My Philosophy for Sports Education

As with any curriculum area, every individual needs to be accounted for in sports education. Through Murdoch's 'Integration Model", each child and their ability is the starting place. I would use Murdoch's reading as a tool when teaching sports education as it is important to know the different models and what discourses other teachers may have and to examine my own beliefs of how physical education and sport education can work together. The curriculum key area of learning in the curriculum document states the importance of hauora rather than basing sports on just motor skills. In addition to this, the Moving Through Sport documents states how paramount that the well being and health promotion must be accounted for. I need to modify games according to the children's needs as children are not physically or psychologically mature as adults.

At present this level of achievement is not recognised in all primary schools (Murdoch). Appropriate experience for children is not being provided, which results in children reaching their later primary years, lacking the mastery of their own bodies in movement. I believe children have the right to reach 'mastery' and it is the teacher's role to acknowledge that it is happening and convince those concerned that a real change must take change in this area. One of the aims of sport and physical education is to provide physical activity in a way that promotes long-term benefits. In saying this I believe that children should have the opportunity to take part in co-curricular programmes as children 'build on and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes' they learn in the physical education curriculum.

The child's sense o achievement is vital for their future participation. Through this achievement comes satisfaction which is the deep and lasting basis for enjoyment. It is my role to make sure that achievement isn't only felt after winning a game, but other factors such as achieving personal goals and recognising their own improvement (Farquhar, Gerrard). By modifying/restructuring games and restricting the challenge, it ensures that the fun element is preserved and children soon accept modifications as the norm.

Excellent key documents I would use to play modified sport are the Kiwi Sports resources, which are developmentally appropriate for the developmental stages of primary school children. With the Kiwi Sports documents, there are no excuses for a teacher not to teacher sport to junior children. A Reminder that sport education is different to fitness. Junior sports are more individual, fundamental and skills based. Junior children benefit from games and simple challenges which progress from individual play to small group activities either with or without equipment. Games need to be kept short and simple with all children taking part.

Participation is hugely important in the sports education model. There should not be 'elimination rounds' followed with children simply sitting on the sideline when their team loses (Siedentop, 1998). At every step of the process the children are involved. and have roles, for example, they are involved in co-operative planning, coaching, and scoring. Through these different roles that are taking responsibility for themselves and others. I believe the Game Sense approach is an excellent way to achieve participation as games are played in small groups. As well as being challenging and fun, it is very much tailored to the needs of the children. If certain aspects of a games are too easy the children brainstorm ways to add an extra way to make it more challenging, especially with the 'dominant' children in the class. I favour game sense because of the ability grouping, as those dominant children can always be extended and challenged further.

Feedback should be an ongoing process through the sports education model. It is a two-way process useful for assessing both the coach/teacher's methods and the understanding of the children. After a game, children should always be allowed time to discuss their strategies. It it the perfect opportunity for a time for children to self-asses. I believe the community should be in volved in sport/physical education. Teachers and coaches can and should work together to provide a rich a and varied programme. The Physical Education Curriculum emphasises that sports programmes can be developed in partnership with clubs and other community groups.

As issue of sports education is the coverage of different sports. In consultation within the syndicate/school, children can be exposed to a variety of sports, rather than every year playing for example netball/soccer. For some children, schools are the only places that they experience sport. It is therefore crucial that teachers at least provide one opportunity to learn a sport through the sports education model. An implication of the sports model is that it cannot be fitted easily into a short unit. However because the actual tournament is a lengthy process, there are so many opportunities to integrate into other curriculum areas.

It is important for children to recognise that sport is part of the New Zealand culture. I will move away from the traditional way of learning, which is teaching 'techniques' in an isolated way that becomes useless if not used again or even applied in the sport being learnt. When children learn game-related skills and understanding they are able to transfer these skills to other sports, for example, spatial awareness in netball and soccer. It is important to emphasise other skills that can be transferred other than movement skills that are learnt through a sport, such as including others and developing tolerance towards personal difference. All these qualities that are learnt through sport add to a more positive classroom climate.

One of the most positive experiences of the sport model is the affiliation - children maintain their team throughout the whole season. Evidence suggests that much of the social meaning derives from sport experiences, as well a a large part of the personal growth often attributed to positive sporting experiences, is intimately related to affiliation with a persisting group .These values are strongly linked to the social well-being part of hauora. Another part of social well-being is that within a team, and other classroom members, students will support each other. As well as being part of hauora, supporting and encouraging each other is part of fair play. The Physical Education Curriculum emphasises that fair play should be practiced at all situations. It is my role to ensure that this i made explicit from the very start of the unit. It is not sufficient to simply tell what fair play is. It is a lot more meaningful if they can link prior experiences of times that they saw fair play, and build upon that knowledge. In 990 the Hillary Commission for Sport, Fitness and Leisure introduced a national programme to remind all New Zealand that fair play is the 'essence of participation' in sport. I believe it is most important that children develop good sporting behaviour, not simply with their opponents but with teachers, officials and competition. The gentle inclusion of some sort of completion element into modified games should exist in school sports. Competition is not simply winning against another team. I define it as a possible internal challenge for an individual, or group.

References:
Murdoch, E., Chapter 4 Physical Education and Sport: The Interface in Armstrong, N., New Directions in Physical Education. Vol 2
Stortart, B. (200). Uncomfortable Bedfellows: Sport and Phsyical Education, a Problematic Relationship Journal Physical Education. Vol 33 No. 1, March.
Moving Through Sport: From Junior and Adult. Hillary Commission.