future fitness (may 2010)
DESCRIPTION
Sport and fitness for todays youth.TRANSCRIPT
May 2010 £2.75Sport and fitness for today’s youth
By Louise Cordell
TEENAGERS who are facing prison arebeing given a final chance to get theirlives on track thanks to a health andfitness club.
Ultimate Physiques in Castleford isworking with young people from alocal pupil referral unit, providingtraining to help them improve theirself esteem and cut down on antisocial behaviour. The approach hasbeen so successful that others schoolsin the area are asking to get involved,bringing along their most challengingpupils in a bid to address their prob-lems before they get out of hand.
The club’s owner, Jason Matthews,said: “These kids are really in the lastchance saloon, most of them haveASBOs and they are no longer in main-stream schools because they havegone beyond what the teachers cancope with. When they first came to theclub a lot of them walked in smoking,some stood outside and threw stonesand another threatened one of myinstructors with physical violence.
“They were really badly behaved andI thought that there was no way wewere going to be able to train them.”
However, once the boys started train-ing twice a week with the club’sinstructors, who are experts in disci-plines including martial arts, rugbyand self defence, their attitude andbehaviour began to improve.
The training sessions are made up ofa range of boot camp style exerciseswith T-shirts and water bottles handedout as rewards for improvement. Theprogramme has become so popularthat it now works as an incentive initself, with pupils who behave badlyduring the week being stopped fromattending the sessions as punishment.
There has been such an improve-ment in the boys’ behaviour that theclub is now starting work with schoolsin the area, including Airedale HighSchool, where teachers are selectingpupils with challenging behaviour whothey feel will benefit from the project.
Jason added: “We have had an over-whelming response from schools andwe are keen to work with as manyyoung people as possible. The schoolsfeel that we are providing somethingthat they don’t have the expertise orfacilities to do, but the pupils take thebetter behaviour that comes with thetraining back to classes with them.”
Club gives alast chance totroubled teens
DanceleaderschemelaunchedYOUTH DanceEngland haslaunched a careerdevelopment pro-gramme for theyoung danceleaders of thefuture.
The organisa-tion has selected41 young peoplefrom across thecountry to takepart in YDEStride!, a schemedesigned to helpboost the careeropportunitiesavailable withinthe dance sectorfor young people.
The participantswill take part inone of three resi-dential courseswhere they willhave the chanceto complete theirArts Gold, Silverand BronzeAwards as well aslearning fromestablishedindustry profes-sional and deviseand coordinatedance projects.
Young people in Manchester are being given the chanceto find out how they measure up to Olympic sprinterUsain Bolt. In a bid to take athletics to the streets, theorganisers behind the Bupa Great Manchester Run andthe Great City Games are giving people the chance tocompare their time to the record breaker’s over a 150msprint. The event will take place at the specially con-structed running track on Deansgate where, at the GreatCity Games last year, Usain Bolt ran the fastest 150metres in history.
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Group editor:Andrew Harrod – [email protected]: 01226 734639 Reporters:Louise Cordell – [email protected]: 01226 734694Christina Eccles – [email protected] Tel: 01226 734463Dominic Musgrave – [email protected]: 01226 734407
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Contacts www.futurefitness.uk.net
How sportcan improveyoung livesA NEW report is set to look into howsport can improve the lives of youngpeople in Britain’s most disadvan-taged communities.
The study is being carried out byMichael de Giorgio, CEO ofGreenhouse – an organisation thathelps young people develop life skillsthrough sport and performing arts.
Michael, together with a number ofother industry experts, including aca-demics, teachers, business leadersand elite athletes, will be working tocome up with a series of policy rec-ommendations for the future.
He said: “The question we want todeal with is how we can use sport toenhance the lives of disadvantagedyoung people. We are hoping to comeup with some practical steps that canbe taken and it is also important tome that the report is very readable sothat it can be of use to the right peo-ple. We are hoping to look at bestpractice in this area and show whatworks and what doesn’t.”
The report will look at a wide rangeof issues from the key benefits ofsport and how these can be effective-
ly harnessed, to its provision inschools and extra-curricular settings.
Specifically it will look at how sportcan help tackle youth offending, drugaddiction and educational failure,and how it can help disadvantagedpeople develop new skills includingdiscipline,self-esteem and conflictresolution. It will also address thebarriers to effective sport provision inschools and clubs and how effectivethe various approaches and pro-grammes are in achieving their aims.
Michael added: “One thing in par-ticular we need to look at is the issueof short term funding – from my ownexperience I know that it is consis-tent, regular, long term funding thatmakes the difference, and that shortterm, taster programmes can becounter productive.
“The report will also be looking atother factors that surround and affectthe young people and their involve-ment with sport, for example theimportance of family support andstructure. We are confident that wecan come up with some beneficialsuggestions.”
HUNDREDS of children fromacross Coventry have joinedtogether to take part in the city’sSchool Swimming Gala.
Over 750 kids from 32 primaryand secondary schools took part inthe event, which was held as partof the Coventry and WarwickshirePartnership for the 2012 Games’Festival of Sport.
The Gala was organised to targetchildren which were new to swim-ming and provide them with a funenvironment where they could tryout the sport.
Neil Parker, partnership develop-ment manager for the EastCoventry Schools SportsPartnership, said: “With 2012approaching we have a fantasticopportunity to inspire and encour-age youngsters to take up new
sports such as swimming. “This event is about giving as
many children from as manyschools as possible the opportunityto swim in a gala environment andhopefully encourage them to con-tinue taking part.”
City of Coventry swimmer and2012 Olympic hopeful Mark Branchalso attended to offer advice andshare his experiences of interna-tional competition.
He said: “Events like these areimportant for promoting sport ingeneral and for trying to encouragemore youngsters to get involved insport during the lead up to the2012 Games.
“The gala has been great – thereseems to have been a lot of teamspirit from the schools and every-one has got involved.”
2010 hopeful Mark Branch with young swimmers
Hundreds take plungeat swimming gala
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PT Emma keento expandinto schoolsBy Mary Ferguson
A PERSONAL trainer who also worksas a teacher is pushing forward plansto expand into other schools and helpdeprived communities.
Emma Sconce, who has been a PTat Probalance in Manchester for fivemonths, also works at a sixth formcollege teaching BTEC programmes.
And as well as trying to gain accessto primary and secondary schoolsshe is setting up a mobile personaltraining business and hoping tosecure funding to deliver sports pro-grammes for challenged youngsters.
She said: “Primary schools wouldreally benefit from specialist PEteachers to help them meet govern-ment targets. My aim would be todeliver breakfast, lunchtime andafter-school sports clubs as well ashelping out during lesson times.
“Secondary schools are similar interms of targets but they already havespecialist teachers in place. So I thinkI could help by delivering specialistunits and it would be really good forthe students to hear things straight
from the fitness industry. Becauseschools are so focused on educationaltargets I think a lot of the industrystuff gets left behind, so I think it willbenefit pupils to hear about my work‘on the front line’.”
To help engage female pupils, par-ticularly those in years ten and 11,Emma would like to run after-schoolgroup exercise classes that focus onsocial interaction.
She is also looking to secure fundingto work with intergenerational com-munity projects and youngsters whoengage in antisocial behaviour in theSalford area, by teaching gym instruc-tion qualifications and increasingphysical fitness participation.
Emma added: “There’s differentfunding you can tap into through thelocal councils but I’m struggling a bitbecause I’m not a registered charity.I’m keen to help though becausewhen kids get involved in exercise itgives them confidence, helps themconcentrate and inspires them tomake changes in all areas of theirlives.”
STUDENTS from Bebington HighSports Colleges have been taking partin a hula mega challenge in supportof Sport Relief 2010.
The pupils had the option of raisingmoney by paying to enter the compe-tition as a hula hooper, or by sup-porting the competitors and donatingsponsor money.
Mr Jordan, the school’s headteacher,said: “As a sports college we love get-ting our students and school activelyinvolved as much as possible with
Sport Relief, and this year emphasiswas to get the students up and activeas well as making them aware of thatthe money raised through SportRelief will help people living incredi-bly tough lives in this country andpoor countries around the world. Allthe students were really enthusiasticand could not wait to do their bit.”
The staff also joined in to raisemoney, competeting against thepupils and dressing up for the occa-sion.
Students take on hulamega challenge ...
OVER 130 young people from acrossthe North East attended a recentStreetGames project to play basket-ball with the Eagles CommunityFoundation.
The Foundation’s coaches led theteens through a two-hour skills cir-cuit before they watched a gamebetween the Eagles and the SheffieldSharks.
Gemma Hollywood, StreetGames
co-ordinator, said: “Events such asthe Eagles Coaching Clinic are animportant part of our calendar asthey give the children from these various projects the opportunity tolearn what it is like to take part in amajor sporting event, showcase theskills they have developed, bothsocial and sporting, and to simplyenjoy sport in the company of otheryoung people.”
Coaches give teensbasketball insight
Have you got news for us? Call the Future Fitness news desk on 01226 734694 or email Louise Cordell: [email protected]
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Access totennis plannets successBy Louise Cordell
AN initiative launched to improvechildren’s access to tennis is set toexpand after a successful first year.
The British Tennis SchoolsProgramme will now be going into secondary as well as primaryschools as part of its mission to bring the game to players at everylevel.
This new phase was launched at thefirst leg of the Schools TennisRoadshow in Bolton, organised by theTennis Foundation.
The show is set to visit 15 locationsnationwide over the next month, todemonstrate to staff how to providethe best tennis in schools.
Over the past 12 months, more than3000 primary school teachers havebeen trained in tennis delivery as partof the programme.
The focus will now be extended tosecondary teachers to help address
concerns among that group that ten-nis is a difficult sport to teach, or thatthere is a lack of courts available todo so.
Paul Regan, head of education atthe Tennis Foundation, said: “We aredelighted that so many primaryschools have benefited from freetraining and equipment.
“Whilst this will continue, the focusnow moves onto secondary schoolsand we are confident that the newresource will make a huge differencein making tennis easier to deliver forPE teachers.
“We're also now able to appeal topupils of all abilities, through modi-fied, alternative and traditional meth-ods of teaching.
“The Roadshow is a great opportu-nity for us to promote the resourceand support available and helpattract and retain more young peopleto our sport.”
FRANCIS Twizell has become the firstyoung person to achieve the Goldstandard in the Cycling Award forYoung Volunteers programme.
He was presented with his award atthe British Cycling 50th AnniversaryGala Dinner, which also saw manyother volunteers recognised for theirwork developing grassroots cycling.
Over the last year Francis has beenresponsible for assisting at holidaycoaching camps, officiating at club
races and attending club committeemeetings to give a younger perspective on the club's develop-ments.
He said: “Participating in the pro-gramme has enhanced my CVbecause of the different skills yougain compared to the ones you gainat college and it can help shape yourfuture career because now it hasinspired me to work in outdoor education activity centres.”
Pupils receive special awardsPUPILS from four Sheffield schoolshave been presented with specialawards by the country’s top femaletable tennis players.
England’s number one and two JoParker and Kelly Sibley took time outof training at the English Institute ofSport to attend the Playing forSuccess presentation night. Alongside
GB Volleyball players Grace Carterand Jo Healy, they presented prizesand certificates to pupils who havecompleted an eight week programme.Almost 60 children from ShortbrookPrimary School, Nook Lane JuniorSchool, Longley Primary School andHandsworth Grange CommunitySports College received awards.
Pictured, back, from left: Jo Healy, Grace Carter, Kelly Sibley and Jo Parker celebrate withchildren from Nook Lane Junior School
Golden first for cyclist Francis
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£10m bid toget studentsplaying sportBy Louise Cordell
SPORT England has announced a£10m National Lottery grant aimed atgetting more university studentsplaying sport.
Currently just under three in tenstudents play sport regularly, so theActive Universities drive is aiming toget 100,000 more participating atleast three times a week.
This will be done by creating moreaccessible sporting opportunities forthe 72 per cent who say that theywould like to be more active.
It is hoped that boosting participa-tion among students will help theorganisation achieve its 2012Olympic legacy goal of getting a mil-lion people playing more sport, byreducing the number of people whodrop out in their late teens and earlytwenties.
Jennie Price, Sport England’s chiefexecutive, said: “We know that youngadults who are playing sport regularlyby the time they leave university arelikely to stick with it for the rest oftheir lives.
“That’s why this themed round willreally boost our drive to change thenation’s sporting behaviours, andwhy I’m urging people to come for-ward with innovative ideas toincrease student participation.
“There’s already a strong tradition ofcompetitive sport within universities,
but this is a big opportunity toincrease participation through moreinformal and social formats.”
Sport England is now calling forinnovative applications from univer-sities for scheme that will help totackle the barriers to student partici-pation.
In particular, programmes thataddress an insufficient number ofcoaches and volunteers, over-struc-tured and inflexible provision thatdoesn’t cater for non competitive stu-dents and failures to replicate localsporting opportunities enjoyed bystudents in their home towns.
It is also hoped that the money willbe used to address capacity issues atuniversities that don’t have sportsfacilities on site and that haven’tformed partnerships with otherproviders.
Ben Bradshaw, culture, media andsport secretary, said: “We want toencourage young people to play sportfor life, not give up on it the minutethey leave school.
“This fantastic investment willinspire thousands up and down thecountry to keep playing and helpthousands more discover a newfound passion for sport.
“I am sure universities will use themoney to come up with exciting andinnovative ways to get their studentsplaying sport.”
A wheelchair basketball star fromYorkshire has become the youngest playerto reach the final selection of the GreatBritain’s men’s squad ahead of 2010 WorldChampionships.Harry Brown, 16, who plays for the SSBSheffield Steelers Wheelchair BasketballClub, will attend the final selection campamongst the 21 other players selected atStoke Mandeville.Paul Hudson, his head coach, said: “This is a
fantastic first time experience for Harryand he has the potential to be one of theworld’s best players.“We welcome players of all different abilities and recognise that youngsters ofHarry’s age still need to have fun as well as focusing on being the best they canbe.“We have high hopes for Harry and areoptimistic that he will go on to play in theLondon 2012 Para Olympics.”
Swimmer Thomas helps other talented youngstersA STAR junior swimmer fromWirral, Thomas Barton, is helpinggifted and talented young people inthe area achieve their goals.
He spoke to over 60 of the bor-ough’s most successful athletes at aGifted and Talented Enrichmentevent, telling them that ‘commit-
ment, focus and dedication’ is thekey to success.
Tom is one of 250 young emergingathletes that Lloyds TSB has supported this year through its Local Hero programme, provid-ing him with support for the costsof his travel, equipment and train-
ing.The enrichment events take place
in all three of Wirral’s School Sports Partnerships throughout theyear, developed by ex-EFC profes-sional football legend DerekMountfield.
He said: “I think it is really impor-
tant that our local talented young-sters get as much guidance andsupport as possible.
“The enrichment events givepupils a chance to ask questions inworkshops and receive valuableadvice from sports stars past andpresent.”
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THE 21st Century Legacy is a chari-ty set up by former Olympic hur-dler Dr David Hemery, afterLondon won its bid to host the2012 Games, with the aim of mak-ing the event an inspiration to theyouth of Britain and the rest of theworld.
Working together with ambassa-dors including Darren Campbell,James Cracknell, Lynn Davies andAde Adepitan, he has developed the‘Be the Best you can Be’ pro-gramme.
The programme will use coachingand mentoring to help childrenidentify their objectives anddreams using the Olympic inspira-tion to reach them.
Oxford Brookes UniversityBusiness School has nowteamed up with the charity as alocal delivery partner, to helpcontinue the roll-out of theprogramme into schools in thearea.
Laurie Miller, the university’sbusiness development manager,said: “This scheme is all about giv-ing hope to children and youngpeople, and giving them the moti-vation to achieve their goals,whether this is getting the job theywant or following their dreamsport.
“21st Century Legacy felt that thebest way of doing this would bethrough a programme that istaken into schools, using acoaching approach to help themsucceed.
“We feel that this is a great ideaand we really wanted to help getmore schools and more kidsinvolved.”
Once a school has signed up toget involved the charity will sendout a specialist coach, who will
provide training for a selectedgroup of teachers – usually around12, but the number can varydepending on the size of theschool.
They are taught to use differentcoaching methods, including activelistening and open questioning tohelp them understand what theirpupils are going through and howto communicate with them effec-tively.
The aim is to encourage theyoung people to think for them-selves, learn to support their peersand plan their futures in a respon-sible way.
So far the programme has usuallybeen delivered to year seven pupils,but this can be changed dependingon which age group the school feel
would benefit most.Laurie added: “It is really impor-
tant that the school buys in to whatthe programme is trying to achieveand is really committed to support-ing its pupils – because it is allabout motivating them to do theirbest.
“Once the teachers have beentrained, an Olympian ambassadorvisits the school and to carry out aninspirational morning with thechildren – teaching them that it isabout the journey, not the medalsand that they need to work hard toreach their goals, rather than rely-ing on quick fixes.
“The aim is to help kids develop asuccess map.
“For example, most young boyswant to be professional footballers,
and we don’t discourage them inthat, but we do encourage them tolook at things realistically – forexample by suggesting that theyhave two road maps, one looking atan alternative career, in order toprepare for whatever the futuremight bring.”
The programme has now been introduced in at least tenschools so far and that aim is to take it into many more, including both private and stateschools.
Talks are also underway to findways to help schools access financial support to fund thescheme and they are also beingoffered advice on how to appeal to local businesses for sponsor-ship.
Oxford Brookes University has announced a new partnership with 21st Century Legacy, a charity set up toensure the 2012 Olympics have a positive, long term impact on UK children. Its coaching programme is nowfinding its way into schools all over the UK – Future Fitness found out more
Charity pushes Be the BestYou Can Be programme
Above, school pupils taking part in the scheme and, above right, Ade Adepitan, programme ambassador
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Liverpool’syouth schemecombats healthinequalitiesBy Louise Cordell
AN inclusive fitness scheme inLiverpool is working to combathealth inequalities in young peopleand get everyone involved in sport.
The aim of Sefton’s Free and Activeprogramme is to overcome socialbarriers to participation and getyoung people with additional needsinvolved in sport and physical activi-ty.
To do this, seven leisure centresacross the borough have startedoffering access to all children free ofcharge – giving them the opportunityto access a wide range of activities,regardless of income or ability.
Activities provided include rockclimbing, street hockey, swimming,cheerleading and archery at a rangeof locations.
Jennifer Caine, business develop-ment officer at Sefton MBC, said: “Itis vital to have additional support forchildren and young people with dis-abilities to help them participate insport and physical activity.
“So our Positive Futures team havearranged for additional training forstaff at each leisure centre to help them continue to provide sport sessions that are suited tothem.”
A range of activities now take placein the area inclulding free lessonswith expert tutors at LitherlandSports Park to give kids the chance totry out sports that would not usuallybe affordable and swim and activitysessions at Bootle Leisure Centre.
So far the Free and Active projecthas been a success, with improvedhealth and fitness levels for youngpeople across the borough andreduced crime.
Jennifer added: “The benefits of theprogramme can be seen most clearlythrough its impact on the local com-munity.
“It has achieved health benefits forlocal residents, reduced levels of anti-social behaviour and a reduction inhealth inequalities for our most vul-nerable residents.”
Successstories ...� Jordan Kelly (13) attended theFree and Active programme atLitherland Sports Park and con-tinued to attend the AthleticsClub Southport Waterloo after theprogramme finished. Jordan continued to participate in theMerseyside Championshipswhere he was "crowned" champion in the triple jump,picked up a silver medal in thelong jump and made the final ofthe 100m sprint. Jordan is nowlisted 4th in the national rankingsfor triple jump and 20th in longjump.
� Coaching sessions across theborough of Sefton have attractedover 3,500 young people in Seftonand clubs have confirmed anadditional 120 participants joining.
� Young people aged eight to 13have progressed from StreetCheer camps on Free and Activeto compete in the National StreetDance Championships.
The first international Rock-It-Ball workshop has been held at the Wigginton Squash Clubin York. Coaches from Sweden, Denmark and Hungary attended alongside those from theUK. Craig Buttery, IRIBF commissioner, said: “We are making history on a regular basis withthis sport. This was the first international workshop and how wonderful to have represen-tatives so far afield all supporting the sport.”
UK first as centre examines foodand its relationship to obesityTHE University of Hull has officiallyopened its Obesity and NutritionCentre, which will be the first in theUK to examine food and its relation-ship to obesity.
The Humberside Obesity, Nutrition,Education and Innovation (HONEI)Centre is the brainchild of SteveAtkin, professor of diabetes,endocrinology and metabolism atthe university.
Its focus will be on engaging interdisciplinary healthcare expertsand linking their knowledge to theneeds of the food and health indus-tries.
Professor Atkin said: “HONEI isalready a real and successful projectand it provides a unique opportunityfor the university and the Hull YorkMedical School to liaise with the
industry for food studies at everylevel.
“By aligning world-class researchand priority health care issues tocommercial needs, the centre willcreate regional wealth, enhance itsprofile and simultaneously addressthe local and national NHS healthagenda.”
At the launch it was pointed outthat it is particularly relevant for thecentre to be housed in Hull, becauseobesity and cardiovascular disease inthe city are high.
The city’s residents have also always been supportive of healthresearch, which is important as the recruitment of patients for clini-cal trials in this sector is often diffi-cult.
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By Mary Ferguson
A ‘desperate’ letter from an over-weight teenager has inspired for-mer athlete Kate Staples to set upfitness programmes in secondaryschools.
Kate, who also appeared on TV asa Gladiator, currently runsAdventure Boot Camps with fellowOlympic athlete Daley Thompson.
She has been training a 15 yearold girl after she begged for help tolose weight – and is now planningto roll out health programmes forall teenagers who suffer similarproblems.
Kate said: “This girl wrote me aheartbreaking letter, telling mehow much she hated PE and howmiserable she was. She suffers fromdepression and is a serial yo-yodieter but after working with herfor just a few weeks I saw a massivedifference.”
Adventure Boot Camps startedlife as fitness camps for womenand moved into schools, who askedfor camps to be run for the moth-ers of pupils – who then have ahealthy influence on the rest of thefamily.
Since then Daley has developedschool athletic academies for 7-12year olds, linking up with athleticclubs to draw out talent as well asincreasing participation.
And now he and Kate plan tomove into secondary schools toencourage teenagers to getinvolved in exercise and learnabout nutrition.
“The problem is that most schoolsport tends to be competitive andjust like the girl who wrote to me, itis hideous for a child to be pickedlast for a team. I want to helppupils exercise for health andenjoyment, not just to make the
first teams.”Nutrition will also play a key part
in the programmes and Kate addedthat there are many myths flyingaround amongst teenagers thatneed to be dispelled.
“The 15 year old I’m training issimilar to many other girls in thatshe has a really bad relationshipwith food, feeling guilty abouteverything she eats. And she comes
to me with all these things she hasheard from her friends about losing weight, that simply aren’ttrue.”
This year, Kate and Daley plan todouble the number of primaryschools they work with, as well asmoving into the secondary sector.They are currently looking fortrainers to help expand the busi-ness.
Kate and Daley
Ex-Gladiator Katecomes to the rescueof ‘desperate’ teen
After-schoolopportunityafter £6mboostBy Louise Cordell
TEENAGERS from across the countryare to be given the chance to join one of 3,000 new after-school clubsoffering Olympic and Paralympicsports.
The government has announcedthat £6m of funding is being investedto create a new network of clubs insecondary schools and collegesaround England.
They will give young people thechance to take up sports includingbadminton, boccia, fencing, hand-ball, table tennis, volleyball andwheelchair basketball.
The money will pay for new equip-ment and qualified coaches to runthe clubs alongside young volun-teers.
Ben Bradshaw, sports secretary,said: “We hope this will just be thestart and that schools will build onthis investment and deliver clubsoffering every Olympic sport, longafter the 2012 Games’ closing cere-mony.”
The first clubs will open in theautumn term this year, and all will be up and running by spring2011, making up part of the ongoing ‘Change4Life’campaign.
Health secretary Andy Burnhamadded: “Research has shown us that by building up a sense of community spirit, everyone getsinvolved in activities simply becausethey want to feel part of the occa-sion.
“2012 offers us a golden opportunity to get more people thanever involved in sport and theseclubs will provide teenagers evenmore changes to be healthy andactive.”
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news10
By Louise Cordell
PUPILS around the country are seizing the opportunity to take up a new sport with the growing popularity of indoor rowingmachines.
Schools are finding that the activityparticularly appeals to kids who don’tenjoy more traditional games andcan get them involved in keeping fitand competition.
Tom Kay is head of education atConcept 2 a company that manufac-tures indoor rowing machines andworks to help get the sport intoschools.
He said: “Rowing machines used tobe used just to cater for rowingenthusiasts, but now schools are real-ising how much use they can be forgeneral physical activity.
“So much can be done with them,from regular training to team activi-ties like relay racing and extra curric-ular clubs.
“They also produce accurate andrepeatable measurements, whichmeans that they can be used in other areas of the curriculum like sci-ence and maths using the gathereddata.”
Tom works with the School SportPartnership network to show teachers the sport’s potential, delivering CPD training to introducedifferent games and activities andshowing how a range of special educational needs can be catered for.
He added: “Schools are alwaysamazed at the kids who get into row-ing, it is often the ones who havenever been interested in sportsbefore.
“It especially appeals to those whodon’t like other sports because theyare overweight or tall and uncoordi-nated, which might be a hinderancein other sports, but can be an advan-tage in rowing.
“They are then able to achieve suc-cess where they have never been ableto before, and this is great for theirself esteem and for targeting hard toreach groups.”
Schools that get involved also use the rowers to take part in intraand inter school competitions, ranging from basic level contests and progressing up to partnershipcompetitions, which feed into county, regional and then nationallevels.
Tom added: “We have found that,despite its negative perception, com-petition is actually the best way to getkids involved – but it has to be theright kind of competition – not thewrong kind where you lose all thetime.
“On top of that, it is great for pupilsto have something different to have ago at and to open up new opportuni-ties for them.
“It also means that when they leaveschools they can go on to feel confi-dent using the rowers in gyms andleisure centres, encouraging an activelifestyle.”
Schoolchildrenkeen to take upindoor rowing
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news 11
By Mary Ferguson
AN 18-year-old personal trainer hasrevealed how he makes a success ofhis business at such a young age.
Sachin Premji runs SPFitness along-side studying for a BTEC in sport andperformance at Stanmore College inLondon.
He also coaches disabled childrenin badminton and takes Spinningclasses at Aspire, a local leisure cen-tre for people with spinal injuries.
Sachin, who was inspired tobecome a personal trainer after see-ing his brother succeed in the indus-try, told Future Fitness that gettingpeople to take him seriously cansometimes be a challenge.
He said: “To start with it was a bit ofa struggle coming into the industry at17 as people were a bit wary of myage, especially as I think I look evenyounger than I am.
“ I do feel I have had to provemyself but I think my clients’ resultsspeak for themselves.”
Sachin qualified as a personal train-er at 17 last August after training withPremier Training International, paidfor by a college scholarship.
He immediately set up personaltraining company SPFitness, workingfrom rented premises.
He currently has 14 clients that hejuggles around his academic workand his brother helps him out whenhe needs it.
Aged between 25 and 35, Sachin’sclients all share a common goal ofwanting to lose weight and he
claims none of them are put off byhis age.
In September, Sachin will begin adegree in Sport Science withManagement at LoughboroughUniversity and said he would eventu-
ally like a management role withinthe industry.
He added: “At 18 I feel I’ve achievedquite a lot in the industry and I defi-nitely want to carry on my personaltraining business – as well as eventu-
ally doing some lecturing.“I love the flexibility of personal
training because it’s not the usual 9-5, it’s a very sociable job and I reallyenjoy passing my knowledge on topeople.”
Success comes early for Sachin
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athletics12
New awards willrecognise personalachievementTHIS summer sees the launch of the newAviva UKA Academy Award scheme,designed to help children develop indi-vidual athletics skills by recognising andrewarding personal achievement.
Replacing all the various existing awardschemes, the new scheme will cater forchildren of all abilities from primaryschool upwards and offer a single, strong,effective and challenging awards pro-gramme.
During 2009, UKA worked with keypartners including all four Home CountrySchools Athletics Associations, theEnglish Schools' Athletic Association andthe Eveque’s Sportshall DevelopmentTeam to build a revised awards scheme tobest reflect current practice and theevolving climate in school sport. Theserevisions offer every child a true test oftheir athletic skills.
The awards are split into three sections,Sportshall, Track and Field andEndurance and all have primary and sec-ondary versions.
Badges and certificates recognise eachlevel of achievement, ultimately leadingthe child up a ladder of success toBronze, Silver and Gold recognition.
Over the next few weeks, UKA will besending information packs to everyschool in the country with details of theawards.
The first to be launched will be theSportshall Primary Awards, based on thehugely successful Sportshall Athleticsprogramme.
The Awards take the form of either aPentathlon or Decathlon and also neatlydouble as a fitness monitoring andimprovement scheme.
The Sportshall Awards will form a vitalpart of the athletics pathway and willconsolidate the sport’s position at thecentre of the curriculum by providingskill development for all sports, not justtrack and field.
In addition, the same programme ofevents is being rolled out in places as farapart as Canada, South Africa, Qatar andIreland and in the future it is hoped thatchildren in all these countries can com-pete together in ‘virtual competition’using the internet.
This programme will eventually providefitness level data not just from the variousparts of the UK but also from many dif-ferent parts of the world.
New website marksfresh approach forWelsh AthleticsWELSH Athletics haslaunched a new website tomark a fresh approach tocoaching and development.
It has been designed to pro-vide all the relevant informa-tion about coaching andcoach development, takingplace at the Welsh AthleticsCoaching Centre.
The organisation’s new headof coaching, John Dagata, hasannounced that 2010 willrepresent a shift in vision forcoaching in Wales with newinnovations leading to betterresults.
It is hoped that the websitewill be a useful tool for thedelivery of his vision.
It contains a coach educa-tion calendar, which will beupdated throughout the yearand contains all the opportu-nities available for coaches,including formal educationcourses and informal devel-opment sessions.
It also sets out a newlystructured coach develop-ment pathway that intro-duces the revised coachingqualifications process thataims to ensure that every
coach can develop andexpand their knowledge base.
A UK wide implementationof all three courses will takeplace from September, with anew structure built aroundleadership and coaching rolesrather than levels.
This has been designed toreflect the importance teach-ers and coaches play in thedevelopment of the sport,regardless of the performancelevel of the athlete.
The final new edition to thewebsite is the coaches’ pro-files page, recognising thesuccess that Welsh coacheshave enjoyed over manyyears and raising the profileof coaching at the highestlevels.
It is hoped that, over time,this feature will be expandedto recognise coaches bothpast and present.
This month will also see thefirst of several new initiativeswith the Leaders andCoaching Assistant Awards,followed by the AthleticsCoach Award that is due totake place in July.
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athletics 13
Bid to takeathletics tothe streetsBy Louise Cordell
AN initiative to take athletics to thestreets and get a new generation ofcompetitors involved is beinglaunched in Manchester.
The organisers behind the BupaGreat Manchester Run and the GreatCity Games are giving members ofthe public the chance to comparetheir running time to that achievedby Olympic sprinter Usain Bolt.
The Great Manchester 150 will takeplace at the running track onDeansgate where Usain Bolt ran thefastest 150 metres in history last year.
The event will take place in Mayand will form part of a weekend ofrunning in the city, including the 10kilometre Bupa Great ManchesterRun and the Great City Games.
Entrants will be able to race againstfriends, family or other members ofthe public and then see how theirtimes compare to the international
athletes who race over the same dis-tance.
David Hart, Nova’s communicationsdirector, said: “The atmosphere andcamaraderie at the Great ManchesterRun is always special, so we wantedto provide an alternative for thosewho don’t think a ten-kilometre run isfor them.
“There’s often changing room banter about who is the fastest playerin the football, rugby or hockey team.Now entrants can find out once andfor all by signing up with their pals.”
The initiative is the latest in a num-ber of initiatives Nova have held tomake athletics more accessible toyoung people.
Last year they organised a matchbetween England and Australia in theGreat North CityGames, which ranalongside a series of schools' interna-tional races showcasing up-and-com-ing talent.
Booklet helps forge linksbetween schools and clubsENGLAND Athletics has launcheda new resource to help forge linksbetween schools and clubs and tosupport the next generation ofsporting champions.
The organisation has pointedout that these links offer childrenthe best opportunity of a longterm and successful involvementin sports and benefit schools withthe better provision of opportuni-ties and resources for pupils.
So it has created the ‘LinkingSchools and Clubs’ booklet, whichhas been specially designed tohelp both clubs and schools knowhow best to work together.
It outlines some of the activitiesand support available for thosewanting to provide young peoplewith access to athletics and detailswhere help can be found.
There is also advice to help clubs
gain an understanding of whatactivities the schools in their areaare likely to be looking to deliver,how they are likely to go about itand what issues they may face.
Scott Grace, England Athleticsnational coach mentor for youthdevelopment, said: “Buildingstrong relationships betweenclubs and schools really does ben-efit everyone.
“The ‘run, jump, throw’ skillsthat are central to athletics under-pin many other sports and thatmeans that schools are keen tohave their pupils develop strongcompetencies in athletics, even ifthey do not consider themselvesan athletics focussed school.
“This booklet should help clubsand schools gain an understand-ing of what they can achievetogether.”
Campaign partnership announcedSPORTS Leaders UK has announceda partnership with Change4Lifeand will be promoting thecampaign’s message through itsactivities.
Michaela Hutchings, UK operationsdirector, said: “In order to completean award of qualification, we areencouraging our prospective sportsleaders to undertake regular physicalactivity and be aware of what they
eat. “We will be signposting our candi-
dates to the Change4Life website forinformation on how to adopt ahealthier lifestyle and asking them tokeep a record of their activities.
“This will become an intergral partof their training, so that when they goout into the community to do theirvolunteer hours, they will be acting aspositive role models.”
Would you like to partner your school with Daley Thompson and Kate Staples? Are you looking for great results for your pupils and parents?
Do you want to get all shapes, all sizes and all abilities into the fresh air?
Answered yes? Choose the way forward:
• Daley Thompson’s Athletics Academy (7 -12 yrs) teaching core skills• Daley Thompson’s Teen Programme cultivating healthy lifestyles• Adventure Fitness camps keeping adults in shape
For more details, contact [email protected] or call 01932 863240 to speak to Kate or a member of the team.
13 19/4/10 13:53 Page 1
news14
Young peoplegiven 2012opportunityFIVE hundred young people inEngland and Wales are being giventhe chance to become the first everOpportunity 2012 Graduates.
The scheme has been launched totarget young people that other initia-tives find difficult to engage, such asyoung carers, those not in educationand those involved in crime or havebehavioural problems by using theappeal of the Games.
After completing the scheme, the 14to 19 year olds will be offeredOlympic themed rewards, includingshadowing international fitnesscoaches and physiotherapists, watch-ing athletes in training and workplacements with LOCOG.
The ‘graduates’ will be selected fromexisting schemes including the YouthCommunity Action initiative andPositive Futures.
Tessa Jowell, minister for theOlympics, said: “These young peoplewill receive intensive help, learn newskills and get new experiences thatwill change their lives for the better.”
The scheme will operate under themanagement of youth charity, The
Prince’s Trust, between June 2010 andSeptember 2012.
Participants will volunteer in theircommunities as well as taking part insporting and cultural themed eventsto put them on a pathway to employ-ment or further training. Each gradu-ate will also be supported by a men-tor who will work with them to setobjectives and create a personaldevelopment plan, as well as offeradvice and encouragement to ensurethey benefit from the full range ofopportunities up until Games time.
Schools minister Diana Johnsonsaid: “More young people than everare volunteering and making a posi-tive contribution to their communi-ties. This scheme will inspire allyoung people in England to play anactive part in their community andhelp to close the generation gap.
"It will offer increased opportunitiesfor them to take part in differentkinds of activities through theirschools and colleges, giving themvital experience so they can givesomething back and prepare for theworld of work.”
SPORT students at Nelson andColne College sixth form haveattended a special sports scienceworkshop, organised by Lucozade.
Emma Gardner, a sport scientist,took the pupils through practicalsessions including hydration test-ing and aerobic and anaerobictesting using ‘smart speed lightgates’.
This equipment is used to testaspects of sports performancesuch as agility and reactions inelite performers from a range of
disciplines. Katie Louise Chic-Taylor, who is
currently studying for a BTECNational Diploma in SportDevelopment said: “I found theday to be really interesting andvery useful for me. I plan to go toUniversity after completing mycourse to study Physiotherapy andBiomechanics and during the daywe learnt a lot about the biome-chanics of running and exercisewhich I hope will help me on mydegree course next year.”
A level student Lewis Rimmer and National Diploma student Laura Wood withEmma Gardner
Students attend workshop
14 16/4/10 15:30 Page 1
news 15
By Louise Cordell
OVER 200 new jobs have been cre-ated for young people across theUK by the Transforming AGeneration scheme.
The six-month TAG programmehas been developed specifically tohelp teenagers get into careers inthe health and fitness industry andis celebrating its biggest success sofar.
The initiative helps young peoplewho are not in education, trainingor employment to secure a LevelTwo Health and Fitness InstructorQualification, take part in a four
month paid work placement andbuild a career in the industry.
Kirsty Oysten, a TAG student whois working for LA fitness MuswellHill, said: “The scheme is great –after five weeks in the classroomgaining my qualification I am nowworking in a gym and really enjoy-ing it. I think that TAG pushes us tobe good employees by helping uswith our CVs and by ensuring thatwe have the soft skills we need towork with customers.”
The programme is now set to beimplemented in almost 30 TAGcentres in local communitiesaround the country, and will
recruit over 1,000 young peopleover the next year.
Fred Turok, TAG founder and FIAchairman, said: “TAG has taken agovernment funded initiative andis working with potential employ-ers to develop a training modelwhich meets their needs – whichare to recruit staff with technical aswell as vital people skills. We havecreated a young people centricprogramme which helps them takethat giant step from disenfran-chised unemployment to a fulfilling, rewarding career in anindustry which is primed forexpansion.”
Alesha Dixon and TAG student Helene Liber at the launch TAG student Kirsty Oysten
TAG scheme createsover 200 new jobs
Call for tough obesityaction to avoid problemsfor future generationsTHE BMA in Scotland hasissued a warning about thedangers faced by future gener-ations if tough action is nottaken to tackle obesity.
Doctors have made the callfollowing the Scottish govern-ment’s publication of its newobesity strategy and ahead ofa Parliamentary debate.
Dean Marshall, BMA GPscommittee chair, said:“Prevention is much betterthan cure.
“It is better, healthier andsafer if children are given thetools to manage their weight,eat healthily and take moreexercise.
“But no-one is saying this iseasy. We are in danger of rais-ing a generation of childrenburdened with long termchronic health conditions. It isvital that we take action now.”
The government strategy hasbeen published with the
Convention of Scottish LocalAuthorities and outlines plansto make healthy choices easi-er.
Dr Marshall added: “Doctorshave a role to play in support-ing overweight patients andtalking about the dangers ofobesity, but there is a limit towhat they can do.
“The BMA has been lobby-ing the government for sometime to take real action on thisissue to achieve a realimprovement in the futurehealth of our children.”
The plans that have been setout include working withretailers and the food industryto control demand for highcalorie food and drinks, usingplanning legislation toincrease opportunities forphysical activity and workingwith schools to encourageyoung people to take uphealthy habits.
Fitness guru Rosemary Conley is encouraging students toeat more healthily for better academic results.She visited the University of Leicester to present researchersfrom the department of cancer studies with a cheque for£20,000 on behalf of Hallmark Cards. Rosemary offeredadvice to the students in light of a recent study conductedby the sociology department which revealed that fast foodis firmly entrenched in the lifestyle of students.She said: “The better food you put into yourself, the betteryou’re going to be able to study, the better you’re going tosleep, the more active you’re going to be and the less tiredyou will be so you’re going to do a better job.”
15 19/4/10 13:46 Page 1
16&17 19/4/10 13:57 Page 1
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football18
Tibshelf Community School is celebratingafter its year 11 boys football team wonthe Derbyshire County Cup Final.Two years of practice paid off when thespecialist sports college defeated the localMurray Park School at the MoorwaysStadium.Tibshelf’s executive head teacher said:“With teams entering from about 64schools across Derby City and Derbyshirethis represents a fantastic achievement andcrowns their exploits in the 2007/2008 sea-son. The team as a whole played with thepoise, maturity and calm authority of truechampions – congratulations must go to allinvolved.”
GOALS Soccer Centres, the award-winning provider of FA AdvancedAccredited soccer facilities, has nowdeveloped 35 next generation soccercentres across the UK.
Each facility represents a £2.2minvestment by Goals and many have been developed on school campuses.
The facilities are operated as dual-use with the school havingunrestricted free use during the dayand the facilities are then open tothe public out of school hourson a pay-as-you-play basisproviding the financial viabilityfor Goals.
With an additional £50millionfunding available for further invest-ment Goals are currently looking fornew school sites.
Goals onlook-out for sites
Have you got news for us?Call the Future Fitnessnews desk on 01226734694 or [email protected]
FOOTBALL coaches, PE teachers andyoung fans are being invited to anevent devoted to grass roots football.
Taking place in June at the NEC,Grass Roots Football Live is threedays devoted to giving visitors accessto the country’s top coaches andmanagers who will share their experi-ences and trade secrets.
This year’s line up includes AlanCurbishley, Steve Coppell, IanHolloway, Peter Taylor, Ian Dowie andAidy Boothroyd.
Special guest Tony Carr will also beattending to share his expertisegained during 30 years as academydirector at West Ham United.
He has been responsible for theearly development of players includ-
ing Rio Ferdinand, Joe Cole, FrankLampard, Paul Ince and JermainDefoe and will be offering advice onthe best training methods.
Visitors to the event will be able towatch coaching demonstrations pro-vided by high profile professionalmanagers, listen to expert advice, tryout new equipment and learn newskills.
There will be a precision trainingand conditioning area, where coach-ing drills for all ages will be held,aimed a developing improved fitnessand a ‘Boot Room’ where 45 minutequestion and answer sessions withmanagers will be held, for them tooffer advice on a range of relevanttopics to grass root coaches.
In the player and coach develop-ment theatre there will be presenta-tions and panel discussions featuringinsider knowledge about player andcoach development and the partner-ing club development theatre willhost debates covering all aspects ofrunning a grass roots football club.
The show will also include a coach-es resource centre, providing a onestop shop for coaches and teachers,including a range of DVD’s, booksand training aids.
Finally, the Skills Zones is availablefor young players to practice theirdribbling, passing, shooting skills,acceleration and receive some expertand tailored coaching.
Rio Ferdinand – the England World Cup Captain’s former coach Tony Carr will be attending the show
Top line-up for grassroots football event
18 16/4/10 15:31 Page 1
football 19
TENS of thousands of youngstersacross the UK are being given thechance to improve their football skillsfor free at McDonald’s Open Days.
This summer, 27 open days arebeing put on as part of the company’scommitment to grassroots football,providing qualified coaching sessionsand skills games.
Kids will also be given the chance touse the Soccer Matrix training aid,which uses audio tuition to instructthe player to aim the ball at a specific
panel. World Cup legend Sir Geoff Hurst
and former Manchester United coachEric Harrison will also be attending topass on their top tips to youngsters.
Richard Nugent, Soccer Matrixinventor, said: “McDonald’s has donemore for grassroots coaching in theUK than any other brand.
“We’re very proud to be part ofMcDonald’s Open Days this summerand look forward to providing thou-sands of skill sessions.”
Youngsters netfootball skills at free open days
19 16/4/10 15:32 Page 1
dance20
Students at Bebington High Sports College have put on two evening performances as part of their Lets Dance 2010 event. The shows had a cast of over 100 students from all years andthe performance included a ‘Fields of Gold’ dance sequence.
Ambassadors schemeaims to promote danceacross the countryBy Louise Cordell
ENGLAND’S first National YoungDance Ambassadors scheme hasbeen launched by Youth DanceEngland.
Seven young people have been cho-sen to help promote the organisationand its aim of improving standards ofdance for children across the country.
Their job will be to communicatewith young people in schools and atevents as well as advising YDE aboutits programme development.
Linda Jasper, YDE director said: “Iam delighted that we have appointedthese inspirational individuals toencourage more young people to takepart in dance.
“They will make sure that we havedirect access to young people’s viewsto ensure that our programmes are
meeting their needs and help usshape our future work.”
The National Young DanceAmbassadors have all taken part in various YDE programmesincluding the Stride! leadership pro-gramme and the YDE YoungCreatives.
Lowenna Hosken, one of theambassadors, said: “Dance hasalways been an integral part of mylife and as I grew up I discovered thevarious other opportunities withindance, such as teaching and develop-ment.
“I love to see other dancers anddance as a whole move forward andprogress because of an input I havemade.
“I hope to help raise the awarenessof dance for everyone however it mayrelate to them.”
Teenagers are being motivated by danceweekend workshops run by PGL, whichmake the most of the growing interest instreet dance.
The sessions are led by professional, spe-cialist instructors who provide tuition in arange of dance disciplines.
The groups start out by learning basicsteps and motifs, they then build up short
and then more complex routines and theworkshop then culminates in a perform-ance.
Many of the courses are also run at outdoor education centres, meaning that the dance sessions can be inter-spersed with adventures sessions includingzip wires, high ropes, climbing and abseil-ing.
20 16/4/10 15:53 Page 1
dance 21
WHEN highly technical and specialistdance floors were needed for the£8.9m Jerwood Dance House inIpswich, client Dance East visitedJunckers at their showroom andtraining headquarters in Witham to
try out and dance on a range of theirfloor systems.
This allowed them to choose theJunckers 22mm pre-lacqueredSylvaSport Premium solid beechflooring and the New Era UnoBat cra-
dle system for their studios. Designed by John Lyall Architects to
meet very exacting standards, thethree-storey dance complex is oper-ated by one of Britain’s leading danceorganisations and required floors
that would provide the correctresilience, shock absorption and fric-tion characteristics in order for thedancer to experience the ultimatelevel of performance and comfort.
For more information visit:www.junckers.co.uk or call: 01376 534 700.
£8.9m Dance House chooses Junckers ...
Francesca dances to successTHE finals of YoungBritish Dancer of theYear 2010 have takenplace at the Royal OperaHouse’s Linbury StudioTheatre.
The competition sawalmost 100 youngdancers aged from 15 to17 from all over the UKcompete for the title.
Sixteen finalist per-formed two solos each infront of a panel of judgesincluding principaldancers from the RoyalBallet and the director ofthe Bavarian State OperaBallet in Munich.
The winner was 17 yearold Francesca Hayward,Anna Rose O’Sullivan,15, came in second placeand Bruno Micchiardi,17, came third.
Ricki Gail Conway,YBDY’s founding spon-sor, said: “It is reallyexciting that YoungBritish Dancer of theYear has become suchan important fixture inthe British DanceCalendar over the pastten years.
“The competition con-tinues to offer youngdancers the valuableopportunity to developtheir skills and artistryand to share their talents with the public in a sell-out perform-ance.
“It is also an opportu-nity to celebrate thetremendous talent wehave in this country andto encourage it for thefuture of the art form.”
Culture secretarysees dance matscheme in actionTHE culture secretary Ben Bradshawhas visited Launde Primary School inOadby to see a Sport Unlimited dancemat programme in action.
The scheme is currently runningacross 26 schools and colleges in thearea and has been a huge success,with 84 per cent of participants sayingthey would like to continue takingpart in the future.
Mr Bradshaw said: “It is wonderfulto see young people given the oppor-tunity to be physically active andenjoying themselves at the same time,particularly for young people who donot enjoy traditional sport. It givesthem the opportunity to be active.”
The programme consists of a tenweek dance and fitness project usingZigZag’s five-step dance mats. Anonline league table is updated weeklyand the programme culminates in aface-to-face Championship for thetop scorers from each school.
Francesca Hayward Picture: Johan Persson
20 19/4/10 13:49 Page 2
dance22
Pictured, top row, from left: Jess Barber, Ruby Ramsden, Amber Cowan, Hannah Gent, Evie Hawkins,Eden Cowan and Eve Thompson
A YOUTH dance troupe haswon first prize at ActivitySheffield’s Street DanceCompetition.
Jess Barber was one of thegroup of nine to 15-year-oldgirls, who took part in themasked dance.
She said: “It was reallyamazing to win and totallyunexpected as we were allreally nervous but we’d puta lot of effort in.
“I think we won becausewe had the most unique andoriginal dance because ofour masks and the music wechose.
“Winning the competitionhas brought us closertogether and things like thisare a huge confidence boostfor us.”
The competition saw morethan 200 dancers take partin cheerleading and twosplit ability street dancingcategories.
Troupedancesoff withtop prize
Dance matsinspiringdisengagedyoungstersFITNESSGAMING provides anextensive range of dance matsolutions in the market, offering more schools thechance to invest in an initiative that inspires disengaged and disinterestedpupils in quality physical exercise.
It has a Just for Schoolsrange, which can be playedusing the Nintendo Wii andthis means that children canalso practice at home usingthe same game.
There is also a newlylaunched Blufit dance andmultiplayer gaming systemwhich has been designed toinspire all pupils to take partin a fun and challenging activity.
It offers an automatic performance monitoring website and a range of othergames beyond dance to provide sustainability.
22 16/4/10 15:36 Page 1
dance 23
Celebrity Ian helpsclub in youth effortBy Mary Ferguson
A BERKSHIRE health club is using acelebrity member to encourage youngpeople to get fit and help raise moneyfor charity.
Strictly Come Dancing star Ian Waitehas been using the facilities at Pulse8for years and recently fronted an openweekend held to support the FIA’s Let’sDance Change4Life initiative.
The government scheme is focussedon getting kids involved in a healthyand active lifestyle and the club inSindlesham catered for almost 150 peo-ple of all ages during the event.
Those taking part learned dancesincluding salsa, modern jazz and hiphop, and collected donations as part ofan ongoing charity drive for breast can-cer care.
Ian – who partnered supermodel JodieKidd during the last series of the hitBBC show – has been involved withdance masterclasses at the club in thepast, some of which have been filmed.
Paddy Halfhide, marketing director forthe club, now has plans for more eventswith the dancer.
He said: “We did a lot withChange4Life throughout the wholesummer last year and we were the most
successful club in the country in termsof participation, reaching over 1500people.
“So from our point of view holdingLet’s Dance Change4Life for just oneweekend is a bit limiting, which is whywe are planning to put them on once amonth.
“We are Berkshire’s biggest fitness clubso feel its our duty to keep giving some-thing new.
“We want to keep things fresh for the20 per cent of the population thatalready engage in exercise but alsoreach out to the other 80 per cent, andwe think dance is a really good way todo this.”
He also hopes that their success inattracting some of the harder to reachtarget markets will result in more posi-tive publicity for the industry.
Paddy added: “When we work withorganisations like the FIA we want themto be able to feed back positive resultsto central government, as the fitnessindustry competes for funding againstso many other sectors.
“I think we have demonstrated that wecan go beyond what other clubs do.” Ian Waite dances with a club member Picture: Reading Post
23 16/4/10 15:37 Page 1
industry news24
Advertiser’s announcement
THERE’S no better place to get tothe top of your game than at ClubLa Santa in Lanzarote.
It’s the world’s number one sportsand activity holiday resort.
Here, you’ll be surrounded by like-minded people, plus some of thebest coaches and facilities around.With 25 sports on offer includingrunning, cycling, aerobics, wind-surfing, Pilates and yoga, you’llnever get bored.
In fact, many guests take part in acompetition during their stay, suchas Ironman Lanzarote, or theCycling Trophy.
The resort also hosts themedtraining sessions throughout theyear, so if you have a particular goalin mind, you can take part in one ofthe sport specific training camps.
Here, world class coaches workwith small groups on technique,diet, avoiding injury, and ongoingexercise plans.
Club La Santa sits on theLanzarote coastline, and overlooksa lagoon to one side, and stunningvolcanic scenery to the other.
The resort is completely self-con-tained, with cafes, restaurants, hirefacilities and a wellness centre allon site, and all for free.
This is so you can concentrate onthe training, rather than worryingabout food and where to get kitfrom.
Club La Santa is family friendly.So, while you train – or relax – yourchildren will be well looked after.There’s a daily playtime for young-sters aged from three years old andolder kids can take part in groupclasses to learn a new skill, likewindsurfing, or improve their ten-nis or swimming stroke.
Often, groups chose to come toClub La Santa to have a break awayfrom it all and do some team-build-ing.
They’re more than catered for andthe resort has conference facilitiesand can put together Group timeta-bles to plan your time away.
We provide an absolutely unique
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Prices start from £557.00 perapartment, two free places in 20,plus early booking offers for winter10/11 and special offers for sum-mer 2010, why not check outwww.clublasanta.co.uk for the lat-est offers, or call 0161 790 9890.
Club La Santa is all about fitnessand fun and that’s why our guestsreturn year after year, with 25sports on offer you’ll never getbored.
Where sun, sea, sand, and fitness combine!
Vew-Dobalanceboard aimedat teenagersPIPE Dreams are introduc-ing a new Vew-Do BalanceBoard X-treme class toappeal to teenagers whoenjoy the excitement ofaction sports training.
The classes combine fivecomponents in a half-hoursession – upper and lowerbody, abdominals, corebalance and cardiovascu-lar.
Exercises are referred toas ‘tricks’ and instructorsrun the classes using an upto date play list of the latestchart hits.
A typical class has a warmup phase, then goesstraight into the maincomponent where partici-pants partner up and helpeach other learn the basictricks before progressing tomore difficult moves.
The class can also bedelivered as a circuit wherethose taking part completetwo circuits within the halfhour session.
Each fixed station has anassigned trick which is per-formed by each person fortwo minutes at a time.
Why simple screening is a good ideaRESEARCH has shown that interest inhealth screening in the fitness indus-try has always been a point of discus-sion.
Simple screening starting with look-ing at the parents is a good idea.
Not just height and weight, but peakflow score for lung condition, flexibili-ty with a sit and reach box, the bleeptest for cardiovascular fitness andexplosive jump tests.
If you start to make physiology andPE sport specific, it becomes interest-ing and helpful.
John Moore OBE, who started IDASSwas sitting in a committee meetingyears ago discussing internationalyouth sport and aiming to fix age lim-its. Some countries had a youth pro-gramme for teenagers, but the Finnishdelegate said they started at seven toeight years old for national selection.
The Russian could not understandwhy they waited so long, as they start-ed from the moment kids started pri-mary school.
Sport and fitness are linked and if wewant to stop kids dropping off at 15 to16 years old we should engage themearlier and channel them as PE teach-ers, coaches and educators into thecorrect channel through health andfitness screening.
GFORCE, perform-ance apparel sports-wear fromGymphlex Ltd isavailable for all,bringing cost effec-tive sportswear tothe club and schoolsports market.
This will be of par-ticular interest tothose schools andcolleges who taketheir sporting per-formance seriously.
The flexibleGFORCE systempresents the ulti-mate approach tohigh performancegarments, teaming alarge range of tech-
nical fabricswith an incredi-ble selection ofcolours and a vaststock of contempo-rary designs.
Performance isparamount with theGFORCE range.
All available fab-rics have inherentbenefits, whichmake them perfectfor playing a widevariety of sports.
For more details just visit:
www.gforcesports-wear.co.uk
or call our sales team on:
01507 523243.
A collectionto inspireschoolsGFORCE Performance Apparelwas launched last year and isalready establishing itself withinschools, clubs and teams acrossthe UK.
The brand has been created bysportswear specialists GymphlexLtd and consists of high perform-ance, technical team with withflexible customisation options.
Simon Ward, sales director atGymphlex, said: “We have tried tocreate the perfect collection thatwill inspire schools and clubs todevelop their own customised kit.
“The four designs we launchedwith have proved so popular thatwe have now added a furter two,meaning more style options areavailable.”
Cost-effectivesports wear for everyone
24 16/4/10 15:38 Page 1
news 25
CAROLINE Sidell started at SouthBromsgrove High School afterqualifying as a teacher six yearsago.
As PE teacher and school sportcoordinator, it has always been heraim to get as many of her pupils aspossible involved in regular exer-cise.
She has done this by introducinga huge range of activities to attractthe traditionally non sporty kidsand ensuring that special provi-sions are made for special needspupils. Caroline said: “I think PEteachers need to engage all differ-ent types of student and giveeveryone a sporting chance.
“You need to give up a lot of yourtime to put on the activities, I giveup most lunchtimes and time afterschool, but is worth it for theimprovement. It has really workedfor us, for example I started up acheerleading club a year ago andnow over 100 pupils come to eachlunchtime session.”
Caroline has introduced manyother new sports to the school,including roller hockey and tagrugby and, as part of her role asschool sport coordinator, set up alunchtime activity club for specialeducational needs students - aproject that won the school£40,000 worth of Technogymequipment.
She has also introduced a GirlsActive Club, which is attended by30 female pupils every week andan Active Lunchtimes scheme,which has got most of the schoolusing sports equipment duringtheir breaks.
Caroline added: “You have to bequite clever and innovative to getthem involved. But it is really
important that they are active andlunchtime and after school as wellas just in PE lessons, and that is aPE teacher’s responsibility too –
even though it is more recreation-al. I have been lucky because thehead and the rest of the schoolhave been very supportive and
have invested money in the ActiveLunchtime clubs to get extra staffto supervise – because they cansee how important it is.”
After giving up lunch breaks and weekends for six years to help promote sport at her school in Worcestershire, Caroline Sidell hasbeen named PE Teacher of the Year at the Sunday Times Sportswoman of the Year Awards. Future Fitness found out more
Carolineacceptingher awardPictures:RichardLea-Hair
All the hard work paysoff as Caroline nets top teacher award
Caroline and her pupils
More projects introduced by Caroline to help get pupils active:� A series of assemblies to get the students ready for the 2012Olympics and setting up related projects that will involve thewhole school and be led by the kids themselves.� Festivals for cheerleading and dance organised each termand attended by over 100 local young people.� Healthy breakfast and after school revision clubs for GCSE PEstudents – resulting in a 20 per cent increase in results over thelast year.� Taking female pupils out to a local gym during PE lessons togive them a chance to take part in boxercise, aerobics anddance.� Using evenings and weekends to take the school’s cheerlead-ing squad to competitions, festivals and performances at localfootball and rugby matches.� Setting up gifted and talented workshops for PE students,giving them access to sport career pathways and advice.
Projects to promote activity
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Training &Qualifications
YMCA FIT111 Great Russell StLondon, WC1B 3NPT: 0207 343 1855W: www.ymcafit.org.ukE: [email protected]
Central YMCA Qualifications111 Great Russell StLondon, WC1B 3NPT: 0207 343 1800W: www.cyq.org.ukE: [email protected]
Jump Rope Uk Ltd16 Riverside ParkWimborneDorset, BH21 1QUtel: 01202 840590fax: 01202 [email protected]
National Extension CollegeThe Michael Young CentrePurbeck RoadCambridge, CB2 8HNT: 0800 389 2839 W: www.nec.ac.ukE: [email protected]
Sports FacilityDevelopment
Sports Solutions GBSuite OneCopse FarmSouth Marston ParkSwindon, SN3 4UQT: 01793 833456W: www.sportssolutionsgb.co.ukE: [email protected]
Training Equipment
Crazy CatchWall Tree House FarmSteaneBrackley, NN13 5NST: 01295 816765W: www.flicx.comE: [email protected]
Interactive Equipment/ Dance Mats
Pulse Dance MachineThe Bromley CentreBromley RdCongletonCheshireCW12 1PTT: 01260 294600W: www.pulsefitness.comE: [email protected]
Cyber CoachUnit 1a Britannia Business ParkUnion RdThe ValleyBoltonBL2 2HPT: 0845 869 2848W: www.cyber-coach.co.ukE: [email protected]
Fitness Equipment
Pulse FitnessThe Bromley CentreBromley RdCongletonCheshireCW12 1PTT: 01260 294600W: www.pulsefitness.comE: [email protected]
SportsArt Fitness2 Dean CourtUnit 10 Shuttleworth Mead Bus ParkPadiham, LancsBB12 7NGT: 01282 779234W: www.sportsartfitness.comE: [email protected]
Mark HarrodUnit 1 Tilla CourtBeccles Business ParkWorlinghamNR34 7BFT: 01502 476882W: www.markharrod.com
Hexa Sports LtdNew Bond StreetBirmingham, B9 4EJtel: 0121 [email protected]
Design & Build
Pulse SelectThe Bromley CentreBromley RdCongletonCheshireCW12 1PTT: 01260 294600W: www.pulsefitness.comE: [email protected]
Football Facility Build
Goals Soccer Centres plcOrbital HousePeel ParkEast KilbrideG74 5PRT: 01355 234800W: www.goalsfootball.co.ukE: [email protected]
Pulse Soccer CentresThe Bromley CentreBromley RdCongletonCheshireCW12 1PTT: 01260 294600W: www.pulsefitness.comE: [email protected]
ProfessionalAssociations
Association for Physical EducationBuilding 25London RoadReadingBerkshireRG1 5AQT: 0118 378 2440W: www.afpe.org.ukE: [email protected]
British Colleges Sport2/3 North Street WorkshopsNorth StStoke-Sub-HamdonSomersetTA14 6QRT: 01935 823444W: www.britishcollegessport.orgE: [email protected]
Climbing Walls
Freedom ClimberCherry CottageGuildford RdCranleighSurreyGU6 8LST: 07554 016220W: www.revolutionaryproducts.co.ukE: [email protected]
Entre PrisesEden WorksColne RdKelbrookLancsBB18 6SHT: 01282 444800W: www.ep-uk.comE: info@ep-uk.
Audio Equipment
Sound Dynamics51 Bridge StBelperDerbyshireDE56 1AYT: 01773 828486F: 01773 828475W: www.sound-dynamics.co.ukE: [email protected]
Sports Clothing
Kitking9, Upper George StreetLeicester, LE1 3LPT: 0116 262 7332E: [email protected]@aol.com
Installation & Repairs
Renovate Contracts LimitedUnit 812 Moat WayBarwellLeicester LE9 8EYT: 01455 851900E: duncan@renovatecontracts.–
wanadoo.co.ukW: www.renovatecontracts.com
365 directory
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