Physical Education

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Physical Education Health Education - New
Agendas 80014
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SCHOOL SPORT IN HEALTH AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION

• Week Thirteen-
• The Good, the Bad and the Legal

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WHY SPORT?

• Sport is the ultimate super religionthe one
  thing
• that every Australian believes in passionately.
  Sport is
• wholesome.it spreads the fame of Australians
• overseas. It helps unify Australians as a
  nation.
• Dunstan (1973)

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WHY SPORT?

• A fine climate, plenty of room, plenty of
  time, an
• inbred love of sports, and the wish to excel at
  them,
• the lack of competing fields of interest, and the
  
• worship of the physical
• (Taken from Wind1960)

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THE SYNOPSIS

• We engage in an all-encompassing love affair
  with sport.

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FROM OUR FIRST SPORTS MINISTER

• Australian sport is among the most unorganised
  and uncoordinated in the worldin the past our
  champions have succeeded in spite of our
  organisation, not because of it.
• (Stewart,1974)

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IN THE LAST TWENTY FIVE YEARS

• It would be fair to say things have changed
  dramatically since Stewarts quote of 1974.
• Community and school groups have made commendable
  attempts to upgrade this image.
• However the debate about the merits of school
  sport continue to this day.
• Sale (1992) in a report commissioned by the
  Junior Sports Unit of SASI found Sport is an
  integral part of the curriculum, and schools
  should aim for full commitment towards sport in
  time and effort.
• So what can sport offer to students in schools?

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THE BENEFITS OF SPORT

• The claims and counter claims concerning the
  benefits of sport as outlined in your notes make
  some interesting comparisons (see Egger).
• The very notions that drew our first settlers
  towards sporting pursuits - things such as
  sportsmanship, loyalty, social skill development
  etc. are now seen as counter-productive to the
  type of individual that society prefers.

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A SCHOOL BASED RATIONALE

• Despite these claims to the contrary regarding
  sport, sport in primary schools still holds an
  important place into the new millennium.
• In general, the accepted rational for school
  sporting programs is
• Participation in sport and related activities
  promotes physical growth and body awareness, aids
  in acquisition of motor skills and competent
  movement and provides opportunities for the
  development of many personal and social skills.

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THE SPECIFIC AIMS

• Develop the specific skills of particular sports
  to a higher performance level.
• Develop specific sport fitness.
• Apply skills in co-operative (team) and
  competitive (opposition) situations.
• Acquire a respect for rules of the game and codes
  of behaviour.
• Enjoy physical activity.
• Select sports that they will pursue outside the
  school.
• Become familiar with the provisions made for
  particular sports in the community.

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SPORT AND PE- IS IT THE SAME THING?

• Sport education should be seen as only one
  component in a well constructed physical
  education program. Reference is made here to John
  Evans (199018) Sport in Schools work on the
  transitional upward relationship between sport
  and physical education.
• Physical education is where the skills, attitudes
  and beliefs needed to participate in particular
  sports are nurtured.
• By linking physical education, intra-school and
  inter-school sports programs the opportunity
  exists to take children through a carefully
  graded activity sequence which significantly
  increases the likelihood of positive experiences.

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WHAT MIGHT YOU FIND IN YOUR REAL TEACHING WORLD?

• Schools may or may not have a policy on school
  sport.
• Sport may consist of various forms - beginning
  with intra-school experiences and leading up to
  state and national representation.
• Each students access to school sport can be
  different at different schools - compare
  independent schools to state schools.
• Sport programs may or may not meet the needs of
  of the highly skilled and those with
  disabilities.
• Most school sporting experiences are based around
  a competitive format.
• Teachers are expected to be involved in school
  sporting programs.
• The importance of school sport differs greatly
  from school to school.

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CURRENT ISSUES IN SCHOOL SPORT

• School sport is too competitive, with more
  emphasis placed on the winning of premierships
  and representative selection than enjoyment and
  skill development.
• Cost of student involvement in school sport is
  rising, limiting the involvement of some students
  due economic reasons.
• specific playing gear
• additional sports uniforms
• registration and playing fees
• Sport selection is based on tradition rather than
  current interest levels.
• Schools are finding it difficult to find teachers
  willing to supervise school sporting teams.
• Litigation concerns.
• Lack of knowledge about allocated sport.
• Time requirements of sport organisation and
  sport itself.
• Increase in workload due to absence from own
  class.

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CURRENT ISSUES IN SCHOOL SPORT

• Experiences of children involved in school sport
  are compromised by teachers who have little or no
  knowledge of particular games being placed in
  supervisory roles. This leads to sub-standard
  officiating, which in turn is linked to safety
  concerns for players and teachers.
• School sport takes the best coaches for the best
  students, and leaves those students who need the
  most work back with teachers who are either
  unwilling or unable to provide positive sporting
  experiences.

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SOME SOLUTIONS PERHAPS?

• Both competitive and non-competitive sporting
  situations should be arranged. Research suggests
  the number one reason for children playing sport
  is to have fun, not win medals.
• Investigate ways in which the school can limit
  costs to students.
• community involvement with uniforms etc. or play
  in allocated sports uniform.
• share buses with other schools to limit costs.
• have the physical education budget include
  district affiliation fees for all sporting teams.
• Attempt to broaden sporting experiences by
  fielding teams in all district inter-school
  competitions, and by offering the same sports at
  the intra-school level.

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SOME SOLUTIONS PERHAPS?

• Ensure that teachers have the chance to avail
  themselves of professional development
  opportunities in sports education.
• health and safety issues.
• accreditation course for both coaches and
  officials.
• Ensure time allocated to sport is used
  appropriately, giving children maximum
  participation in each experience. In some schools
  , children can spend over 3 hours away from the
  school in travelling and playing time, yet only
  be involved in actual game play for 15-20
  minutes.
• Have a school sports coordinator whose role
  includes the rostering of training times, the
  provision of equipment, the collection of fees
  etc.
• Provide incentives for teachers to become
  involved in school sport.

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FINAL THOUGHTS

• What effect has issues such as health and safety
  and increased litigation had on the school sport?
• Positives can include better safer playing
  conditions, better coaches and the opportunity to
  broaden their learning experiences.
• However, think about the negatives. What position
  will you take when you graduate to a school?
  Will you be willing to put yourself into a
  sporting role to assist the children, and if so,
  are you aware of the outcomes of your actions?
• The bottom line is that without willing, able and
  experienced teachers assisting with sport, it
  will slowly disappear from the primary school.
• The Sponge Approach to Sport in Schools - a
  recommended strategy for the future??