Inspire A Generation – By Making Specific Sports Compulsory?

With London 2012 halfway through (we still have the Paralympics), there is a slight buzz in the air. After Team GB won the most medals since 1908, the sense of pride was felt throughout the nation. However talk is already on what we can achieve at Rio in 2016.

The London 2012 slogan has been ‘Inspire a Generation’, and I feel that it may have succeeded. Hell, I am the wrong generation and I have been inspired. The problem is, can this inspiration turn into something of a reality?

After cutting the School Sports Partnership programme and selling off several school fields, the government has made a u-turn, and announced that they are going to make competitive sports compulsory in primary schools. So in effect reinstating what was there originally, but under a new name. I think Cameron didn’t really get behind the ‘Inspire a Generation’ until he actually realised how well Team GB was doing.

Additionally, the competitive sports that were highlighted by Cameron were, football, hockey and netball. Taken into account that it was the Olympics that was meant to inspire, I am confused on why some non-Olympic sports have been included. Netball is not an Olympic sport (although they are trying). And the FA has confirmed a Team GB football team was a one off and will not be at the Olympics in the future. Plus, there are a number of other sports which I remember from my school days, which we historically do not submit teams (such as Basketball) or are not Olympic (Cricket, Rugby). So, if we want to ‘Inspire a Generation’ to be an Olympian why are we offering sports that are most likely never going to get them to the Olympics?

I personally feel that fitness should be an important part of people’s life, so do feel that sport should have some place within the education system…however, part of me is wary of forcing kids to play a sport that they do not like. This could have a harmful effect more than a positive one. I know it was a long time ago, but I am sure it hasn’t changed much, but when I was at school I hated PE because I was forced to play sports that I detested. So for several years, I would purposely ‘forget’ my school kit. I would rather be stuck in a smelly 4×8 room while the rest of the boys went and kicked a piece of leather around on a muddy field!

There was a number of sports that I did enjoy, although my school didn’t really support them such as gymnastics (as this was a “girls sport”) and tennis (I got to touch a racket once). There was the seasonal sport which I enjoyed (athletics), but due to never being the best and forgotten, I gave up and decided to practise smoking behind the long jump sand pit. I began to resent PE as the years went on, the forgetting of the kit became a weekly occurence.

So what can be done to make use of the inspiration?

• Kids should not all be characterized to be the same. Not everyone likes football, netball, rugby etc? So instead of providing just two options a class (one for the boys and one for the girls), what about offering three? Four? Let the kids choose what they want to do. Let’s not characterize into a girls or boys sport. Allow kids to try whatever they want. At the end of the day, if they are getting exercise, surely that is a good thing. Right?
• Provide a wider range of sports, not just the usual shite! The Olympics has a varied number of sports that are not even thought about when it comes to school. Granted shooting is probably not an ideal school sport, but there are loads out there that could be done. If kids have watched the Olympics and are inspired, schools should encourage them to try it out, and support them if this is something that they wish to pursue.
• Instead of a normal PE class, allow local sports clubs to come to the school and give the kids a taster of their chosen sport and tips on how to improve at what they do (which never happened when I was at school). Having someone who makes a career and and is passionate about their sport could possibly rub off on the pupils and could make it a lot more enjoyable. Plus, it’s an added benefit to the club, as pupils could become interested and want to join.
• If there is interest from kids for a specific sport, then offer after-school clubs to extend on it (these could be run by the PE teachers or outsiders). So instead of wasting a term of PE playing just football, put this to an after-school club and use the time within the class to have a go at other sports.
• School facilities should be improved…not sold off! I still don’t understand why a lot of schools don’t rent out their sport facilities to groups/organisations. The money could be used to provide better facilities and/or help subsidise the pupils who can’t afford to join sporting groups but would like to.
• As part of the funding deal with UK Sport, athletes have to provide 5 days a year of their time to take part in campaigns to encourage school sport. For the amount of money that is being invested within the athletes, I think it would only be fair (and I am sure they wouldn’t actually mind either), if the number of days was doubled (possibly tripled), so that the athletes could spend time within schools as part of the campaign. How more can you inspire kids to do sports by having actual athletes come visit your school.

I am not pretending to have all the answers, and I am sure that there is arguments to the suggestions that I have made that would make them unviable. But I kind of agree that sport needs to be included within academic life somehow as health and obesity are issues at the moment.

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