FUN4parents
County Durham Sport has teamed up with GF International Solutions to develop a suite of resources and articles that can help you have lots of summer fun. Whether you are in your garden, park or simply out and about, the resources and articles will help you develop your child's physical literacy skills; this could be the start of their journey as an Olympic champion. The summer offers a variety of opportunities for children to watch and play other sports; it won't be long until the Olympic Games arrive in London in 2012. The Olympics will be a fantastic "feel good" spectacle for the country and it may act as an inspirational event for many children to decide their future in sport.
Over the last decade there has been a change in the sport and coaching environment that has seen all sports introduce a Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD) programme throughout their coaching system. The LTAD programme basically looks at how children develop from their critical entry points into the world of sport to maximizing their potential, either as an Olympic athlete or through participating and lifelong enjoyment in sport.
The National Game:
When considering our national sports, how many times have we finished top of the podium?
Sport
Football (World Cup) 1966
Tennis (Wimbledon) 1936 Fred Perry & 1977 Virginia Wade
Rugby Union 2003
Cricket Runners up 1987, 1992
Netball Runners up 1975
This is not to say that over the years we haven't had a variety of success but the analysis starts to put into context the low percentages of athletes that will ever reach a performance level. Jean Cote's recent research in America linked to the number of High School Basketball players that went on to play in the NBA shows a 0.3% success rate, which in a country where basketball is a national sport and the high school system is the pathway to the NBA, then that figure is very low.
On the other side of sport - sport plays a major part in health, fitness and recreation but as a nation we currently have a growing obese culture and sedentary society. According to the NHS Health Survey for England, 3 out of 10 children are overweight or obese and statistics are on the rise. Therefore a healthy, active lifestyle is critical for all young people, and as parents you can give them the best start to life and encourage and influence their lifelong participation in sport and physical activity.
LTAD
Healthy Lifestyle
Fundamentals Journey
Resources