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

By Louise Cordell

PRIMARY schools are being urged toovercome health and safety fears andintroduce contact rugby for pupils.

A Wakefield partnership develop-ment manager has been working tobring in the game throughout the 80schools in the Five Towns SSCo Part-nership but has found that many headteachers are reluctant to take the risk.

Paul Ogilvie believes that playing thefull version of the sport can be verybeneficial for kids but that people’sprejudices need to be addressed beforethey get the chance to take part.

He said: “Many head teachers willreject the idea without really thinkingabout it, there is just an immediatenegative response and I think this isdown to a lack of knowledge.

“We do everything necessary to makethe games safe – we have qualified ref-erees and first aiders on hand andhave sought advice from the RugbyLeague on the best protective gear forpupils. We actually have more injuriesoccur during tag rugby than we dowhen they are playing contact.

“There are collisions, but the chil-dren just bounce back up, and the firstaiders are very rarely needed.”

Paul believes that while tag rugby is a

great way to introduce the sport intoschools, if pupils want to progress andtake their game to regional andnational levels they need to be playingthe real game.

He is convinced that if more schoolstake the first step into bringing in con-tact rugby it will soon be the norm inprimaries around the country.

He added: “20 years ago there wasmass participation in real rugby forkids of all ages, but this was before allthe health and safety regulations andclaim culture. To produce great play-ers it is important for them to startearly and for kids to progress theyneed to be given the opportunity.

“I think it is the schools being overlycautious, because I have had manyparents call me directly, asking howtheir kids can get involved – they don’thave any concerns.”

Paul has already held two contactrugby competitions in a bid to getpartnership schools on board, but justthree attended the first and only fiveattended the second. He is now organ-ising another event for November,which he has opened up to everyschool in Wakefield in an attempt toincrease numbers. � Bid to tackle rugby parents, Page 5

Call for schoolsto overcomerugby fears

Sport Weekdate changeconfirmedTHE Youth Sport Trusthas confirmed that thedate for NationalSchool Sport Week hasbeen changed to June28-July 2 2010.

The change has beenmade following feed-back from schools andother partners and toensure that as manyyoung people as possi-ble will be able to takepart. It has now beenorganised to avoid anypotential clashes in theschool curriculumaround exams, workplacements and otherend of year activities.

Baroness SueCampbell, Youth SportTrust chair, said: “Thisyear more than 10,000schools and three mil-lion children took partin Lloyds TSB NationalSchool Sport Week -demonstrating how theexcitement and pas-sion for the OlympicGames can be a pow-erful driver to increaseparticipation.

“It was a tremendousweek and we areextremely excitedabout building on thiseven further in 2010.”

Gladiators star ‘Enigma’, aka Jenny Pacey, is doingher bit to get young people active. Jenny, togetherwith her partner and co-star on the Sky One show,Wayne ‘Doom’ Gordon, have been visiting schoolsaround the UK and providing advice on health andfitness. Her aim is to get kids excited about workingout and show them what can be achieved withenthusiasm and commitment. She said: “I wantyoung people to realise that getting involved insport and activity can lead to many other things andthat a determination to succeed will spill over intoevery area of life.” Full story, Page 6

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Contacts www.futurefitness.uk.net

By Louise Cordell

THE Conservatives have announcedplans for an annual School Olympicsto bring back competition in schoolsport.

Jeremy Hunt, the shadow secretaryof state for culture, media and sport,confirmed the party’s plans to backDame Kelly Holmes’ proposal for anational sports competition, to be runevery year with finals held at theOlympic Stadium in Stratford.

In a recent speech he accusedLabour of failing to take advantage ofthe ‘golden opportunity’ provided bythe Olympics to inspire a generationof young people to take part in sportand also tackle the growing problemof obesity.

He said: “This initiative will allow usto use 2012 to bring competitive sportand sporting values within the graspof all young people.

“Labour claims to support schoolsport, but their obsession with politi-cal correctness, their continual raidson National Lottery sports fundingand their suffocating health and safe-ty regulations means that there aremillions of children not taking part in

competitive sport.” As well as introducing the annual

under 18s competition, Mr Hunt hasalso stated that, under a Tory govern-ment, schools would be forced topublish information about their facili-ties, and every child would have theopportunity to compete.

He said: “Let’s democratise theOlympics. Let’s not just have them inthe stadium in London for threeweeks only.

“Let’s have them in every school, inevery town, in every city and everycounty not just in 2012 but every yearfrom then on.”

Dame Kelly’s school games proposalis based on a recommendation shemade last year after her OlympicLegacy Taskforce looked into ways toexpand sports opportunities for allchildren.

She said: “We need to give ouryoung people opportunities, we needto give them direction, we need togive them a chance to be inspired.

“And with the Olympic Games com-ing, we're going to host the bestgames ever – we need to now makesure that we maximise what we'redoing as a nation.”

Tories readyto bring backcompetition

A DERBYSHIRE athletics club iscelebrating after picking up anational excellence award.

2 Dash, which is based at MountSt Mary’s College, Spinkhill, hasachieved Clubmark status, thenational standard for high qualitysports provision for young people.

The club was set up in 2007 tocater for under 17s from the schooland the wider community and nowhas more than 100 members fromthe South Yorkshire and Derbyshireareas who meet twice a week totake part in a range of track andfield events.

2 Dash also has satellite clubs atfour local schools, which run 12-week training programmes andcompetitions for students and feedinto the main club.

Keith Newton, a level four coachwho runs 2 Dash, said: “The satel-lite clubs are a way of bringing ath-letics to the community.

“We welcome members of allabilities from these clubs to ourweekly sessions – they are hugelypopular and a great way for us todevelop positive links with thecommunity and ensure that physi-cal activity is accessible to all.”

2 Dash member Niall Hunt, coach Keith Newton and new recruit Gemma Smalley

Athletics club celebratesnational excellence award

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By Louise Cordell

PUPILS at a primary school inSouth Yorkshire have become thefirst in the area to take up Zumba, anew dance craze all the way fromMiami.

Kelda Evans, a teacher at WestMeadows School decided to intro-duce the after-school class afterattending some Zumba sessionsherself.

She thought that the aerobic fit-ness routines, with dance stepsinspired by styles including salsa,hip hop, mambo and flamenco,would be ideal for getting the kidsinvolved.

She said: “I have always beensporty so I know how important it isto keep kids active and really want-ed to introduce something new thatwould get the children excited.

“After attending classes myself Iknew that Zumba would be ideal,so invited our instructor Nikki tocome into school and do a tastersession.

“The kids absolutely loved it so wesuggested starting up a regular cluband had a fantastic response.”

Over 30 pupils from years two tosix have now signed up for the firstsix week course, including five boys,and the aim is for them to learnsome routines that can then be per-formed to parents at the Christmas

show. They will all also be rewarded with

Zumba wristband when they suc-cessfully complete the course andthe school will be providing a tro-phy to present to the best dancer ofthe term.

Kelda added: “It is just so muchfun, its a great way to help the kidsget fit and they have all respondedreally well. We are always looking

for new ideas and ways to introducethe pupils to different things –because not everyone enjoys takingpart in the same activities.

“This is fun and cheap and ties inwith a lot of popular culture at themoment - I think it is attracting alot of kids because it has somethingfor everyone.”

The aim now is to continue to runthe classes for the rest of the year,

culminating in a big show todemonstrate the routines, helpingthe school to link up with the community and get parentsinvolved in spreading the fitnessmessage.

Kelda is also exploring a range ofnew ideas for the pupils, includingthe possibility of introducing pilatesto help relax year six pupils who areapproaching their SATs.

New dance craze goes to school

West Meadows School pupils at their after-school Zumba class

Paralympian Ben Quilter was among theguests at an activity day marking thecountdown to London 2012. Olympic-inspired activities, including a giant tennisgame and slug racing, were some of thehighlights at the open day – which attracted about 500 visitors to OlymposBurgess Hill. The event was organised in

partnership with Freedomleisure, MidSussex District Council (MSDC), ParticipateMid Sussex and West Sussex-‘Ahead of theGame’, the county’s 2012 initiative. Visitorsparticipated in the games, watched fitnessclass demonstrations and took tours of thefacilities, including newly installed gymequipment.

Pupils limber up for finalsSCHOOLS across Kirklees are tak-ing part in heats in an attempt toqualify for the upcoming CrossCountry Championship Finals.

The four Kirklees Schools SportsPartnerships; Newsome, Pennine,Spen Valley and St John Fisher, willeach be represented by three teamsof girls and three teams of boys,who will compete for individualand team honours in the finals.

Talented individuals, whose

school team may not qualify, willalso be invited to take part, toensure that all the best runners getthe opportunity to compete at theevent.

The event is part of KirkleesCouncil’s ‘Getting fit for 2010’ ini-tiative, which aims to provideyoung people with the opportunityto take part in a wide range of com-petitive sports, as part of enjoying ahealthier lifestyle.

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By Louise Cordell

OVER enthusiastic parents couldbe banned from the touchline forcausing trouble at school rugbymatches.

Paul Ogilvie, partnership develop-ment manager for Wakefield’s FiveTowns SSCo Partnership, hasthreatened to stop pupils’ mumsand dads attending games becauseof their bad behaviour.

He claims that the parents havebecome too competitive, shoutingadvice to players including ‘takethe little one down’ and ‘knock hishead off’.

Paul said: “I can’t believe some ofthe things I hear yelled out atmatches.

“I have had to have words withmany parents who have caused aproblem – it really doesn’t set agood example for the children.

“They go completely over the line– as adults they needed to remem-ber where they are and act appro-priately.

“If it gets much worse I am pre-pared to ban them from gamesaltogether – it has become thatbad.”

Paul, who coordinates PE andsports for 80 schools in the area,has resorted to desperate measuresin a bid to keep the crowds undercontrol.

A uniformed steward from a localrugby club has been brought in to

police the spectators and a ‘Code ofConduct’ for parents, based on theRugby League’s Respect campaign,has been printed on the back ofprogrammes – but with little effect.

Paul added: “We have asked themrepeatedly to address their behav-iour but it doesn’t seem to makeany difference.

“I am sure it is just because theyare passionate about the game, but

they take things too far. “The kids don’t appreciate it

either, and they will often shoutback to their parents from thepitch, asking them to be quiet.

“It’s not demonstrating the kindof sportsmanship we want toencourage in our young people.

“We are hoping that things willget better because we want parentsto be able to come along and sup-

port their children – but if not,under these circumstances, whatchoice do we have?” � What do you think? Are yourschool matches attended by overenthusiastic parents or would youwelcome more passionate support-ers? Write to Future FitnessMagazine, 47 Church Street,Barnsley, South Yorkshire S70 2ASor e-mail: lcordell@whpl.net.

A Knottingley High School rugby match

Parents tackled over calls

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JENNY Pacey had a sporty childhoodand, after growing too tall to pursueher childhood dreams of becoming ajockey, developed a love of athletics.

She went on to compete interna-tionally in the long jump and pen-tathlon and then represented the UKin the bobsleigh in the 2006Olympics.

After completing a sports sciencedegree, Jenny and Wayne set up Paceand Go, a personal training businessworking with everyone from TV exec-utive to working mums.

However, once she had joined theGladiators team, she wanted to useher new role to spread the healthy liv-ing message to young people andstarted giving motivational speechesin schools.

Jenny said: “I found that I reallyenjoyed working with kids and thepupils really seemed to connect tome.

“I think they responded to a combi-nation of my my sporting achieve-ments and the fact that I haveappeared on TV in Gladiators andalso on Spooks and Eastenders.

“Once kids have seen something onTV they really relate to it - it immedi-ately gets their attention.”

She and Wayne decided to put theirexperience to good use and createdthe Fit Workshops for Schools con-cept.

The pair spend a day in a school,and put on an assembly and a ques-tion and answer session for all thepupils.

They then take a groups of 16 to 32kids who have been specially chosenby the school for a variety of reasons,either because they are high achiev-ers, or having trouble with theirweight, or are from disadvantagedbackgrounds, or are talented athletes.

Jenny and Wayne work with themfor the day, putting on a series oftraining sessions including pliomet-rics, pilates, weight training and

drills, as well as talks and practicaladvice on nutrition and diet for sportand training.

Finally, there is a full school bootcamp at the end of the day for allpupils, parents and teachers, to getthem involved in a fun workout.

Jenny added: “It seems to work real-ly well and the kids love it. I think it isnice for them to have positive, tangi-ble role models.

“Obesity is such a big problem, kidsare falling short of their exercise tar-gets and it is something that needs tobe addressed.

“I try to get them to look at differentways of hitting those targets – it does-n’t just have to be traditional sportsor activities, they can try new thingslike pilates, dance mats, or youngpeople’s gyms.

“We need a shift in what we see as

Jenny Pacey has gone from international athlete in the 2006 Olympics to media star in her new role as gladiator‘Enigma’ on Sky One’s hit show. Now, she and her partner, fellow gladiator Wayne ‘Doom’ Gordon’, are workingin schools around the UK to teach kids about the benefits of a healthy lifestyle.

Jenny and Wayne recently took a sofa to Westfield Shopping Centre for their ‘Don’t Be aLoafer on Your Sofa’ campaign. They were there to give free health and fitness advice toyoung people – and show them exercises that they could do in their own living room.Jenny said: “We had hundreds of young people come up to us, boys asking Wayne how hegot his big muscles and girls asking me how they could tone up.“I think things like this are important because we are going out into the community andreaching kids that might not get involved otherwise.”

exercise – as long as they are raisingtheir heart rates and having fun thenit’s great.”

Jenny points out that many youngpeople get turned off exercisebecause they haven’t found some-thing that they really enjoy and heraim is to help schools provide some-thing that everyone can engage with.

She also wants to address the otherbarriers to activity that still exists, forexample, girls believing that certainsports are too masculine, or thatexercise will cause them to bulk up.

She added: “The most importantthing for me is a holistic approach.

“I also want to show kids that sportand activity can lead to many other things – if you have that determination to succeed then it will spill over into many differentareas of life.

“I encourage young people to lookat their whole lifestyle and broadentheir horizons as much as they can.

“I want them to know that anythingis possible and empower them to ful-fill their potential.”

Why gladiator couplehave gone back to school

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RISING Welsh rugby union star, MikePhillips, is urging more primaryschools to introduce the sport to helppupils pick up essential skills early.

Mike plays at scrum-half for theOspreys as well as representing hiscountry and believes that if childrencan get excited about sport whenthey are young, they are more likelyto keep playing in the future.

He said: “I don’t think that primarypupils are too young to play rugby,even the lowest years love it, and it isgood for them to start as soon as pos-sible so that they can develop andimprove. I got into the sport becauseit was very big at our primary school.

“A lot of professional players hadbeen pupils there at some point andtheir pictures were hanging up every-where to inspire the kids. We playedin local tournaments and our teach-ers encouraged us all the way.”

Mike points out that the game usesmany different elements of fitness,with players developing agility, speed,stamina and good hand-eye coordi-nation. He also believes it can be asport with a professional future formany kids with a growing number ofrugby academies and training schools

around and many regional spottersworking to keep an eye on the bestyoung talent.

He added: “This is great for thegame because there is a constantsupply of great new players. But it’salso great for young people, becausemore of them are getting their chanceto learn more and maybe take theirtalent all the way to the top.”

Mike also advises schools to consid-er the option of tag rugby, whichdevelops many of the skills needed,but in a non contact setting, and canalso be a good way of getting youngerchildren or pupils who think of them-selves as ‘less sporty’ into the game.

Mike added: “Rugby is all aboutworking hard and working as a team,but also about having a lot of fun atthe same time. It teaches respect anddiscipline, which are great lessons forkids of any age. I work with youngpeople whenever I can now, because Iremember what an amazing experi-ence it was for me to meet profes-sional players when I was younger.

“Now I know how they feel, andwhat a boost it can be to have a rolemodel and see what you couldachieve in the future.” Mike Phillips

Mike urges schoolsto introduce rugbyinto curriculum

More champsheading tocounty schoolsSOUTH Yorkshire Sport has beenselected to receive more visitsfrom ‘sporting champions’ overthe next six months.

The county sports partnershipis one of only 18 organisationsthroughout the country chosento be a part of the Sport Englandsporting champions scheme.

This will allow the partnershipto organise a package of visits bya local sporting champion toprojects that aim to encourageyoung people to try differentsports and become active on aregular basis. The champion willmake four visits to local projectsover a school term, building up arelationship with the young peo-ple taking part, providingencouragement, getting involvedwith the sports sessions andhelping young people to moveinto a local sports club to contin-ue to take part in sports.

Bruce Kelsey, partnership direc-tor of South Yorkshire Sport, said:“This is a fantastic opportunityfor South Yorkshire to benefitfrom the encouragement andmotivation of local sportingchampions. We hope that thechampions will help to attractmore young people into tryingdifferent sports and finding anactivity to continue with intotheir adult life.”

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EXERCISE gaming in schools shouldbecome more widespread to helpbalance the curriculum according toindustry expert Duncan Black.

He claims that the technology avail-able has now reached the pointwhere it is able to act as a valuableteaching tool as well as engagingyoung people.

Duncan, director at Fitness Gaming,said: “While the exercise gamingindustry is still very much in itsinfancy – there is a lot more to come– people are now bringing out prod-ucts based on detailed feedback andare developing a more educatedapproach to what kids actually want.

“It is important to realise that chil-dren don’t necessarily want to justtake part in scaled down versions ofwhat adults are doing.

“Their attitude is that it has to befun above everything else – but thisdoesn’t mean it can’t be worthwhile.”

He believes that gaming is one ofthe best ways to involve those chil-dren who have fallen out with main-stream PE, because it works to bringelements of their own lives intoschools, meaning there are far fewerbarriers to them getting involved.

Duncan also recommends using thetechnology to break down the tradi-tions of boys and girls and differentage groups exercising separately.

He added: “The great thing aboutgaming is that most kids have alreadyused consoles at home and withfriends, so it is something they arecomfortable with and can feel confi-dent taking part in – which is not thecase with a lot of traditional sports.

“Teachers are sometimes surprisedwhen they see how easily kids engagewith the equipment and have to beeducated in the benefits.

“However, they soon see the highimpact activity and coordinationneeded and also the improved con-centration, which they often do notexpect.”

Duncan also points out that tech-nology is beginning to enter everyarea of the curriculum, from art anddesign to maths and English, so itwould not make sense for physicaleducation to be the one part ofschool life that is not involved.

He added: “It is important toacknowledge that children are goingto play computer games regardless ofadults’ perception of them.

“What we need to do is use thatdesire to help them become enthusi-astic about education and self devel-opment too.

“There has to be balance – there willalways be kids who will be main-stream sports oriented, so it is essen-tial to keep those within the curricu-lum – but schools also need to takethings that step further, so that theycan engage every child in somethingthey enjoy and want to take part in.”

Exercise gaming inschools ‘can act asvaluable teaching tool’

Duncan Black

Job charitysecuresfundingA CHARITY that helps young peo-ple find work in the fitness indus-try has partnered with theNational Skills Academy (NSA)and secured £11.7m of funding.

Transforming A Generation(TAG) specialises in training 18-24year olds who are not in educa-tion, employment or training andtheir goal is to help 1800 youngpeople achieve a Level 2 REPsrecognised qualification and findwork in the industry.

TAG, whose supporters includeDavid Lloyd Leisure, DC Leisure,Fitness First, GLL, LA Fitness andVirgin Active, runs six-month pro-grammes which combine aca-demic and work placement train-ing.

The programme was developedin partnership with Lifetime, whohave secured the contract todeliver it nationwide.

TAG chairman Fred Turok said:“Club managers have found thatthe students’ gregarious streetconfidence is infectious in gyms –walking up and talking to andgently advising members isalmost second nature to them.

“This funding is great news forTAG, great news for our industryand great news for all the commu-nities we will be working in.”

TWO students from Nelson andColne College in Lancashire havebeen appointed as YoungAmbassadors for the Youth SportsTrust.

They will join the group of over5,000 young people who are set toparticipate in the programme leadingup to the 2012 Olympics. The aim ofthe scheme is to help increase partic-ipation and learning through theGames and to provide inspiration forother young people to choose sport.

Natalie Haythornthwaite, who is amember in the UK Netball squad andAdam Greenwood, an all-roundsportsman, were put forward for the

posts by their Pendle High SchoolSport Tutors.

Neil Stuart, partnership develop-ment manager for Pendle, said:“Amongst other things, Natalie andAdam will be going into schools totake assemblies, attend tournamentsand sports festivals and will have anopportunity to volunteer to coach inschools as part of the National Stepinto Sport Volunteer Programme.“They will also attend a YoungAmbassadors’ Conference at OldTrafford where they will learn abouttheir role, meet Olympic Athletes andbe given a range of tasks to completewithin Pendle over the next year.”

Natalie Haythornthwaite and Adam Greenwood

Lancashire students becomeyoung ambassadors

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AfPE to pushfor moretrainingBy Christina Eccles

THE Association for PhysicalEducation will continue pushing formore training to prepare newly-quali-fied teachers to deliver primaryschool PE, according to its chief exec-utive Margaret Talbot.

Speaking at this year’s LeisureIndustry Week, she told delegates that although there is a lot of positive work going on in some pri-mary schools, the amount of prepara-tion which NQT’s have receivedbefore they start work is not consis-tent.

She said: “There is some amazingwork in PE going on in primaryschools. This is nearly always theresult of good leadership. But it ispatchy.

“We estimate that at least 40 percent of primary NQT’s have six hoursor less preparation for teaching PE.

“If it is a systematic weakness, it canbe fixed. Some initial training

providers do make sure that it hap-pens, therefore all of them can. Thereis no excuse.

“We are not letting go of this and wewill continue to make a fuss about it.”

Margaret also revealed other areaswhere AfPE is striving to see improve-ments – which include delivering thefive hour offer to all children.

She added that although the majori-ty of children are receiving two hoursof good quality PE in schools, thereare still some who aren’t and thethree hours of out of curriculumactivity is still a long way off target.

She added: “The five hour offer is ahuge mountain to climb.

“91 per cent of five to 16 year oldsare now receiving two hours but 87per cent of that achievement is basedon curriculum time delivery.

“We need to look at how the fivehour offer can be adapted to considerdifferent needs for the inclusion ofeveryone.”

Swimming development manager Eddie Lim with Craig Gent, 19, who has passed his 25mand 50m badges through the initiative

A FREE swimming lessons initiativefor non-swimmers between the agesof 11 and 19 has been set up inBarnsley.

Barnsley Premier Leisure is encour-aging all young people who cannotswim to take advantage of the freeswimming lessons that are now avail-able at five venues in the town.

The initiative is being fundedthrough the Amateur SwimmingAssociation and the local boroughcouncil in partnership with BPL to

encourage young people to improvetheir confidence in the water.

Dave Redfern, BPL’s operationsmanager said: “Learning to swim is avaluable skill that all young peopleshould learn.

“Over half of our primary schoolchildren leave school without beingable to swim, so this new initiative isdesigned to encourage young peopleto access swimming lessons, whichwill help them enjoy being in thewater and enhance their safety.”

Free swim initiative launched

Bid to inspire table tennis interestA CENTRE of excellence for tabletennis in Sheffield is helping toinspire a new generation of buddingyoung players at grass roots level inthe city.

The English Institute of Sport (EIS)allows novices to compete alongsidethe likes of British number one PaulDrinkhall, his doubles partnerDarius Knight and Paralympian

Farrell Anthony.Sheffield International Venues,

who operate EIS, recently secured an extension to table tennis worldclass performance programme in thecity.

The two-year deal with the BritishTable Tennis Federation (BTTF) willsee the 2012 squad continue to trainand develop at the facility.

Activity provider targetsteens with new initiativeBy Louise Cordell

BRITISH Military Fitness haslaunched a new membership initiative in an attempt to getteenagers involved in physicalactivity.

The activity provider has decidedto drop its prices for kids to helpthem get fit without costing toomuch money.

Barney Larkin, marketing manager, said: “When we heardthat the single biggest drop off inphysical activity is among schoolleavers aged 16, we decidedto introduce a membership rate for under 21s, allowing moreyoung people to take part in ourclasses.”

The move had led to a 75 per centincrease in under 21s attending,

including many members whocan’t afford the more highly pricedgym memberships in and aroundLondon.

The classes for teens involve 60minutes of running, circuit activities such as press ups, sit ups, squat thrusts and teamchallenges.

Barney added: “With the growingissue of obesity, it is essential thatwe encourage everyone to adopt ahealthier lifestyle.

“Tackling unhealthy food is oneway of addressing the issue, butexercising must also be part of ourdaily routine.

“I want our sessions to help edu-cate teenagers about the benefitsof exercising outdoors in a sociallyinteractive manner.”

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Aaron Howlett

A PRIMARY school teacher aiming toinspire her pupils to get involved withsport is being trained by ‘BiggestLoser’ winner Aaron Howlett.

Sally Bennett teaches at St. AndrewsPrimary School in Hull and is one of20 people being coached by Aaron inpreparation for the London Marathonin April next year.

Aaron, who lost over ten stones onthe ITV show four years ago, is alsoplanning to visit the school to talk topupils about his weight loss, andshow them the Olympic torch he wasasked to carry in Beijing.

Sally said: “I’ve told my class and thestaff but my pupils will be doing a big

assembly on what I’m doing inNovember as part of our schoolsports week.

“I never thought I could run so Iwant them to see there is no suchword as ‘can’t’ and inspire them totake up more after-school exercise.”

Aaron added: “I was bullied atschool for my weight so I know howsome of these kids may be feeling andI want them to see that they canachieve things too.

“Because she is young the pupilsreally look up to Sally and I think thatby doing this, she will become a fig-ure-head for primary schools in thearea.”

‘Biggest Loser’ Aaron helps Sally

Countdown to Sport Relief

MORE than a third of boys are nowoverweight, while a majority ofadults in Scotland weigh toomuch, including more than two-thirds of men.

A Scottish health survey foundthat 36.1 per cent of boys agedbetween two and 15 were over-weight last year, up from 32.4 percent five years ago and 27.8 per

cent ten years ago. However, nosignificant changes occurred ingirls in the same age group.

Health secretary Nicola Sturgeoninsisted that more action wasneeded. She said: “While it isencouraging that the rate ofincrease in obesity among childrenis slowing, tackling obesityremains a top priority.”

Over a third of boys overweight

THE countdown to Sport Relief2010 has started with the launch of free learning resourcesfor primary and secondaryschools.

The packs span the PE, Englishand citizenship curriculums andaim to provide teachers with allthe tools needed to get their stu-dents active for charity.

Dame Kelly Holmes, Sport Reliefambassador, said: “Sport Relief 2010 can be a great first step forschools, bringing pupils andteachers together to have fun, dosport and do good.

“My interest in sport started with a teacher who encouraged me, so teachers taking part next

year could even inspire a futureOlympic champion.”

The resources available range from lessons and assembly plansto photos, videos and storiesabout the children and young peo-ple supported by Sport Relieffunded projects.

Schools will also be able to raisemoney by selling Sport Reliefstripy socks and earn Active Kidsvouchers at the same time.

� Is your schools planning some-thing special for Sport Relief 2010?If so, let Future Fitness know by e-mailing: lcordell@whpl.net orwrite to Future Fitness Magazine,47 Church Street, Barnsley, SouthYorkshire S70 2AS.

PE should bevalued as muchas 3Rs – BlackBy Louise Cordell

PHYSICAL education in primary schoolsshould be valued as much as reading,writing and arithmetic if the UK is tomake a serious impact on childhoodobesity, according to Olympic Silvermedallist, Roger Black.

The Association for Physical Educationhas estimated that around 40 per cent oftrainee primary school teachers receiveless than six hours training before theystart teaching sport.

As a result, they claim pupils are suffering from an inconsistent, apathetic approach to PE lessons and often don’t receive the encouragement or expertise needed todevelop a healthy attitude towards sportand fitness.

Roger Black, who is an ambassador forFit For Sport’s Fitter Schools’ challenge,said: “Sport is about inspiring people.

“Children are motivated by sportsteachers who love sport and are passion-ate about it.

“My football teacher was a great inspiration to me and I still rememberhow his zeal encouraged me to lovesport.

“The only solution is to take PE moreseriously at primary school level andthose schools that don’t have in-houseexpertise should have access to externalresources.

“If a child can be inspired at this youngage they will develop lifetime habits anddesires to stay healthy.”

Fit For Sport is now calling on theTraining and Development agency toensure that all primary school traineesget at least 30 hours preparation beforethey start teaching, and are fully supported by teachers who are experi-enced in physical education.

Dean Horridge, company CEO, said:“This is the single most serious systematic weakness in the primaryschool education system, but it couldeasily be fixed if there was the politicalwill to do so.

“The Training and DevelopmentAgency should be taking responsibilityfor this in schools to ensure that childrenleaving primary schools have all had thesame levels of experience.”

Roger Black

10 13/10/09 12:20 Page 1

news 11

By Louise Cordell

THE UK’s leading tennis experts arejoining forces to find the profession-al players of the future.

A new junior coaching pro-gramme, Tennis All Stars, has beenlaunched by David Lloyd Leisureand the Lawn Tennis Association.

The programme has beendesigned to recognise and nurturetalent, and aims to get over 20,000kids active and improving their ten-nis nationwide.

It will be used to introduce kidsbetween the ages of three and 17 tothe game and help them to join in aseries of coaching sessions andcompetitions, regardless of their

level. The aim is to help them play and

improve at a steady pace, as well asproviding the high level educationneeded if their goal is to compete ata higher level.

Ross Matheson, group racquetsmanager said: “We are very excitedto be introducing a tennis pro-gramme that focuses on developingjunior players as they grow.

“Tennis is a fantastic sport, whichcan be played and enjoyed for a life-time and the physical and psycho-logical benefits for kids, particularlythose who start playing at an earlyage are immense.

“There is already a hotbed ofyoung, tennis talent in the UK and

we aim to take this to whole newlevel.

“All Stars will not only ensure theycan take this multi-faceted skillwhere ever they go but help themstrive to be the next Andy Murray.”

Once children join the All Starscheme they start to progressthrough a colour-coded system ofred, orange, green and yellow, basedon age and level, competing at eachstage.

The initiative is also supported bythe Aegon Mini Tennis Ratings,which are designed to reward play-ers for competing, inspire them todevelop their game, offer the oppor-tunity to compete more regularlyand to reach their full potential. Andy Murray

Search for tennis aces of the future

Scientists exploresupport foryoung athletesBy Mary Ferguson

SCIENTISTS have been exploringhow bioscience could be used to sup-port Britain’s young athletes.

Meetings between some of thecountry’s top bioscientists and sportsscientists have been looking into howthe sector’s research can be used tosolve the challenges faced by the highperformance sport community.

Dr Scott Drawer, UK Sport head ofresearch and innovation, said: “Eliteathletes train incredibly hard andmaintain a very high level of fitnessover a long time.

“While this makes them healthierthan average, it can also expose themto more physical stresses and theycan be prone to certain injuries andconditions.

“In some cases it almost seems thatwhile they are operating at an incred-ibly high level, they can easily toppleand fall from that height.”

The workshops have been organisedby the Biotechnology and BiologicalSciences Research Council and UKSport, with the aim of bringingtogether experts in neuroscience andmusculoskeleal research with sportsscientists.

It is hoped that together they will be

able to establish collaborative proj-ects that will boost the chances of thetop young athletes in future competi-tions.

Professor Janet Allen, BBSRC direc-tor of research, said: “The biosciencecommunity in the UK has knowledgeand skills that could address manymajor challenges facing high per-formance athletes.

“The translation of fundamentalbioscience, including the physiologyof the nerve to muscle to tendon sys-tem, into strategies to fulfill physicalpotential could help give British ath-letes an edge as they prepare for ahome Olympic Games in three yearstime.”

The workshops have been specifi-cally designed to introduce bioscien-tists to the practical challenges thatare faced by athletes and their coach-es and trainers, in order to make newresearch and development as relevantas possible.

Professor Allen added: “High per-formance sport provides a uniquemodel for investigating factors relat-ed to healthy physiology and so theprojects that are taken on followingthis workshop are also likely to tell ussomething about increasing healthylife span for everyone.”

Milk shakes up sports drinksYOUNG athletes could benefit morefrom drinking milk after exercisethan sports drinks or water accord-ing to new research.

A study carried out byLoughborough and NorthumbriaUniversities has shown that milkcan enhance athletic performance,rehydrate and repair exerciseinduced muscle damage.

However, the Dairy Council con-ducted a survey of 70 young ath-letes from the English Schools’Athletic Association and found thatthe vast majority of them usedwater and sports drinks after exer-

cise but were unaware of the quali-ties of milk.

The council is now teaming upwith SportsAid to support for aspir-ing athletes, who compete in foot-ball, rugby, athletics and gymnas-tics, in an attempt to raise aware-ness of the benefits.

Dr Susan Shirreffs, fromLoughborough University, said:“The results of the study suggestthat milk is more effective at replac-ing sweat losses and maintaining anormal state of body water thanplain water or a commercially avail-able sports drink.”

Sports development charity StreetGameshave teamed up with Stoke-on-Trent council to launch a new training schemethat will increase provision of youth sportacross the city.Ten new positions on the council’s Sportand Leisure Services team are to be created through the government’s FutureJobs scheme and those hired will receive

training in sports coaching, delivery andleadership.Jane Ashworth, StreetGames chief executive, said: “Improving training provi-sion is crucial to the development of sportat grassroots level, which is why we areworking on partnerships such as this tosupport the Future Jobs training initiativeacross the country.”

11 ZZ 14/10/09 09:28 Page 1

news12

Big rise inanti-obesitydrugs useBy Louise Cordell

THERE has been a big rise in thenumber of children taking anti-obesi-ty drugs, but most stop before theyhave any benefit, according to newresearch.

A study has shown that up to 1,300young people could now be beingprescribed the medicines each year –a number that has increased 15-foldsince 1999.

However, the drugs are onlylicensed for adult use, meaning thatthey are being prescribed off-licenceto under 18s by family doctors.

More than three quarters of thoseincluded in the study received pre-scriptions for Orlistat, also known asXenical or Alli.

Orlistat has been approved for chil-dren as young as 12 in the US, butonly for adults in the UK.

Most patients given Orlistat stoppedusing it very quickly, on average afterjust three months, and thereforewould have been unlikely to see anybenefit.

Russell Viner is one of the authors ofthe study, which was based at theGeneral and Adolescent PaediatricsUnit at University College London.

He said: “It's possible that the drugsare being given inappropriately, orthat they have excessive side effects

that make young people discontinuetheir use.

“On the other hand, they could beexpecting the drugs to deliver a mira-cle ‘quick fix’ and stop using themwhen sudden, rapid weight loss doesnot occur.”

The researchers claim that it is high-ly unlikely that the drugs could doany damage, citing short term clinicaltrials which did not report life threat-ening side effects in young people.

However, they conclude that furtherresearch into the safety and efficacyof these drugs in children and youngpeople is need – especially consider-ing the dramatic increase in prescrip-tions due to growing childhood obe-sity.

Study author Ian Wong points outthat children who are prescribed orli-stat may need more support andshould be made fully aware of thepotential side effects

He said: “You have to tell them that,yes, it is healthier not to absorb thefat, but if they continue to eat asmuch as they used to then it will bereally unpleasant.

“The key thing is that the drug itselfis not the answer. Kids should only beusing it as part of a comprehensiveweight-loss programme.”

Fitness professional Rachel Holmes hasdeveloped the UK’s first on-line qualifica-tion to teach physical activity to childrenunder the age of five.The Active IQ level 2 certificate in teachingphysical activity to children under five isnationally recognised and aimed at nurs-ery, play group and SureStart staff and isavailable through Rachel’s website.The on-line learning element of the course

provides the most practical and accessibleway to gain the qualification, which can becompleted at any time and to suit anypace, with course tutors on hand to monitor students’ progress.Rachel said: “The demand for pre-schoolfitness classes is high, and this qualification will enable nurseries learn at their own pace and meet that demand.”

Call for clearer guidelinesto safeguard kids By Christina EcclesTHE Institute for Sport andRecreation Management is calling for clearer guidelines to safeguard children and vulnerableadults.

The ISRM wants to ensure that thenew Independent SafeguardingAuthority regulations are clear andeffective for use by sports and leisurecentre operators.

Industry representatives have beenvoicing their concerns about the newvetting and barring procedures thatwill be introduced by the ISA fromOctober.

Ralph Riley, ISRM chief executive,said: “The ISRM wholeheartedly wel-comes the Independent SafeguardingAuthority’s guidelines and we haveworked closely with them and otherexperts to be ready for the introduc-tion.

“We do feel, however, that it isimportant that everyone working inthe sports and leisure industry has a

clear understanding of the guidelinesand the implications for their appli-cation in our sector.

“Vetting and barring procedureshave to be implemented profession-ally and quickly without causing toomuch disruption.”

Due to the complicated nature of the scheme and the many different ways in which workers can interact with children and vulnerable young adults, ISRM feels that the new safeguards may become inconsistent and intentionally misinterpreted by some operators trying to gain a com-petitive advantage and by thosewanting to minimise the cost ofchecking all existing and prospectiveworkers.

This could result in children and vulnerable adults being put at risk and the organisation of sports activities being delayed or cancelled due to lack of registered ISA staff.

12 13/10/09 12:21 Page 1

news 13

By Louise Cordell

IVAN Garcia launched the danceschool Salsa Beat in 2007 as away of bringing diverse commu-nities together.

The classes were so popular hewas looking for a way to expandand, after teaching his own threechildren to dance, he knew howmuch young people could bene-fit from the hobby.

Setting up courses for kids wasthe next step and over the last 18months he has taken his classesinto 15 primary and secondaryschools in the Sheffield area.

Ivan said: “When we first start-ed out people didn’t really knowwhat to expect – they know salsais a popular dance but aren’tsure how it will work in chil-dren’s classes.

“But at every school theresponse from kids has beenfantastic, always even betterthan expected, and at the end ofevery session they ask us whenwe are coming again.

“Teachers have also been veryenthusiastic, recommending usto other schools and asking usback term after term – becausethey see the benefits for the kidsimmediately.”

He points out that the lessonsare something completely newfor the pupils, which encouragesthose who are not interested inthe traditional sports to takepart, and gives boys a newopportunity to take part indance.

It also increases fitness levels,helping to tackle obesity andimproves teamwork, concentra-tion and therefore behaviour.

Ivan added: “Teaching childrenis different to teaching adults – Imake it simpler and straight tothe point as well as using fungames, like a salsa version ofmusical statues, to help thempick up the steps. Children enjoylearning something new togeth-er as a team and it really bindsthem together as a group.

“It is also very good exercise

and a great way to tackle thegrowing obesity problem,because the kids are having somuch fun they don’t even realisethey are exercising.

“I think it is very important forkids to have a lot of choices ofexercise activity in order to makesure everyone can get involvedin something they enjoy – even ifthey are not interested in the tra-ditional sports.

“We teach children from asyoung as four – using differenttechniques depending on theirages – and they all enjoy it.”

At the moment Ivan runs a six-week course of lessons whichtake place during school time, atafter-school clubs, or as a holi-day activity.

However, he now aims to getsalsa into school as part of thePE curriculum and is currentlydeveloping a longer, more in-depth programme, that could beused in school lessons through-out the year.

A high-energysalsa class is beingtried out byschools as the bestnew way to getunhealthy pupilsactive. Danceteacher Ivan Garciahas been visitingclasses aroundSheffield to livenup the PEcurriculum.

How Ivan is spicing upPE with his salsa beat ...

New Fit for Free incentiveaiming to motivate teensHALO Leisure have launched a new Fit for Free incentive to help more young people get involved in positive physical activity.

Nine centres have opened theirdoors to 600 12 to 16 year olds in a bid to get them active this summer.

Shokk have joined forces with thecompany to provide centre staff withthe skills needed to adapt gyminstruction and teaching styles foryoung people.

This included the physiological andpsychological issues, safe kit usage,

training methods and a wide range of ideas on how to run motivational youth orientated gyms sessions.

Tamara Bailey, health and fitnessmanager, said: “We are constantlyreviewing our youth programme andare keen to explore new ways of get-ting more teenagers to become andstay active.

“As a social enterprise we are keento invest in our community and our Fit for Free initiative was anopportunity to remove barriers toaccess experienced by someteenagers.”

Ivan Garcia

13 ZZ 15/10/09 12:59 Page 1

news14

YOUNG people around the UK arebeing given a new way to celebratethe 2012 Olympic Games, with a newfree training tool from SportsLeaders.

The new module will provideteaching resources including activi-ties, worksheets and game cardswhich aim to promote the spirit ofthe Games through developing val-ues such as positive attitude, respect,tolerance, integrity and determina-tion.

Michaela Hutchings, SportsLeaders head of operations, said:“We use sport to help young peopledevelop leadership skills and wantedto link this in with Olympic values inthe lead up to 2012.

“We hope that it will help kids feel involved and will allow children from all over the country,and not just in London, to getinvolved.

“It is also something that can beused in the future in the run up to

any big sporting event to help getyoung people excited.”

It is hoped that the courses will bea sustainable way of getting youngpeople involved in sport, as they arecarried out through volunteeringhours.

This means pupils have to go outinto the community and get involvedin sport on a regular basis, creating ahabit that will continue after thescheme has finished.

Michaela added: “Schools see the

value in what we are trying toachieve.

“Young people relate more to theirpeers because they have that rapportand we have found it is a very effec-tive way to work.

“It attracts kids who don’t usuallylike PE because they see it as something different but also those who are traditionally sportybecause it gives them a chance tohone their skills and pass them on toothers.”

Promoting sport and the Olympic spirit

A response to an article by IanCotgrave in the September issue ofFuture Fitness

Stuart Lindeman, strategic director, Education Partnerships for Schools:

Readers of Ian Cotgrave’s articlemight be under the impression thatBuilding Schools for the Future is nota catalyst for improving PE and sportprovision in schools.

However, as an education professional working for the organisation responsible for thedelivery of the BSF programme, I cancategorically state that the health andwellbeing of pupils who will benefitfrom BSF is integral to the programme.

Since 2007, BSF has implemented astrategic approach to health, fitnessand sport, playing a role in raisingself esteem, supporting social inclu-sion, improving health, behaviourand discipline in schools and raisingattainment levels.

As part of the BSF process there area number of project milestoneswhich a local authority must pass toprove their suitability for the

programme.

One such milestone is the Strategyfor Change document which outlineshow a local authority intends totransform its education estate includ-ing its sport and PE provision.

So important is PE and Sport to theprogramme that Sport England, theYouth Sport Trust and Partnershipsfor Schools fund three dedicatedsports advisers whose job is to raisethe profile of PE and Sport within theprogramme.

The requirement for an up to datePlaying Field Strategy has been introduced for the latest round oflocal authorities joining the BSF programme, ensuring a strategicapproach to playing field provision.

Support days have also been set upfor local authorities to gain guidanceon specific areas, and we share adviceand best practice through conferences, published guidance and case studies.

I trust this makes it clear that workis being undertaken to ensure PE,sport and fitness are at the heart ofeducation and indeed the BSF pro-gramme.

‘Sport and fitness are at the heart ofeducation and the BSF programme’

If you’d like to comment on a Future Fitness story call reporterLouise Cordell on 01226 734694 or email: lcordell@whpl.net. Youcan write to us: Future Fitness newsroom, Wharncliffe Publishing,

47, Church Street, Barnsley S70 2AS

14 13/10/09 12:22 Page 1

news 15

By Dean Horridge, CEO Fit for Sport

IT is my belief that if we are seri-ous about changing the nation’shealth we must eliminate our‘quick fix’ mentality.

It is all too often we hear some-one say they are on another dietor have started an intensive fit-ness regime.

Our nation’s fitness levels andobesity statistics are at an alarm-ing 23rd in the world and this hastaken many years of families liv-ing unhealthy lifestyles andschools not giving PE the impor-tance it deserves.

Therefore we must not expect tohalt the rise in obesity overnight –it will take many years to correctthe bad habits our families haveadopted.

After 18 years experience work-ing with families and schools, Ibelieve an SAS (Simple,Achievable and Sustainable)approach is the answer - incorpo-rating daily lifestyle habitchanges.

The education of families, chil-dren and communities isabsolutely vital in facilitatingchanges to the health of ournation.

Through the media and so-called ‘expert’ advice we haveconfused and over complicatedwhat is needed to improve ournation’s health.

SAS advice on daily habitchanges for both families and

children is the first step plus help-ing them understand what isrequired to make a difference –whether it’s to lose weight or justget fitter – that is both achievableand most importantly sustain-able.

We do not need to eat salads forthe rest of our lives, or have to goto the gym seven days a week, butwe must educate all on the sim-ple, achievable and sustainablechanges to daily activity levelsand sensible eating habits.

If we are serious about haltingthe rise of obesity and improvingour current alarming statistics, weneed to go back to basics.

We do not need to overcompli-cate but to assist in keeping thefuture fit.

‘Quick fix’mentalitymust go

Dean Horridge

Only one in eight gettingrecommended daily exerciseONLY one in eight young people aregetting the recommended dailyamount of exercise according to anew survey by the British HeartFoundation.

Children are advised to take part inat least 60 minutes of physical activi-ty every day but the study revealedthat most are nowhere near this tar-get – with a third doing under anhour of exercise a week.

It also showed that 78 per cent ofyoung people were unaware of therecommended amounts and 30 percent admitted that they ‘can’t bebothered’ to exercise on a daily basis.

Of the children surveyed, one in fiveconsidered exercise to be ‘a chore'and think you only need to do it ifyou're overweight.

However, 50 per cent of themclaimed to spend 60 minutes a day ormore on their computers and mobile

phones, texting their friends and vis-iting social networking websites.

Dr Mike Knapton, BHF director ofprevention and care, said: “We have ageneration of kids growing up whohave a shockingly blasé attitudetowards exercise and being active.

“Young people need to switch offtheir square eyes and get in the habitof exercising now.”

The survey has been released aspart of the Foundation’sFood4Thought campaign, which isbacked by former British Olympicchampion Sally Gunnell.

She said: “Children’s sluggish atti-tude towards daily exercise is worry-ing.

“As a mum, I know how childrencan benefit from being active, it issomething that all kids should enjoyas a healthy lifestyle and is also agreat way to socialise with friends.”

Ellesmere College is offering students and their families the chance to play Sunday morn-ing golf on its 9-hole golf course free of charge during October and November.The school aims to encourage players of all abilities to take part and maybe take up thesport on a regular basis, as well as encourage community participation.

SCHOOLS are being called on toprotect play time and give childrenmore opportunity to be active dur-ing the day.

Play England has releasedresearch revealing that time to playat school is seen by both childrenand their parents as very importantif they are to get the most out oftheir education.

Over 90 per cent of parents and79 per cent of children agreed thathaving time to play helped the kidsconcentrate in their lessons and 88per cent of parents thought theirchildren were better behaved inlessons if they were active at breaktime.

Over 1,000 children were inter-viewed for the study and 73 per

cent said that school is the mainchance they have to play with theirfriends and 55 per cent claimedthat they regularly rushed theirlunch so that they had time to play.

Adrian Voce, director of PlayEngland, said: “The opportunity forchildren to play at school is all tooeasily regarded as a luxury.

“But children, as well as their par-ents, are telling us how crucial it is.

“We know that playing is anessential part of enjoying child-hood and that it contributes hugelyto children’s informal learning anddevelopment.

“Families are now telling us that itis important in helping children toget the most from their formallearning too.”

Play England calls forprotection for play time

15 ZZ 14/10/09 09:30 Page 1

news16

IDASS Fitness are now distributingtwo new ranges of functional fitnesseducational charts.

A set of eight fitness assessmentcharts are available for download atonly £2.00 each from www.idass.com.

Once purchased online and down-loaded, these can be distributedaround colleges and schools andused as training notes within thecopyright, provided they are not soldfor profit.

They are A4 colour and comple-ment the PE curriculum or any fit-ness facilities training programmes.Newly-released at the LeisureIndustry Week show was a set of sixA2 encapsulated strength and condi-tioning charts.

Theseeachinclude tenexercises,with themusclegroupsused oneach exer-cise, an anatomy chart and a‘Personal Trainers’ tip.

This advice box adds greatly to theuse of the charts, rather than being awell drawn image with a quickdescriptor, the exercise tip helpensure correct procedure and at thesame time the muscle section helpeducate the user.

For more information call: 0844 800 9310or e-mail: info@idass.com.

New educational ranges distributed

BUBBLES and Balloons is the latestfitness programme created by GaryMarlow and aims to help childrenas young as 15 months developmovement and coordination skillsthrough sport.

Kids take part in activities rangingfrom football, tennis and basket-ball to golf and cricket as well asgames like catching bubbles andballoons to improve balance andhand-eye coordination.

Gary said: “The programme isabout a multisport and multiskillapproach.

“It gives kids the opportunity totry lots of different activities in afun way that keeps them engagedand running around and preventsthem from getting bored.

“I find that classes that only allowchildren to take part in one activitycan be too rigid – kids like to movefrom one thing to another veryquickly.

“I actively encourage parents toget involved – because if they cankeep up the activities at home,then the learning can be sustain-able.”

As well as these sessions forunder fives, Gary also runs sports

classes in primary, secondary andspecial schools in the area.

He aims to make use of whateverequipment and space is availablein the schools he visits in order togive teachers ideas on how todeliver new and effective lessons ina familiar setting.

He added: “When I go into schoolI try to make sure that the teachersare learning as much as the pupils,I like to try and give them newideas that they will be able to usethemselves in the future.

“I also try to emphasise the factthat all skills are transferable, sowhat is learned while playing onesport can be used in another.”

Gary worked as a PE teacherbefore setting up the company andso is aware of the challengesschools face when trying to providevaried, quality sessions.

He added: “One of the main prob-lems is that primary teachers arenot given adequate PE training – Ihear from new teachers all the timethat only six hours of their coursehas been devoted to it – so how arethey supposed to deliver high qual-ity physical education.

“If more emphasis was put on

this initial stage then the quality ofteaching and learning wouldimprove massively, and this wouldimpact on other lessons too.

“I think the level of enthusiasmyoung people have for sportscomes down to the person deliver-ing the lessons – if you can createthe right atmosphere then the kidswill be engaged and that culturewill thrive. “

Gary is also introducing newAdventure Based Learning sessionsand has recently carried out a pilotat a school which has been on theborder of special measures.

The classes are based aroundteam building, cooperation andencouraging the kids to teachthemselves.

So far it has been very successfulat improving behaviour in all areasof schools life, and plans are nowbeing developed to extend the pro-gramme.

Gary added: “I think that thereare fundamental things that allschools should do but, dependingon individual circumstances, dif-ferent teachers need to look out-side the box and allow kids moreresponsibility for their own learn-

ing and what they do. “If you give them choices they

will be more engaged.”

Former PE teacher Gary Marlow set up his own business in order to bring a wider range of activities to kids.He opens his classes to children as soon as they can walk to kick off a life-long relationship with fitness.

How Gary believes even toddlerscan gain from fitness programme

Badminton coachingfor stars of the futureA SOUTH Derbyshire leisure centrehas launched a new badminton clubto provide coaching for the sport’sstars of the future.

The club, at Etwall Leisure Centre,was opened by world-class playerDonna Kellogg and will providesporting opportunities for a variety of ages and abilities all underone roof.

It will hold closed sessions for local school students as well as run-ning a junior club for seven to 18 yearolds and county age groups sessionsfor young people who have been

selected as the best in Derbyshire.

The junior badminton sessions willbe coached by national talent coachJames Boxall, an ex-EnglandInternational player.

He said: “The opening of the newclub has given us the perfect oppor-tunity to increase the standard ofbadminton in the area and push upthe participation numbers.

“The aim is to make sure peopleenjoy the sessions at the club andhopefully we can attract new peopleweek by week.”

16 13/10/09 12:26 Page 1

news 17

By Louise Cordell

CELEBRITY sports people includingDavid Beckham, Chris Hoy, DeniseLewis and Colin Jackson have joinedforces to support InternationalInspiration, London 2012’s interna-tional legacy programme for childrenand young people.

With three years to go until theGames, the sports heroes are aimingto help deliver on the promise madeby the London bid team in Singapore.

They pledged to ‘reach children allaround the world and connect themto the inspirational power of theGames and to see millions moreyoung people across the world partic-ipating in sport and improving theirlives as a result’.

David Beckham said: “My involve-ment, both when London won thebid in Singapore and at the closingceremony of the Beijing Olympics,made me realise the power of theGames.

“Sport is a language that everyone

speaks and it can be used to changelives.

“Through International Inspirationwe have an opportunity to give mil-lions of children the chance to expe-rience the thrill and excitement thatbeing involved in a sport brings.

“We can use sport to teach themabout trust and respect and we canboost their confidence.

“It’s a chance for them to learn howto stay safe, keep healthy and in somecases stay alive.”

The initiative is already workingwith young people in Azerbaijan,Brazil, India, Palau and Zambia andmore projects are beginning inBangladesh, Jordan, Ghana,Mozambique and Trinidad andTobago.

The aim is to reach 12 million chil-dren in 20 countries by the 2012Games, as well as benefitting childrenin the UK through a network ofschool links, providing opportunitiesfor them to learn from each other’scultures.

Sports starsback 2012kids’ pledge

David Beckham

Table tennis cash boost for young ScotsYOUNG people in Scotland arebeing encouraged to take up tabletennis following an investment ofover £144,000 in the sport.

The money has been provided bySportScotland to support the coun-try’s players, which include not onlythe Boys Primary SchoolsInternational Champions, but alsothe British Premier LeagueChampions.

It is hope the new funds will helpto build on these foundations,encourage participation and makesure that the athletes have theresources they need to compete in

Glasgow’s Commonwealth Gamesin 2014.

Louise Martin, chair ofSportScotland, said: “The recentCommonwealth Games TableTennis Championships gave us all a taste of what is to come in2014.

“For our athletes it was a fantasticopportunity to experience theexcitement of playing in a majorchampionship in front of a homecrowd and make the most of theadvantage that brings.

“I am sure that the champi-onships will have inspired many

more young people to becomeinvolved in table tennis – and thatis why it is so important that weinvest in the sport now, to harnessthat enthusiasm and provide thesupport required to deliver ourstars of the future.”

Drumchapel, a table tennis clubin Glasgow, has been particularlyinvolved in development work forthe sport – working to engage localchildren and improve their poten-tial.

SportScotland are now keen tosupport this approach and is pro-viding funding to replicate this

model through local and regionalpartnerships – hopefully increasingparticipation across the country.

Jonathan Whitaker, chairman ofTable Tennis Scotland, said: “This isa major new investment in oursport which will enable us toappoint a full time national devel-opment manager to help us growthe participation in table tennis atall levels.

“It is also through developmentthat we find the stars of the futureand we have the capability now oftaking them all the way.”

FitKid teams up with Sportacusto take new classes to schools ACTIVITY provider FitKid haveteamed up with Sportacus andLazyTown to offer new classes toschools.

School Sport Partnerships will be able to deliver sessions whichcombine the movements, music and actions of the LazyTown TVshows.

SSPs will receive training how howto run the LazyTown Sports Club

sessions as well as equipment and music to be used in the classes.

The first session were launched inBournemouth over the summer andso far feedback from parents andchildren has been very positive.

Nicky Kay, FitKid director, said: “Itis fantastic to see the kids moving tothe music and have a great timebeing active.”

Have you got news for us? Call Louise Cordell on01226 734694 or email her: lcordell@whpl.net

17 ZZ 14/10/09 09:31 Page 1

news18

A RECORD breaking number of pupils from Teesside havetaken part in the region’s biggest junior triathlon event.

Over 650 kids took part in the day, which was run by TeesValley Leisure to build on the success of Corus Kids of Steel2008.

The aim was to encourage children to experience the sportof triathlon in a fun and safe environment and the eventsaw young people aged eight to 13 complete a 25m swim, aone km cycle and a 400m run.

Kov Bahadori, Tees Valley leisure manager, said: “The eventwas a great success and treat fun for all the children whowere involved.

“They really enjoyed the challenge and hopefullyCleveland Triathlon Club, who helped out on the day, willpick up some new recruits in the future.”

Junior triathlon eventattracts over 650 kids

YOUNG people in Barnsley are getting involved in ‘Soccer Stars’a new programme designed for boys and girls of all abilities.

Barnsley Football Club has teamed up with Barnsley PremierLeisure to put together the eight week initiative across two dif-ferent venues, with hour-long sessions for separate age groups.

Neil Mills, programme coordinator, said: “This new initiative isfor young people who enjoy playing football, whatever theirability.

“It’s all about fun and fitness as much as perfecting their skillsto become the next Wayne Rooney.”

The training sessions will be taken by FA approved and quali-fied coaches and all participants will receive two football ticketsto watch an upcoming home game for free.

Pictured right: Youngsters meet Barnsley FC mascot Toby Tyke.

New programme kicks off

New phase of HealthySchools ten years onGILLIAN Merron, minister of publichealth, has announced the introduc-tion of a new phase of HealthySchools.

Ten years after it was first created,the organisation will now also beaiming to support schools to workwith specific groups of children andyoung people.

The idea is to work with them tohelp them make healthier choicessurrounding a range of particularissues.

The interventions will be based onPCT operational plan and local areaagreements, as well as individualschool priorities.

It is hoped that the scheme willbuild on the work currently beingdone by schools to improve health

and well being, and help them to cre-ate environments which promotehealth.

A Healthy Schools spokespersonsaid: “The options for how this can beused are endless, for example schoolsmight put interventions in place for agroup of young carers struggling withobesity, to work more closely with thetravelling community, or to target agroup of year eight boys who arestarting to experiment with smoking.

“We are not asking teachers tobecome health specialists, but recog-nising that schools have an importantrole to play.

“Many are chomping at the bit todeliver more specialist interventionsand support all their children andyoung people’s academic potential.”

A NEW non-motorised treadmillhas been introduced into the UKby manufacturer Woodway.

The SpeedBoard allows users of any size or weight to run attheir chosen speed instantlywithout the use of elevation or amotor.

Eric Weber, Woodway sales

director, said: “The SpeedBoard isgoing to change the way people approach performancetraining.

“We are thrilled to achieve thisadvancement while completelyeliminating the need for electrici-ty – making the product evengreener.”

Non-motorised treadmillis introduced into UK

18 13/10/09 12:24 Page 1

news 19

School createsexclusion zoneto boost fitnessBy Louise Cordell

A MIDDLESBROUGH primary schoolhas created a parking exclusion zonearound its gates to help improve itspupils’ fitness.

A five minute walking zone hasbeen mapped out around Green LanePrimary School at Acklam and par-ents are being asked to park their carsoutside the restricted area and walkthe rest of the way.

It is hoped that the scheme, set upby the school and MiddlesbroughCouncil, will help the children reachtheir daily exercise targets in a quickand easy way.

The zone is the first of its kind in theTees Valley and is part of the council’sHealthy Town initiative – a £9m pro-gramme to tackle obesity throughincreasing physical activity and pro-moting healthy eating.

Councillor Charlie Rooney said: “Wehope that the introduction of thezone will help reduce the number ofcars outside the school gates at thebeginning and end of the school daymaking it a safer environment for allpupils.

“There will of course also be health

benefits for the children from regu-larly walking this short distance andduring the journey children can enjoychatting with their friends.

“Walking to school is also an excel-lent time for parents to help theirchildren to develop the essential roadsafety skills that could one day savetheir lives.

“We hope pupils, and especiallyparents, will give the scheme their fullsupport.”

The school teamed up with the localMiddlesbrough Cricket and RugbyClub to use its car park, giving par-ents a safe place to leave that car, justoutside the Five Minute WalkingZone.

Pupils also worked together to pro-duce a leaflet for parents with a mapdetailing the zone, which is markedby lamppost signs featuring differentanimals.

To celebrate the launch of thescheme, the first 50 children to arriveat school on foot received a road safe-ty bag and t-shirt and every pupil thattakes part throughout the term willbe given a sticker to thank them fortaking part.

A personal trainer has revealed how working with schools is expanding hisbusiness and sharpening his expertise.Matt Sutton, who runs Lifestyle PT inNorthampton, hadn’t thought of branchingout from his regular clients until he wasapproached by a member in the hotel gymhe works at, looking for a trainer to workwith children at her school.Matt now visits Danetre School a fewtimes each term to take fitness classeswith pupils aged 11 to 16 during PHSE les-sons.They include core work and boxing for fit-

ness and he is planning to start doing bootcamps, following the success of the oneshe has run over the summer with groupsof personal training clients.He said: “The kids want to do somethingdifferent so I try and do stuff they don’tnormally get to do in PE.“They respond really well, and the overwhelming response I get from teachers is they are amazed at how many of them take part. And a lot are theones that make excuses to get out ofsport, so it’s great to see them gettinginvolved.”

One of the displays by Dako's Flying Angels organised by British Gymnastics at LeisureIndustry Week. Crowds visited the display area to watch boys aged 12 to 19 performingtheir dynamic routines, which aimed to demonstrate just how appealing gymnastics canbe for boys.

Olympic judo hopes for MaxA SIXTH form student from EpsomCollege in Surrey is hoping to take hisjudo career to the London 2012Olympics.

Max Denning has recently returnedfrom a six week training programmein Mitaka, Japan after becoming oneof only eight pupils in the UK to beselected.

The aim of the initiative is toimprove the judo skills of the partici-pants as well as developing culturalunderstanding between British andJapanese students.

During his time in Japan, Maxtrained with senior boys from theTokai Education System, learning theskills of traditional Japanese judo andmet famous players includingKoshino-sensei, the ex-world judochampion, and Yamashita-sensei,who is generally accepted as the bestjudoka in the history of the sport.

He said: “Every athlete dreams ofcompeting in the Olympics. I wouldlove to be given the opportunity torepresent Great Britain at London2012.”

19 Derwent 13/10/09 12:28 Page 1

news20

Analyser used byschool to boostattendanceBy Louise Cordell

A TYNE and Wear school is using real-time body composition analysis toincrease fitness participation andimprove attendance and examresults.

Monkseaton High School is one ofthe first in the country to use theInBody Analyser and the aim is toidentify the physical needs of stu-dents that may otherwise go unde-tected.

The school has used the equipment,which provides whole body statisticsfor health and fitness, to create arange of programmes and interven-tions to reshape attitudes towardsexercise and nutrition.

Headteacher Paul Kelly said: “Thefirst time we used the analyser itshowed us that around ten per centof our students were malnourishedand that obviously sparked majorconcern.

“We put our students first and are constantly seeking new ways to improve our students welfare, on a physical, psychological and

social level.“The results provided a real catalyst

for change, helping us to implementsuccessful programmes to improveour students’ lives.”

Once the level of malnutrition wasrevealed, health advisors and a dedi-cated team of tutors were broughttogether to set up a cooking club andevents involving local chefs to helpeducate pupils about healthier eat-ing.

The school also worked with thelocal health authority to improve thequality of the school’s food and havedeveloped educational literature onthe importance of fitness and nutri-tion for both students and parents.

Mr Kelly added: “Since introducingthe analyser, not only have weincreased fitness participation, butwe have also noticed an improve-ment in examination results andattendance levels.

“While first and foremost this is ahealth tool, the results we have seenhave demonstrated the profoundconnection between wellbeing andperformance.”

A NEW project to encourage youngpeople to become more active hasbeen launched at Dewsbury SportsCentre.

NHS Kirklees has contributed£250,000 to the activity area, whichcontains a range of interactive fitnessequipment to help kids have funwhile exercising.

The new facility has been deliveredby Kirklees Active Leisure andKirklees Council and the equipment,including dance mats, a climbing

wall, a target wall, a martial arts towerand balance boards, has been provid-ed by Shokk.

Alasdair Brown, Kirklees ActiveLeisure chief executive, said: “We arevery excited about this thoroughlynew project which takes a proactiveapproach towards getting young peo-ple participating in fun group exer-cise. We are keen to get everyoneinterested in something which willaffect the futures of so many youngpeople in Kirklees.”

Pupils from Westborough High School

Sports centre bids to getyoungsters more active

AfPE chief stepping downMARGARET Talbot, the Associationfor Physical Education’s chief execu-tive, has announced that she will bestepping down at the end of thisyear.

Margaret has held the AfPE postsince 2006 and now plans to concen-trate on freelance work, as well asher role as President of theInternational Council of SportScience and Physical Education.

Dr Jeanne Keay, AfPE Chair, said: “Iwould like to thank Margaret for herleadership in establishing a very suc-cessful and influential subject asso-ciation, and for the tireless work shehas undertaken as advocate forphysical education and for theAssociation.

“We will certainly miss her strategicvision and her determination and wewish her well for the future.”

A junior Sheffield athletics squad is celebrating after a successful season bringing back a record number of medals.Don Valley Stadium’s Senior AcademyJump Squad’s four top athletes won a totalof 21 medals throughout the summer,including 15 golds, four silver and twobronze.

Sophie Brown, Adam Khan, AlexMacDonald and Olivia Neal, all agedbetween 14 and 16, were winners within county, region and countrywidecompetitions.Pictured: Olivia Neal, Alex MacDonald,coach Stuart Adams, Adam Khan andSophie Brown

20 13/10/09 12:25 Page 1

21 Sports Xtra 14/10/09 09:44 Page 1

365 directory22

Training & Qualifications

YMCA FIT111 Great Russell StLondonWC1B 3NPT: 0207 343 1855W: www.ymcafit.org.ukE: info@ymcafit.org.uk

Central YMCA Qualifications111 Great Russell StLondonWC1B 3NPT: 0207 343 1800W: www.cyq.org.ukE: info@cyq.org.uk

Jump Rope Uk Ltd16 Riverside ParkWimborneDorsetBH21 1QUtel: 01202 840590fax: 01202 840577jumpropes@ntjr.co.ukwww.ntjr.co.uk

National Extension CollegeThe Michael Young CentrePurbeck RoadCambridgeCB2 8HNT: 0800 389 2839 W: www.nec.ac.ukE: info@nec.ac.uk

Sports Facility Development

Sports Solutions GBSuite OneCopse FarmSouth Marston ParkSwindonSN3 4UQT: 01793 833456W: www.sportssolutionsgb.co.ukE: chris.bevan@sports-solutionsgb.co.uk

Training EquipmentCrazy CatchWall Tree House FarmSteaneBrackleyNN13 5NST: 01295 816765W: www.flicx.comE: ricx@flicx.com

Interactive Equipment/ Dance MatsPulse Dance MachineThe Bromley CentreBromley RdCongletonCheshireCW12 1PTT: 01260 294600W: www.pulsefitness.comE: info@pulsefitness.com

Cyber CoachUnit 1a Britannia Business ParkUnion RdThe ValleyBoltonBL2 2HPT: 0845 869 2848W: www.cyber-coach.co.ukE: info@cyber-coach.co.uk

Fitness EquipmentPulse FitnessThe Bromley CentreBromley RdCongletonCheshireCW12 1PTT: 01260 294600W: www.pulsefitness.comE: info@pulsefitness.com

SportsArt Fitness2 Dean CourtUnit 10 Shuttleworth Mead Bus ParkPadihamLancsBB12 7NGT: 01282 779234W: www.sportsartfitness.comE: mark.turner@sportsartfitness.com

Hexa Sports LtdNew Bond StreetBirminghamB9 4EJtel: 0121 7720724sales@hexasports.co.ukwww.hexasports.co.uk

Design & BuildPulse SelectThe Bromley CentreBromley RdCongletonCheshireCW12 1PTT: 01260 294600W: www.pulsefitness.comE: info@pulsefitness.com

Football Facility BuildGoals Soccer Centres plcOrbital HousePeel ParkEast KilbrideG74 5PRT: 01355 234800W: www.goalsfootball.co.ukE: keithm@goalsfootball.co.uk

Pulse Soccer CentresThe Bromley CentreBromley RdCongletonCheshireCW12 1PTT: 01260 294600W: www.pulsefitness.comE: info@pulsefitness.com

Professional AssociationsAssociation for Physical EducationBuilding 25London RoadReadingBerkshireRG1 5AQT: 0118 378 2440W: www.afpe.org.ukE: enquiries@afpe.org.uk

British Colleges Sport2/3 North Street WorkshopsNorth StStoke-Sub-HamdonSomersetTA14 6QRT: 01935 823444W: www.britishcollegessport.orgE: kate.paul@britishcollegessport.org

Climbing WallsFreedom ClimberCherry CottageGuildford RdCranleighSurreyGU6 8LST: 07554 016220W: www.revolutionaryproducts.co.ukE: andrew@revolutionary-products.co.uk

Entre PrisesEden WorksColne RdKelbrookLancsBB18 6SHT: 01282 444800W: www.ep-uk.comE: info@ep-uk.com

Audio EquipmentSound Dynamics51 Bridge StBelperDerbyshireDE56 1AYT: 01773 828486F: 01773 828475W: www.sound-dynamics.co.ukE: support@sound-dynamics.co.uk

22 365 13/10/09 12:45 Page 1

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Future Fitness has launched its very own e-newsletter. The monthly letter will containbreaking news from the industry as well as information about forthcoming features and events.Like the magazine, the e-newsletter is completely free to receive. All we need you to do isregister your e-mail address by visiting our website, www.futurefitness.uk.net, calling 01226 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.

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24 Createability 13/10/09 12:34 Page 1