Sporting Schools kicks off at schools across Bradfield

Federal Member for Bradfield, Paul Fletcher MP today announced that nine local schools in the Bradfield electorate had signed up to be a part of Sporting Schools, the biggest change to school sport in over a decade as part of a $100 million Abbott Government initiative to keep kids fit, healthy and happy.

“This is one of the Abbott Government’s cornerstone preventative health programmes aimed to improve our children’s health through getting more kids involved in physical activity,” Paul Fletcher said.

“Being involved in this new programme will expand sporting opportunities for children before, during and after school hours at many local primary schools including: Cromehurst School, Holy Family Catholic Primary School, Northside Montessori School, Sir Eric Woodward School, St Ives North Public School, Turramurra Public School, Wahroonga Preparatory School, Wahroonga Public School and Waitara Public School.

“Sporting Schools is designed to deliver sports in line with local schools’ needs and ultimately to get the children of Bradfield active, engaged and having fun through sport, more often.”

A quarter of Australian children are now overweight or obese and many more lack the basic skills like running, catching, throwing and kicking needed in everyday life.

“That’s why our new Sporting Schools programme is so important to ensuring current and future generations of Australian kids keep fit, healthy and happy.”

The Australian Institute of Sport has also developed a new online guide offering tips to parents about how they can nurture their child’s growing interest in sport and convert it into a life-time love of participation. It was launched today in conjunction with the start of Sporting Schools.

Schools can still sign up for the Sporting Schools programme at https://www.sportingschools.gov.au, where a link to the online guide for parents is also available.

Five tips to nurture your child’s sporting development

TIP 1: Foster a full range of fundamental movement skills. This includes kicking or hitting a ball, running, jumping, climbing and basic aquatic skills.

TIP 2: Promote play by setting up diverse and stimulating environments at home. Use a variety of areas around the home, like the backyard or even the hallway, to play. Provide a variety of sports equipment. Encourage ambidexterity (use of limbs on both sides of the body).

TIP 3: Foster everyday sport activity at home and be an effective support provider. Limit screen time at home. Provide a positive encouragement for sporting activity and get involved.

TIP 4: Insist on the right sport format and equipment. Sporting Schools provides a great choice of appropriate sport formats for primary school children that are lots of fun. Buy the right sized equipment.

TIP 5: Sample and have fun! Resist the temptation for your child to specialise in one sport too early. Sampling a large range of sports, at least until the age of 15, is likely to assist the development of a full range of sporting skills, coordination and control. It also minimises the risks of overuse injuries and allows kids to work out which sports they like most.