their hard

work and make sure everyone isaware of their opportunities.

“I applaud efforts so far but therecent reports recognise there is still away to go before extended servicesare available everywhere, and it is too early to see a widespreadimpact on attainment at nationallevel.”

More than 15,000 schools inEngland are now working to providesporting activities before and afterschool as well as study support, play,music and arts activities.

12 24/2/09 11:12 Page 1

By Mary Ferguson

AN independent project that helpschildren battle the bulge throughPilates has been hailed a success byits founder.

Course leader Charlotte FerrallPeevey takes Pilates classes twice aweek at a community hall inOxfordshire, with youngsters fromschools across the borough takingpart.

Charlotte – who also works as a spe-cial needs teaching assistant – origi-nally worked with the children lastyear as part of the MEND (MindExercise Nutrition Do It!) initiative inthe area.

But the children enjoyed it so much,

parents begged her to carry on withthe sessions afterwards.

She now takes a class of childrenaged between seven to 13 for twohour-long sessions a week, splittingthe activities between Pilates and CVworkouts.

Charlotte said: “When I worked withthe children before I noticed they hadreally bad posture, which is wherePilates can really help, by encourag-ing them to walk tall.

“The classes aren’t regimented andthe main focus is helping the chil-dren build confidence – losing weightis just a by-product of that.”

The CV sessions involve running,sit-ups and press ups and games andthe Pilates sessions aim to help

strengthen muscles.As the children know each other

from the MEND programme theclasses are also a social occasion andCharlotte is now hoping to attractmore youngsters, who may or maynot have weight problems.

She added: “It doesn’t matter if thechildren are overweight or not as it’sabout having fun and getting healthy.I’m worried that by bandying thewords ‘obese’ and fat’ about, it willput kids off.

“But so far the programme is goingreally well and although I initiallythought it would be a ten-weekcourse, it’s been so successful Iexpect it will carry on throughout theyear.”

Charlotte with some girls from the class

Children walk tall tobattle the bulge ...

Girls’ rugbyacademylaunchedA GIRLS’ rugby academy has beenlaunched at a university in NorthernIreland – the first of its kind in thecountry.

Supported by Ulster Rugby, thecross-campus initiative at theUniversity of Ulster aims to help play-ers develop their skills and promotewomen’s rugby.

Rugby development officer ChrisGalway said: “This academy is a firstfor Ireland.

“The aim is to give players theopportunity to develop their rugbyplaying ability with the potential thatthey will then be capable of success-fully representing Ulster and Irelandon a regular basis.

“It is a condition that successfulapplicants must make a significantcontribution to rugby at their respec-tive campus as well as maintaining agood academic, playing and trainingstandard.”

The players will have fitness testing,personalised strength and condition-ing support, nutritional advice, per-sonalised rugby skills sessions, phys-iotherapy and doctor support, onsiteultrasound diagnosis and cardiacscreening.

Children’s gym operator The Little Gym hasappointed a new director at its HamptonHill site.Previously programme director, KateButcher, pictured above, has been promot-ed to the position of gym director, afterjoining the company as an instructor threeyears ago. She said: “I’m really looking for-ward to seeing our membership grow,

allowing more children to be part of a pro-gramme that encourages them to try theirbest and teaches them invaluable skills forlife. It’s a real pleasure to see the childrennot only learning but having lots of fun.”The Little Gym offers a motor skills andcurriculum-based gymnastics programmefor children of all abilities, from fourmonths to 12 years.

news 13

13 9/2/09 16:16 Page 1

news14

TAKING part in activities like skate-boarding, free running, BMX andcycling, youngsters in NorthCornwall are exercising withouteven realising they are doing it.

Using ‘alternative’ sports, thescheme targets children fromunderprivileged areas, helpingthem get healthy and improve theirprospects.

At the moment the programmeruns just in North Cornwall butwhen the six district councils in thecounty merge in April, projectleader Gareth Dix is hoping it willbe rolled out further.

He said: “Some people may callthem extreme activities, others maysay they are antiestablishmentsports. But what’s important is thatthe kids see them as something dif-ferent from the traditional footballand rugby.

“And what’s interesting is that weactually get more girls than boystaking part in a lot of the activities.We have some handsome younglads teaching the sports so it’sinevitable that girls will be interest-ed.”

The sessions are delivered bycoaches who are older teenagersthemselves, perhaps in a gap yearbefore university or about toembark on a sports career.

Challenging Lifestyles also workswith schools, particularly thosebeing challenged to start providing‘alternative’ sports.

“When I’ve looked into research itshows that around 60 per cent ofyoungsters dip in and out of sport,meaning they don’t stick withthings when they get older.

“By introducing them to lifestylesports they are more likely to con-tinue and this group has emergedas our real target market for theproject.”

Gareth said the key to hookingthe youngsters in lays with themusic and fashion culture, soimage and branding is a big part oftheir marketing.

“We might hand out nightclub-style flyers but we would never puta generic poster up on the PEnoticeboard.

“Also, the sports we run don’t lendthemselves to rules and regulationswhich helps them appeal toteenagers.

“We made a conscious decisionnot to hammer home health mes-sages about taking part in thesports because adult messagesdon’t work with children. Keepingthe activities cool is what keeps thekids interested and we don’t wantto risk losing that.

“The idea is that they keep goingwith the sport for life but once wemake it mainstream, it will lose itsappeal.”

For youngsters who find them-selves with a real talent for thesport, performance academieshave been set up to coach themfurther and perhaps even developthe sport into a career.

Gareth added: “A key part of theprogramme is encouraging chil-dren to take risks, both physicallyand emotionally.

“These sports help them do that,and hopefully set themselves up toexercise for life.”

Since its launch three years ago, 4,000 children have taken part in a North Cornwall programme designed toencourage youth fitness through alternative sports. Mary Ferguson found out more about the district council’sChallenging Lifestyles scheme, helping disadvantaged 8-14 year olds discover exercise.

Left: Gareth Dix and the other picturesshow children involved in activities aspart of the initiative

Kids get fitwithoutrealising it

Lifeguard programme celebratesa year of helping youngstersA ROOKIE lifeguard programme iscelebrating 12 months of helpingyoungsters get physically activewhilst keeping them safe in thewater.

Positive Futures in Great Yarmouthhas helped over 250 young peopleachieve awards in the RLSS UK’swater safety programme sinceFebruary 2008.

The programme, for 12 to 18 yearsolds at risk of becoming involved in

anti-social behaviour – is run inleisure centres.

Marten Payne, community activitycoordinator, said: “We work withyoung children who have very mixedabilities, so the programme allowsevery one to achieve at their ownspeed.

“The badges are a great motivatorand they are learning vital skills likewater safety, rescue, resuscitationand lifesaving sports skills.”

Premier offer for youthPREMIER League football clubs are tooffer thousands of young people thechance to get involved in Olympicsports following a £3.8m partnershipwith the government.

Premier League 4 Sport will see all20 clubs link up with communitysport clubs to offer opportunities inbadminton, judo, table tennis andvolleyball.

Working with the sports governingbodies, the Youth Sport Trust andSport England, the Premier Leagueclubs aim to get 25,000 young people,

aged between 11 and 16, to join localsport clubs in the four Olympicsports during the three-year scheme.

Each football club will be linked tofour community sport clubs and theywill then link to four secondaryschools creating a total of 320 satel-lite clubs.

The scheme will start in April andrun until 2011 and is funded throughthe Department for Culture, Mediaand Sport from the Premier League’sGood Causes fund.

14 9/2/09 16:17 Page 1

news 15

By Lyndsey SmithLESS than a quarter of students at acollege in Bristol that has its ownsports academy actually take part inthe programme, according to theheadteacher.

Kevin Hamblin says Filton College –which has the Bristol Academy ofSport – had just one part time coachand 14 students taking part intimetabled sporting activities sevenyears ago.

And now, even though it runs 12different sports groups ranging frombasketball to table tennis, it is fallingshort of the government target to gethalf its students to have three hoursof PE or activity a week.

Kevin said: “Of the 2,000 teenagershere less than one-quarter is current-ly involved in the sports academy

programme.

“Another 450 or so are involved inperforming arts, dance and cadetactivities but that still leaves morethan half not doing the required threehours a week. There are other thingscompeting for their time and sport isthe luxury that gets dropped.”

The academy has 470 studentsdoing at least eight hours of activityevery week, and employs 18 sportscoaches, two physiotherapists, a bio-mechanist, two fitness consultants, asports nutritionist and two dieticians.

Only 70 of the students taking partin activity are studying sport relatedcourses with others wanting to justkeep active.

Kevin is now working hard toencourage more students to take upsport and says the government is

right to push schools and colleges toachieve more.

He added: “We have the potential toplay a key role in improving the fit-ness of the nation. Governmentresearch has shown that 70 per centof students stop playing sportbetween 14 and 17 and we hope toreverse that trend – if they are activeduring the 16 to 19 phase they aremore likely to be an active adult.

“We use sport to attract students, toretain them and to get them toachieve.

“Our A-level students who are in theacademies outperform those who arenot, and at our inspection in 2003 wewere rated a satisfactory collegewhilst in 2007 we were rated good. Ithink sport played a role in achievingthat increase.”

Less than a quarter inacademy programme

Universitystudents ‘Up forSport’ in KenyaSTUDENTS from PortsmouthUniversity have spent a month inKenya teaching football, netball, ath-letics and dance.

The Up for Sport volunteers went toAfrica on a sports development expe-dition, working in partnership withBournemouth University to help fourschools in the Ukandu district andassist in developing school sportsgrounds.

Barry Squires, sports developmentmanager at Bournemouth University, said: “The long term aim isto see the programme grow throughpartnerships with other universitiesand we hope to continue to help these communities develop inways which don’t challenge their cul-ture.”

A two-day festival marked the end ofthe expedition, which kicked off withchildren taking part in a five kilometrefun run before taking part in a seriesof netball and football matches, ath-letic competitions and dancing dis-plays.

Youngsters in Suffolk aregetting interactive after thelocal leisure facility investedin a dance mat system.Sudbury Sports Centre haspurchased the full SHOKKwireless dance system witheight mats and ten Vew Doboards, along withcorresponding trainingprogrammes.Dan Palfreman, manager,believes these are helping toget more young peopleinvolved with exercise byproviding them with avariety of physical activityoptions.He said: “We have a largepopulation of young peoplein the area that do not takepart in any sport, and it hasbeen an objective of mine tohelp get more of thesepeople interested inphysical activity.”

Sports pitches net upgradeSPORTS pitches at aschool in Richmond areset to be upgraded aspart of a £1m scheme.

The work at Whittonschool – funded by theFootball Foundationand Richmond Council– will see a new floodlitartificial turf pitchinstalled, along withgrass pitch and pavil-ion.

Headteacher PhilDavies said: “This willgive the whole school areal lift and the projectwill give our students

some of the mostadvanced sports facili-ties in the country.

“It will help maintainour school’s position asthe centre of the com-munity and a centre ofsporting excellence.”

Sports clubs and com-munity groups will beable to use the floodlitpitch in the evening aswell as at weekendsand during school holi-days, and it is hopedthe pitches will beready by the end of theyear.

Free swimming lesson offerSIX and seven year olds indeprived areas of Hereford-shire have been offered freeswimming lessons in a bid totackle obesity amongst localprimary school children.

The 24-week pilot pro-gramme, which was run byleisure trust Halo Leisure inpartnership with HerefordshirePrimary Care Trust, was opento year two pupils at five pri-mary schools and included afree three-month Halo Leisuremembership, along withaccess to a 12-week course ofswimming lessons. Around 100children took part representing

more than 40 per cent of thoseoffered access and free swimvouchers were given asrewards. The trust now aims toroll the programme across itsten sites and Jon Argent, CEO,said: “The pilot was very wellreceived by the parents andthe local schools and so a sec-ond swimming course andmembership extension wasoffered to encourage the chil-dren to continue exercising.We saw a good take-up and inconjunction with the govern-ment’s free swim initiative, wehope to continue offering thisvaluable programme.”

15 9/2/09 16:19 Page 1

news16

By Lyndsey Smith

YOUNGSTERS as young as twelvehave been given the opportunity toexercise more thanks to a gym’snew membership plan.

Freedom Leisure’s Sandwich sitein Kent has introduced the new1218 scheme for 12 to 18 year oldsand offers kids the chance to have amonthly or annual membership.

Karen Burrell, head of marketingsaid: “This is an extension of whatwe are doing across our other sitesand is something of a pilot project.

“We have run memberships for

14-18 years olds but felt thatbecause this site was a dual usefacility for the local school wedecided to drop the age to twelve,and then see if that will be viableacross the entire chain.”

1,218 members will be able to usethe gym until 5pm, Monday toFriday and at anytime over theweekend and will receive a super-vised induction session.

Karen added: “Lots of kids wereusing it before on a pay to playcasual basis but they were restrict-ed in the times they could use itand they have much wider options

now.”The centre already links up with

Sandwich Technology school.Moira Clewes, head of PE, said:“The kids think it’s great – theyclass it as their centre.

“We are very lucky as it is literallynext door and we aren’t losing ahuge amount of valuable PE timegoing to and fro.

“Our feeder primary schools use ittoo and it’s great they are using thefacility from a young age as it givesthem some familiarity in the transi-tion to secondary school.”

Moira said the school uses the

sports hall for many activities fromfootball through to fencing alongwith the squash courts and studios,but find it difficult to access the fit-ness suite, purely due to timeissues.

“It is hard for us when there aremembers of the public using thefacility but we do sometimes use itfor our A level students – if theyneed to use the machines as part oftheir sports science or biomechan-ics modules for example. Thismembership means kids will beable to access this out of schoolhours though now which is great.”

Gym plan boost for youngsters

SPORTING stars should be used asrole models to inspire kids to get fitand active, according to a fitnessindustry leader.

Tony Majakas, managing director ofTechnogym, believes stars such asLewis Hamilton or Michael Owen can prove a kick start for kids as theyaim to be fit and healthy like theiridols.

He added: “We have used Lewis andMichael in previous campaigns andwe want to look at using more highprofile stars, as these are the peoplethat can get kids into the fitness cen-tres. It is all a knock on effect.”

Tony said getting kids into a gymenvironment would go a long way to

ensuring a sustainable fit and healthylifestyle.

“It is clear that you find kids that arenot particularly good with teamsports.

“They find it intimidating or feelthey aren’t good enough and the gymis a great alternative for them.

“We can make it more appealing –have televisions in there and let themhook up their ipods. You can take thefocus away from exercise and ontothe social element and having fun,and it can prove extremely beneficial.

“You have to find different ways toget kids active and today they havemore choice in terms of what activi-ties they can do.”

Tony Majakas

Kids should be inspired toget fit by sporting stars

£1.4m weight management initiative will target Welsh familiesCHILDREN’S weight managementprogramme MEND has been rolled out across Wales – the firstscheme of its type to have run on a national level in any country.

The £1.4m initiative, funded byWelsh Assembly Government, willtarget around 2,000 children agedbetween seven and 13 years old andtheir families over the next three

years.

Dr. Tony Jewell, chief medical offi-cer for Wales, said: “Being over-weight can be tough for childrenboth physically and emotionally.

“Caring for an overweight or obesechild can be difficult too, especiallyif they lack confidence or feeldepressed because of their size.

“We have evidence that shows theMEND programme raises individu-

als’ self esteem and supports them inmaking healthier choices.

“It’s vital that we tackle the obesityissue. Overweight or obese childrenare also more likely to be overweightor obese adults.”

Families across Wales will take partin a free ten-week course with othersin a similar position, combiningpractical learning about healthy eating – including shopping on a

budget – and stimulating active enjoyment of physical activity.

Rather than focusing on weightloss, the programme uses an interac-tive learning approach to teach par-ents, carers and children weightmanagement skills.

The programme has already beenrun on a limited basis in four areasof Wales.

Scheme aims to net moreinterest in volleyballA SCHEME which aims to encouragemore schools to take part in volley-ball is hoping to expand across theUK.

Volleyball was the first team sport tobe included in the UK School Gamesand 30 per cent of schools alreadyplay. But now Volleyball England ishoping to expand its Let’s PlayVolleyball programme.

Craig Handford, national develop-ment manager, said the programmeis designed to encourage youngstersto experience volleyball as a player,competitor, leader, coach or referee.

He said: “There are three versions –indoor/outdoor, sitting and beach –but we don’t distinguish initially asthe basics are the same.

“This develops as kids get older,allowing the format to build, startingsimply and then building in tactics,techniques and rules. It is aboutteaching the fundamentals

“It is incredibly inclusive and I think

this is what makes the sport special.For example, sitting volleyball is notexclusive to disabled athletes – wehave some teams that are a mix. It isalso mixed gender and we have anear 50-50 split which is fairly uniquein team activity.”

Chief executive Lisa Wainwrightsaid she would like to see more com-munity development coaches inschools but also PDMs will be askedto help.

She added: “If we want children toplay we must ensure they receive anenjoyably beneficial experience ini-tially.

“The sport is ripe for change and weare currently grasping opportunitieslike this with both hands.

“Having successfully achieved tar-gets around club development overthe last four years this project will beamong the first to help us to deliverour new strategic aim and directionfor clubs and schools.”

Sporty children do betteracademically – studyA STUDY from Harvard Medical School published in the Journal of School Health has found children who play sport do much better academically.

Children aged nine to 14 were put through a range of fitness tests to assess their strength, speed and flexibili-ty.

The children who were thefittest, although not necessarily

outstanding athletes, scored morehighly in standard maths andEnglish tests.

Virginia Chomitz, the leadresearcher, said: “Our resultsshowed a significant relationshipbetween fitness and academicachievement.

“This suggests that rather than detracting from academic subjects, time spentdoing exercise could be beneficial.”

16 9/2/09 16:30 Page 1

Training 17

By Lyndsey Smith

A LEISURE centre in Kent isoffering training to young-sters to help create a newbreed of coaches and men-tors.

Maidstone Leisure Centrewas given funding fromSports Unlimited for a newyouth development pro-gramme that also aims toincrease kids’ physical activitylevels.

A ten-week course for 11 to19 year olds is being offeredwhich combines X-treme andKombat Shokk workshops toallow study on level one andtwo teaching physical activity.

The children can then assistwith fitness classes in theleisure centre and mentoryounger pupils.

Adam Loynds, communitydevelopment officer, said:“This is the way forward forus.

“Numbers haven’t been asgood as anticipated but wehave enough funding for ini-tial sessions and hope tobecome self-sufficient.

“We are looking at activitiesthat will be popular with thekids such as trampolining and

dance mat activities – exercisethat is enjoyable and benefi-cial.”

Adam is now in talks withschools to use the centre aspart of the five hour offer.

He added: “We have toyedwith the idea of running kids’fitness classes and this fund-ing has allowed us to do that.

“We have begun to notice anincreased number of youngmembers using the local fit-

ness facilities and furtherdemand for more fitnessclasses that cater for them, sothis seemed an ideal opportu-nity to capture and engagekids’ imaginations.

“It is about getting kids tounderstand their bodies, seewhat kind of level they are atand then helping them worktowards their goals whetherthat be specific fitness aimsor reaching their optimumlevel of enjoyment.”

Kids get coaching chance

Youths enjoy X-treme fitness sessions

Kombat Shokk workshops

17 9/2/09 16:33 Page 1

training18

By Lyndsey Smith

PRIVATE fitness courses are beingbought in by a school in the WestMidlands to top up students’ quali-fications.

Willenhall School Sports College isnow running a second year ofFormula GFI courses which lead toa level two Active IQ qualification inthe fitness industry.

The courses are delivered by exter-nal instructors and are run in addi-tion to normal studies.

Anthony Derrer, sports and leisuredevelopment manager, said: “Theprogramme entails 90 hours’ addi-tional extra-curricular study so issuitable for those that express aninitial interest in health and fitnesswhether it be for a career or just forfun.

“It is a positive way for kids todevelop a career pathway and topup with vocational qualificationsand in addition we offer lifeguard,swimming teachers’ badge andfootball level one and two.”

Willenhall caters for 11 to 18 yearolds and has a fitness suite, dance

studios and four badminton courts.All students can do two sessions ofextra curricular sporting activity aweek and Anthony says the uptakeis fantastic.

Anthony added: “The kids herejust love taking part whether it befor the additional qualifications weoffer or because they love sport.

“There is a growing concern forhealth and well being particularly inthe younger generation.

“It is always in the news and as aschool we aim to give kids a widevariety of activities which is impor-tant as physical well being is anissue for everyone.

“These qualifications possibly gosome way to incentivising physicalactivity and exercise.

“The kids can see a purpose – theyare achieving something as well asimproving their overall health.”

Willenhall was awarded sports col-lege status in 2005 and has beeninvolved in running a NationalHealthy Schools programme andJAE programmes for young and gift-ed athletes.

Fitness coursesbeing boughtin by college

Students take advantage of fitness facilities at Willenhall

18 10/2/09 14:31 Page 1

training 19

By Louise Cordell

TRAINING provider Evolve Sport isaiming to improve the quality of school sports lessons with a new NVQcourse.

The company currently runs a leveltwo course in activity leadership whichcan be used to improve a sports coach’sability to deliver quality lessons in aprimary setting.

The qualification can be gained overfour days by completing modules onbehaviour management, supervision inschools and the Evolve coachingphilosophies.

It is hoped that both courses will helpto close the ‘skills gap’ in coaches whohave completed their basic training but have little experience in workingwithin the curriculum in a school setting.

John Bishop, Evolve Sport director,said: “We are now working with Cityand Guilds on developing an even morespecific qualification aimed at closingthis skills gap.

“There is a definite opportunity thereand discussions are ongoing at the

moment – there is currently a ‘class-room support’ NVQ and we are tryingto tie it in with that.

“There are many qualified sports coaches out there, especiallyfootball coaches, but that is not whatschools need, so they are essentiallydormant.

“They are coming to us to take theirqualification to another level and con-textualising what they do into a schoolsetting.

“We have also developed a new mentoring and development programme which has meant that morestaff have been able to progress withinthe organisation and achieve the holygrail of full time work in this highly competitive and fragmented sector.

“Twenty new full-time staff weretaken on in September and this rapidexpansion now means that moreschools will be able to benefit fromspecialist PE delivery – impacting onthe lives of many children and familiesthroughout the UK.”

Trust setsup schoolcoachingwebsiteA SCHOOL sportcoaching website toallow coaches tosubmit informationon their sessions has been set up bythe Youth SportTrust.

The CoachWebreporting tool willshow data on sessions that havebeen completed,with coaches able to report totheir PDM andSchool SportsPartnership.

Information collected will beused anonymouslyto make improve-ments by bringingschool sports coaching closer tothe existing coaching frame-work.

The programme isone of ten strandswhich make up thePE and SportStrategy for Young People(PESSYP).

NVQ bid to boostquality of schoolsports lessons

ACTIVE leadership and gym instruction NVQsare being offered to 16 to 24 year olds for free.

Sportwise have been running the level twocourses since September and so far they haveproved extremely popular.

Andy Seward of Sportwise said: “There hasbeen a huge demand for the courses not justbecause they are free, but because the majorityof the course is delivered within one intenseweek.

“The learners then come away with an NVQlevel 2, a YMCA qualification and a first aidqualification.”

Sportwise offer the NVQs nationally.

Free course deal

BEBINGTON High sports college has run afully accredited certificate in coaching coursefor football level one. The course ran in part-nership with the vocational college and alsoincluded qualifications in child protectionand emergency first aid.

Coaching certificate

Training for PE teachersYMCA Fitness Industry training has developedfour one-day professional development mod-ules for secondary PE teachers.

The training explores innovative approachesto using aerobics, circuits and fitness roomactivities as contexts for promoting effectivelearning about healthy active lifestyles withinand beyond the curriculum. This newapproach is entirely practical and focuses on aparallel development of pupils’ health, fitnessand exercise knowledge alongside the develop-ment of personal learning and thinking skills.

The courses are delivered by experiencedtraining providers in education as well asmembers of YMCA Fitness Industry Training’stutor team, and supported by a manual.

19 24/2/09 11:11 Page 1

news20

By Lyndsey Smith

FORMER British number oneBMX rider Kelvin Batey is encour-aging more schools to offer thesport in curriculum time.

Kelvin is currently teaching BMXbiking at Winterhill school inRotherham – the first school inthe country to offer the sport –and following positive publicityleading to enquiries from otherschools nationally, he hopes thatmore will begin to offer provisionas the physical benefits to kids areimmense.

He added: “The kids don’t actu-ally realise how much effort theyare putting in or how much exer-cise they are actually doing.

“When pedalling they are work-ing the whole of their lower bodyand while they are using theirstrength to hold themselvesupright they are improving theircore stability.”

Teachers at the school have tried

it and Kelvin said this made themrealise just how hard the kidswere working.

“They said afterwards they did-n’t realise how tired they would beand it was obvious to them thatthis is fantastic physical exercisefor the pupils.

“Hopefully more schools will trythis. We have been the guinea pigsand feedback has been positive soother schools following our leadcan only be a good thing.”

Kelvin explained that the BMXmodule, which is delivered in theadventurous strand of PE lessons,was all about progression.

“Initially we do assessments andgeneral bike skills in the play-ground and an integral part of thefirst three lessons is the safetyaspects such as how to positionthemselves and how to wear kitcorrectly.

“Then we go to the BMX trackand do a strait at a time – eachtrack is made up of four straits for

example from the start to the firstcorner, the first to the second, etc– taking them on the least techni-cal sections to start off with andlearning them the basics.”

Following a low period due tohaving to withdraw from Olympictrials last year through injuryKelvin said his lessons with thekids really lifted his spirits.

‘I was down for a time and Ithink starting at the school lastSeptember has really pulled mearound. It’s so satisfying to see theprogress that the kids make.

“They look petrified to beginwith and don’t believe that theywill ever do a full lap of the trackso the look on their faces whenthey do is great.

“The school to club link hasreally worked and we already havesome kids progressing to regionaland national level – there is a lotof raw talent and it is fufilling forme to know that I am helpingthese kids progress.”

Wheely-keen Kelvin pushesBMX biking for schools

AN OLYMPIC hopeful fromCoventry has received a majorboost after a local firm agreedto sponsor her.

Increasing training costs hadthreatened to hamper 17-year-old Rowena Cole’s progress buta two-year sponsorship deal byBand Hatton LLP solicitorsrunner means the 800m run-ner will now have funds toimprove her training.

She will now be able to pur-chase various pieces of keyequipment – including run-ning shoes, all-weather cloth-ing and a heart rate monitor.

She said: “I’m incrediblygrateful for the sponsorshipbecause it takes the financialstress away and allows me todo the very best I can.

“Having the right type of run-ning shoes makes such a dif-ference and a heart rate moni-tor will really help me tounderstand what I need toimprove too.”

The Tile Hill Wood pupilstarted athletics in year three,doing cross country, andmoved to Godiva Harrierswhen she started secondaryschool. She is hoping that 2009

will be a strong year for herand that she can take anotherstep in the direction of London2012.

“This year will be a challengebecause I’ll be against olderrunners but there’s a chance Ican go to the World YouthGames in Italy or maybe theWorld Youth Festival in Finlandso I’ll be working hard.”

Rowena has been selected forDame Kelly Holmes’ ‘On Campwith Kelly’ training group andshe was recently awardedEngland Athletics’ YoungFemale Athlete of the Year.

Paul Wright (left) and Mark Moseley of Band Hatton with Olympic hopeful Rowena Cole

Sponsorship boost forOlympic hopeful Rowena

By Mary Ferguson

A NEW initiative to promote sport andhealth awareness toyoungsters inSouthampton has beenlaunched by the city’sfootball club.

Saints Tots, run bySaints in theCommunity, is a condi-tioning and physicalactivity developmentscheme, designed toencourage young children to enjoy thebenefits of exercise andplay.

Working with SureStart, the programmewill be delivered in eight children's centresin Southampton with atarget of working with over 500 childrenover the next 12months.

The scheme is beingdelivered in partnershipwith Sportsmatch and National Depositand is the newest addi-tion to SouthamptonFC’s community line-up.

Mark Abrahams, head

of Saints in theCommunity said: “It isvery much aimed at theparents as well, as theycreate the culture and environment thatyoung children grow upin.

“Developing a packageof activities that directlyinfluences the physicalactivity of children andalso educates parents onbeneficial eating andactivity habits, can onlysupport the well beingof children as theydevelop.”

Mark Abrahams

Saints Tots aimsto make exercisefun for youngsters

20 9/2/09 16:35 Page 1

news 21

A PRIMARY school cheerleadingteam are gearing up for their firstcompetition since forming ninemonths ago.

The group of seven to ten year olds– The Manchester Sparklers – havebeen training at an after school clubat the Brookway High School andSports College in Wythenshawe.

They will take part in the UnitedKingdom Cheerleading AssociationCommunity Nationals in May at theManchester Velodrome.

The classes are taken by LorrayneSiddall, dance and cheerleadingcoach for Wythenshawe and South

Manchester School SportsPartnership, who joined forces withassistant PDM Hannah Vecchione toapply for a £9,000 grant with a viewto setting up cheerleading classes inthe area.

They initially took the sessions atBrookway for free and Lorrayne saidshe was overwhelmed by their popu-larity.

“The school is in an area of severedepravation so the aim was to get thekids who can’t afford after schoolclubs involved with them.

‘We were getting between 30-40girls to every session but to sustain

the sessions we had to start charging.“Inevitably a few dropped out but

we still have about 25 that come andwe bought them all uniforms so thatwe could start entering them intocompetitions.”

Since the club formed last year, thechildren have been putting on a showeach term for the parents, but thisMay will be their first competition.

Lorrayne and Hannah are hoping toform a wider team – The ManchesterAll Stars – with divisions TheTwinklers, for children age four toseven, and The Comets, for childrenaged ten to 16.

Girls prepare to sparkleThe Sparklers

Multi-sportinitiativeis launchedAN initiative to keep disabled chil-dren active and involved in a range ofsports has been launched byCotswold District Council.

Free multi-sport sessions are beingheld at the Cotswold School inBourton-on-the-Water, where kidsaged seven and over can take part indifferent activities including wheel-chair football, curling, slalom andBoccia.

Claire Dowan, youth participationand development officer, said:“Various consultations we had carriedout suggested that that while disabledchildren enjoyed mixing with theirable peers in inclusive sports ses-sions, they would also like to havesomething separate and tailor madefor them. This led to us introducingthis pilot scheme, run by a specialistcommunity inclusion coach, to pro-vide the children with the opportunityto play sport in a non-competitiveand fun way.”

The afternoon sessions are beingorganised by Cotswold DistrictCouncil, in partnership with ActiveGloucestershire and the CotswoldSchool, and there will be seven ses-sions held at the Bourton-on-the-Water school until the end of March.

If the pilot scheme is successful thecouncil will consider extending theprogramme to other schools in thearea.

TEENAGE girls from across SouthLondon are being given the chance totry out a new sport at the Love2Activity Festival.

The event has been organisedspecifically for girls and women aged16 to 24 and is offering over 70 freefitness sessions to help them getactive.

Justin Webb, marketing managerwith organiser Pro-Active SouthLondon, said: “It is really an awareness week to give people a

chance to get involved in sport andfitness.

“We have targeted girls in this agegroup because research has shownthat they suffer from the biggest dropin sports participation.

“To reach them the events are being held in a range of differentplaces, including schools, collegesand sports clubs and at differenttimes – split across half-term weekand the following week, so all agescan take part.”

Teens targeted to try new sport

Claims that bad genescause childhood obesityBy Mary Ferguson

BAD genes could be to blame forchildhood obesity, it has beenclaimed.

Researchers from UniversityCollege London conducted anexperiment to see if eating whenfull was linked to a gene calledFTO by observing the behaviour of131 four to five year olds who wereoffered a plate of biscuits afterthey had eaten a meal.

They found the children who atemore biscuits were more likely tohave one or two of the ‘higher’ riskversions of the FTO gene.

Professor Jane Wardle, who con-

ducted the research, said:“Previous research has shown thatthe FTO gene is linked to largerbody size.

“We believe this research tells usmore about how some childrenare more responsive to signals intheir bodies encouraging them toeat when full than others.

“We hope this research will helpimprove our understanding of thecauses of childhood obesity sothat better measures can be takento reduce it.”

The researchers also looked for agenetic connection between theFTO gene and children’s interest intaking exercise, but didn't find alink.

21 9/2/09 16:37 Page 1

news22

THE academy provides leisure andlearning pathways for students want-ing to study sport-related subjectsbefore progressing to higher educa-tion or work in the leisure industry.

The programme consists of fitnessand skills training, optional trainingwith Crystal Palace ladies’ teams andcompetitive matches whilst compet-ing for their school and own team, orCrystal Palace.

There is a major focus on diet, nutri-tion and fitness and academic andvocational qualifications, and current-ly there are nine students with hopefor increased uptake as the academybecomes more established.

Tyrone Reid, head of the academy,emphasised students are not justalong for an easy ride. “We have toinstill this and make sure the girlsknow they are not just here to kick aball about.

“The aim is to encourage youngstersto continue in education using sportas a medium to keep them engaged.

“Girls are not chosen purely on foot-ball ability - also academic qualifica-Tyrone and Claire

The Priory school, Bromley, has taken its higher education programme a step furtherwith the introduction of the Crystal Palace Girls Football Academy. Lyndsey Smithvisited to find out more.

‘We have to make sure thegirls know they are not justhere to kick a ball about’

Girls in training

tions, attitude and previous commit-ment to their education and club.”

Students are required to follow atwo year BTEC level two or threequalification in sport and IT level twoor three, and they have access to highlevel football coaching and competi-tion.

Bromley MyTime and South BankUniversity work closely allowing stu-dents to gain necessary qualificationsand work experience, and there areNVQ courses in football coaching,gym instructing, national governingbodies courses in other sports andthe leisure operations certificate.

Teamwork, discipline, responsibilityand co-operation are paramount andTyrone said the fitness element washigh.

“The course is very fitness-basedand each individual has their ownrequirements and personalised sys-tem. We hope to establish long termhealth benefits as well.”

Students must take part in commu-nity work within local primaryschools as part of curricular and ex-curricular learning, and ClareLandore, development officer, is hop-ing to encourage more link ups.

“Our girls are gaining coachingexperience and it is good for the

youngsters as we can hold festivals ortournaments, getting kids mixingwith other schools, and in a few yearsthey could be playing together.”

Targeting kids at this age is integralto long term success and allievatingdrop off was a key aim according toClare.

“Girls start playing later and finishearlier but we are looking to takethem from primaries through sec-ondary, through the academy andonto Crystal Palace.

“A number of local clubs havenoticed a drop off and we are tryingto address this. Parents don’t knowhow serious their girls are and whereto take them and there is a problemwith the structure lower down and wehope we can help.

“We need to make people aware ofwhat we offer, establishing stronglinks with clubs, encouraging theirgirls to join us.”

Tyrone added: “We appeal to stu-dents who aren’t sure what they wantto do when they reach 16 but knowthat they love sport.

“We also have a filtering systemwith year 11 girls making up the teamwhich is great experience for them.

They see the academy girls as rolemodels – something to aspire to.”

CHILDREN aged three to five havebeen targeted by a nutrition web-site in a bid to help them learnabout healthy eating and cooking.

The Food – A Fact For Life hasdeveloped a set of resources com-prising ten sessions where chil-dren will be involved in a practicalcooking activity, learning themmore about the food they eat and

how to create simple, healthy dish-es.

There will be a follow-up activity for parents and children todo together and an online guide will show how to safely setup a cooking area, how to temptchildren to taste food, as well ashow the sessions link in to thenational curriculum.

Website bids to teach themyoung about healthy cooking

22 9/2/09 16:38 Page 1

news 23

By Lyndsey Smith

AN INTERACTIVE kids’ gymnasticsprogramme has been developed tomake exercise fun whilst helpingconfidence, concentration, fitnessand body awareness.

Backflip Performers – the brainchildof five times British aerobic gymnas-tics champion Katie Cannon - wasformed in September and is for kidsfrom pre-school age through totwelve years.

Katie said gymnastics is extremelybeneficial with core training improv-ing specialist abilities and having amassive impact on confidence.

She added: “Confidence is a vitalpart of achieving success and Ibelieve that boys and girls performbetter and enjoy life more when theirconfidence is high.

“The idea is to present gymnasticsas a fun concept rather than with theintense pressure of training in orderto be involved in competition. Wedon’t do competitions – it’s all aboutfitness and fun.”

Children have the opportunity tolearn floor gymnastics, developmovement and weight-bearing skillsfor cartwheels, handstands andbridges, and also focus on presenta-

tion skills.Katie said: “We always do a fun

dynamic warm up involving specificgymnastic shapes and stretches, andit’s about teaching kids the aerobicconcept at a young age.

“We do stretches that introduceflexibility, and alignment exercisesthat combine posture, coordinationand presentation techniques alongwith a new skill every week.

“We encourage each child to learnthe backflip – our signature move –and the small group and individualattention means they are likely toachieve this, and every child will getto perform one each session no mat-ter what their level or age.”

Katie already takes gymnasticsclubs in nine schools in London andis looking to expand.

The sessions are open to beginnersor to those who have attended gym-nastics classes before and Katieadded: “Core gymnastic ability cre-ates extra energy and vitality, and fit-ness and agility also help to combatstress.

“We are committed to teaching thechildren in the right way, and includethe all important warm up and cool-down stretches which are often whatmakes the difference.”

Gymnastics champion Katiebends over backwardsto make exercise fun

Katie Cannon

Activity declinein pre-schoolchildrenPHYSICAL activity levels in pre-school children are declining accord-ing to research published by theAmerican College of Sports Medicine.

The study shows a significantreduction in activity levels betweenthe ages of three and five, with chil-dren of this age spending approxi-mately 90 minutes per day in front ofthe television, computers or videogames.

Rachael Taylor, lead author of thestudy, said parents were asked to esti-mate the amount of time spent eachweek in various activities, includingdancing, biking, playing, participat-ing in organised activities, and swim-ming.

She added: “One opportunity we getby way of these results is to narrow inon an age range where we can reallyencourage healthy habits for veryyoung children.

"That is going to mean turningsome of that screen time into activitytime, where kids are running, jump-ing and playing.

“Or, more specifically, consideringthat target age range of four and five,it is probably the right time toencourage more outside play wherepossible, or enrol a child in gymnas-tics, tennis or other structured exer-cise in order to increase their expo-sure to physical activity."

23 9/2/09 16:39 Page 1

news24

PREMIERSHIP rugby union teamNewcastle Falcons have joined forceswith Newcastle School SportPartnership to launch a new danceproject for children aged five to 16.

Falcons Community Foundationwill help deliver the training course,which will culminate in two massparticipation performances at theFalcons’ ground in March.

Joyce Matthews, partnership devel-opment manager at the NSSP said:“The project hopes to help tackle ris-

ing levels of obesity and inactivity inyoungsters by encouraging physicalactivity in a fun and inclusive envi-ronment.

“With the positive role models ofthe Falcons we aim to provide youngpeople with the opportunity to workwith the club and other schools.”

Players Joe Shaw and Ollie Phillipswere on hand to encourage the chil-dren and discuss the importance ofphysical activity in young people atthe launch of the project.

Rugby players step out tosupport new dance project

Falcons player Ollie Phillips helped launch the project

£1.5m centrewill pushkids’ fitnessBy Lyndsey Smith

A NEW £1.5m leisure centre is to beopened in Saddleworth to push kids’fitness.

Oldham Community Leisure is setto open its fifth site after refurbish-ment of a swimming pool began lastSeptember, and it will now incorporate 55 pieces of state of theart cardiovascular and resistanceequipment along with free weights,virtual reality spinning bikes and astudio.

Virtual dance mats will also beadded and Darren Burley, health andfitness manager, said the projectmeant local kids would now havemore options to exercise.

He added: “There is no other centreor gym within eight miles so we are ina situation to capitalise and helpyoung people get fit.

“We have dance mats in our othersites and they have proved extremelypopular, with some schools usingthem for their PE lessons and a greatuptake of kids visiting after school

hours, and we hope that will continuehere. The energy the kids show isunbelievable – the mats are reallyhard work and obviously beneficial.”

A teen gym will also be running atthe site where youngsters can comeand use the main equipment at spe-cific times.

‘I am massively into getting kidsactive from an early age as I think youhave a far better chance of sustaininga healthy lifestyle if you begin young -it almost becomes a way of life.

“The teen gym is ideal. “Kids can come straight from

school and exercise, and certainly asa company we are looking at branch-ing out into different youth basedactivities.”

‘I am massively into getting kidsactive from an early age as I think you have a far better chance of sustaining a healthylifestyle if you begin young – it almost becomes a way of life’

24 9/2/09 16:40 Page 1

news 25

Children can usethe card to claimincentives

By Mary Ferguson

CHILDREN in Leicestershire arebeing encouraged to exercise byearning free leisure centre sessionsfor completing PE lessons atschool.

Club Activ8 is a pilot scheme runby North West Leicestershire Dist-rict Council that rewards childrenfor taking part in physical activity.

It can either be at school orthrough free activities outsideschool hours in local authorityleisure centres and the more phys-ical activity they undertake, themore points they can earn and themore they have to cash in foractivities. These points can also beaccrued each term and cashed in

during school holidaysCoun Trevor Pendleton of North

West Leicestershire DistrictCouncil, said: “We see this as oneinitiative towards our aim of mak-ing the children and residents ofNorth West Leicestershire healthi-er. The pilot scheme is deliveringincreased physical activity levels inschools and increased usage inleisure centres. We are looking toextend the pilot into all schoolsand we would encourage all localauthorities to look at our schemeand see if any elements wouldwork for their local communities."

The scheme operates using a bar-coded key-fob leisure card,launched by Gladstone plc, thatcan be scanned at the end of a les-

son to build up points that can beconverted into swimming or otherleisure activities.

A typical incentive for a childwould involve two hours of schoolactivities awarding 20 points or £2,enough for one free swim.

Similar to loyalty cards issued bysupermarkets, the key fobs arescanned at the end of the lesson orschool club by the PE teacher viathe electronic PDAs – PersonalDigital Assistants – then docked atthe local leisure centre where thedata is downloaded.� What do you think? Send yourcomments to Mary Ferguson, 47Church Street, Barnsley, SouthYorkshire, S70 2AS or emailmf@whpl.net

Kids ‘earn’ free leisure sessions

EquipmentsponsorrevealedCYBEX International UK will be theofficial equipment sponsor forBritish Colleges Sport (BCS) this year.

The association exists to encourageand enable students and collegeswithin the further education sectorto develop their potential by provid-ing sporting opportunities and serv-ices.

John Hole, executive officer, said:“We are delighted to enter into apartnership with Cybex. They arecommitted to our philosophy of sup-porting high quality sporting facili-ties in the further education sectorand we are confident our memberswill benefit from this sponsorship.”

Sorry, Joyce ...IN THE February issue of FutureFitness we reported on the successand achievements of the NewcastleSchool Sport Partnership, whichswept the board at the third annualSports Awards ceremony.

In this piece we mistakenly referredto the partnership development man-ager as Joyce Bishop. Future Fitnessmagazine would like to clarify that thepartnership development manager isactually called Joyce Matthews. Weapologise for any embarrassment thismay have caused.

25 10/2/09 12:20 Page 1

news26

WHEN The Place, the UK’s premiercentre for contemporary dance,needed floors for its new studios,Junckers was first choice to supplythe highly technical and specialistflooring required.

Nigel Hinds, project director for ThePlace said: “There’s something intan-gible about the balance of qualities –warmth, support, spring – that makean ideal floor for creating dance, butan artist knows when it feels right.

“Having worked with Junckersbefore, we knew we’d get the bestpossible floors and specialist techni-cal knowledge.”

As The Place’s studios are used 14hours a day, 364 days a year, anextremely durable surface is essential.

Junckers pre-finished 22 mm Beech

SylvaSport Premium, nailed toJunckers New Era UnoBat cradle lev-eling system provide support withoutbeing rigid and responds beautifullyto the dancers’ every step.

The flooring contractors were VAHutchison Flooring Ltd.For more information call: 01376 534700 or

visit: www.junckers.com

Junckers spring into action ...

By Jonathan Williams

REPORTS about the current econom-ic doom and gloom are enough tomake you want to take a long walk offa short pier.

In spite of this and the efforts of theBritish mainstream media, the startof 2009 has been really positive forthe youth sector of our industry.There is no doubt more organisationsare focussing on this demographicand an increase in healthy competi-tion is always going to be a goodthing from SHOKK’s perspective.

Provisions continue to increase onthe ground with facilities and schoolssports partnerships purchasing moreequipment and training specifically

developed for young people.There is a real effort now to bridge

gaps in the ‘5 hour offer’ and curricu-lar and non curricular activity. Moreimportantly, however, it is fantastic tofinally see the start of real investmentfrom central government and theNHS.

This is evident in two recentlaunches, The NICE Physical ActivityGuidelines for Children and theChange 4 Life Campaign.

On behalf of the NHS, NICE pub-lished their guidelines for promotingphysical activity for children recently,which took over two years to develop.These guidelines are very close to myheart as I sat on the ProgrammeDevelopment Group (PDG) directly

involved in publishing them.This allowed me to make an active

contribution to the final recommen-dations which will undoubtedly playa central role within our industryover the coming years.

The document is also extremely sig-nificant for the public sector and willassist with a more joined upapproach within local governments,PCTs, schools and youth groups. Thedays of working completely inde-pendently with a PCT and council inthe same area, as we have experi-enced in the past are hopefullybehind us.

The guidance focuses increasingopportunities for young people totake part in physical activity; helping

them to complete at least one houreach day and have access to weightbearing activities.

It is also great to see more emphasison the diversity of activity optionsfrom competitive sport to formalexercise, active play and other non-traditional forms such as streetdance.

This links well to the Change 4 LifeCampaign, in which SHOKK are play-ing a direct role. Communicationhere is all about just getting morepeople to make positive lifestylechoices and indeed get off their back-sides. If we can set the right exampleas adults perhaps more young peoplewill follow.� Jonathan Williams is CEO of Shokk

Fantastic to see real investment in sector

Nutrition must be on the timetableTHE government should be lookingat incorporating nutrition into thenational curriculum from as early asprimary school age according toTeresa.

She believes kids become moreindependent of parental control and are more susceptible to peer pressure and commercial advertising, so implementing ahealthy diet and learning about foodis crucial.

She added: “Kids pick up initial eat-ing habits from their peers and theyshould be made aware of how opti-mum nutrition is crucial for theirfuture health.

“It is important that they developnormal dietary behaviour and thisshould become a pattern early in life,ideally beginning in primary schools.

“Maybe they could incorporate aflash card system teaching themabout different vegetables and aboutwhere foods come from but whateverway schools decide to adopt, nutri-tion should definitely be built intolesson time.”

Starting with the basics at this agegives a sound basis for developingthe subject in secondary schools andTeresa thinks it would be ideal to linkin with PE lessons.

“It is crucial to realise that exerciseand good diet go hand in hand so itmakes sense to teach the two togeth-er.

“As kids get older they should bemade aware of the risks of eatingunhealthily. You need to give studentslessons in basic nutrition, how cer-tain foods work and react with ourbodies and about the detriment ofeating too many high sugary andfatty foods.”

Although Teresa feels the govern-ment should make nutrition an edu-cational subject she says there arethings schools can do to help things

along the way.“If the government implement it, it

has to be taught simple as that. “If it is optional it could be

overlooked simply because of a timefactor and a subject this importantcan’t afford to be – particularly at atime when obesity figures are creeping up.

“As a subject there will be require-ment for teachers to have a soundunderstanding of the subject and anappropiate qualification – maybefunding could be allocated from thegovernment or the schools them-selves – but this could take time soschools need to deliver as best theycan in the short term.

“They should be looking at theirmenus and the quality of the foodsthey are delivering – food that ishealthy and with optimum nutrition-al values and rich in essential nutri-ents.

“They need to assess vendingmachines and see what is beingoffered there and rectify appropriate-ly.”

She added: “There is a serious needfor improvement in order to makehealth and fitness more sustainableand kids need to see what theirhealth will be like if their diet really isat optimal level and what abuse isbeing done to their bodies with con-sumption of too many many fattyand sugary foods.”

Nutrition should be a subject taught in schools if kids are to have a sustainablehealthy life says nutritional therapist Teresa Doherty. Lyndsey Smith found out more.

Teresa Doherty

Fundraisingbid by schoolA SCHOOL has set up a fundrais-ing campaign with the aim ofboosting the health and fitness ofits pupils.

St James’ RC Primary School inHebburn is trying to raise £6,000to buy a new climbing frame forthe school playground to encour-age the children to stay active atbreak times. The new project fol-lows a successful campaign toraise money to create a trim trail,made up of stepping stones, atunnel and wooden blocks,which was opened this month.

Margaret McCullagh, a memberof the fundraising committee,said: “The whole aim of thescheme is to improve the school’sfacilities, keep the kids active andcombat obesity. If they havethings like this on their doorstepit is much easier for them to keepfit – and because it is so muchfun they don’t even think of it asexercise – just play.”

The school has already receiveda £3,000 grant from Durhambased charity Sherburn House.

Margaret added: “Many schoolssay they don’t have the money forup to date fitness equipment – soraising funds like this can reallymake a difference. I think there isa great need for it, especially iflike us you are thinking aboutprevention rather than cure.”

26 9/2/09 16:42 Page 1

23

This spring Future Fitness will be launching its very own e-newsletter. The monthly letterwill contain breaking news from the industry as well as information about forthcoming featuresand events. Like the magazine, the e-newsletter is completely free to receive. All we needyou to do is register your e-mail address by visiting our website, www.futurefitness.uk.net, calling01226 734695 or complete the registration form that arrives with your copy of FutureFitness. Any companies wishing to take advantage of the sponsorship opportunities available onthe e-newsletter should contact 01226 734672 or e-mail sales@futurefitness.uk.net.

31 Resource Directory 10/2/09 14:24 Page 1

05 - Fitlinxx 12/12/08 15:42 Page 1