Concrete support needed for athletics

School Watch by Katherine Wagner
The Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows Times, August 15, 2008

Halfway through the summer Olympics, we are still waiting to cheer as a Canadian athlete climbs onto the podium.

The grumbling is tempered with embarrassment, as we realize our tangible support of Beijing-bound athletes was a pittance compared to other nations.

Worse, even a cursory glance at democratic countries who out-perform Canada, reveals all value athleticism more than we do.

A national passion for hockey is not enough.

The honour of hosting the 2010 Winter Olympics has forced B.C. to collectively focus on the essential precursors to sport - health, physical activity and nutrition. A more elusive, but equally critical, precursor is a passion for athletics and a drive for excellence.

Contrary to the headline grabbing rhetoric, pomp and ceremony of elected officials as they impose bans, restrictions and new rules, the effective path to embedding athletics in our culture is longer, more complicated and much more expensive (though the potential for offsetting drops in other expenses, such as health care, is impressive).

The sustainable path respects self-determination and provides the tools for healthy choices through education and opportunity. Much of this path must travel through our public education system and build on the natural interest and enthusiasm of children.

For two decades provincial governments and school boards have increasingly viewed athletics and the arts as "non-essential". The budget axe repeatedly fell on programs essential to a well-rounded education.

Sport teaches cooperation and teamwork, increases motivation, and develops coordination and other physical skills. Done properly, school athletics can spark a passion for sport that will last a lifetime.

Across Canada, school sports are almost entirely dependent on the availability of volunteer coaches and the willingness and ability of the community to fundraise.

In the Winter 2008 BC School Sports Report , Pitt Meadows Secondary School Athletic Director Rich Goulet writes, "What you learn in a classroom needs to be complimented with the lifelong lessons that are learned in sport. Independent schools everywhere have learned this and it is the fabric of their existence. I have no idea why public education officials always pay tribute to this fact but then fail to put into the system as our neighbors to the South have."

Over the last 30 years, the obesity rate among Canadian children has increased at an alarming rate. According to a Stats Can report by Margot Shields, in the late seventies, "12 per cent of two- to 17-year-olds were overweight, and three per cent were obese -- a combined overweight/obesity rate of 15 per cent. By 2004, the overweight rate for this age group was 18 per cent (an estimated 1.1 million), and eight per cent were obese (about half a million) -- a combined rate of 26 per cent."

Adding to the urgency, the passive entertainment industry has exploded with new technologies. Today too many kids can be found slumped in front of a flickering screen after school, a time when past generations would have been outside climbing, throwing, running and biking.

Adam Francilia owns the Fitlife Centre for Health and Performance in Maple Ridge. He would like to see every child given the opportunity to play multiple sports.

"First and foremost in schools, we should be creating an awareness of the importance of participating in sport. Unfortunately, our society celebrates marketed sports, rather than sport itself."

Francilia suggests parents get their kids moving, but not just through organized activities. He echoes the increasing concern about the low activity lifestyle so many kids have, "It is a battle against the things that are created to dumb down our nation."

He encourages parents to learn about the three windows of physiological development and choose developmentally appropriate activities. Until children are about seven years old they are mainly developing motor skills, body awareness, and a sense of balance. Another window opens sometime after six years of age during which they stretch out and a third stage begins around age 14 (puberty) and muscle building takes place.

Francilia sees the Olympics as a wonderful opportunity for parents to take note of the sports that spark interest and excitement in their kids. "CBC has great segments called the Olympian, profiling our athletes. We should celebrate these athletes, who give up so much and know they are not going to make any money at it. That is sport in its purest form.

"Every kid needs a dream. Hopes and dreams fuel so much, and sport can provide an ideal for a child to reach for. It can inspire them to strive for excellence."

One innovative initiative is designed to do just that. The Meadow Ridge Rotary Home Town Heroes Project highlights the contributions of Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows athletes and helps expose community kids to local role models such as Brendan Morrison, Cam Neely, Larry Walker and Greg Moore, as well as a host of individuals excelling at lesser known sports.

Clearly, we have a lot more to worry about in terms of health and fitness than Canada's performance at future Olympics. However, successful initiatives have goals and Olympic success can be a powerful motivator. It is not a coincidence the B.C. government only recently formed a Ministry of Healthy Living and Sport.

Its newly appointed minister, Mary Polak, on school sports, "Participation in sport brings many social, physical and emotional benefits that serve students well in all aspects of their lives, now and in the future. Sport fosters self confidence, teamwork, sportsmanship and school and community pride."

Let's hope this positive attitude translates into concrete support for school athletics.



~ Katherine

educationwatch@gmail.com