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Laura Mannell
Joined: May 31, 2007
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Development through Sport and Physical Activity
May 31, 2007 - 04:39 PM
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I was actually quite surprised that there is very minimal discussion or information regarding development through sport. Seeing as how sport and physical education is being used as a major vehicle for international development I would have thought it would be a more prominent issue. Am I the only one who feels that using sport for international development is practical, feasible and achieveable?
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Public Eye
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Re: Development through Sport and Physical Activity
June 1, 2007 - 12:35 AM
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Wow, it certainly is good to see that someone else feels the same way I do! I think athletics are a great way to promote several positive outcomes in the developing world, from the obvious (better health, more activity, positive social capital) to the less obvious (cooperation, respect of institutions and fair play).
I think it is practical, feasible and achievable, no doubt. I have my own personal goal that is none of these things, but I'd love to give it a try- I have played/coached lacrosse for a very long time and have found it a very positive influence on myself and others, with its team-oriented focus. Someday I'd be up to the challenge of creating a program in a developing country, although, I'm not sure if importing a sport with such necessary capital investments is such a good idea, with such better options available. We shall see.
One of my professors told me of a program for soccer in South Africa, teaching the kids of various races to work and play against and with each other, learning teamwork and conflict resolution processes along the way. I think that is so fascinating.
So, long answer to a brief question. I wish there would be more discussion about this. And, if you know of any case studies on successful models, I'd personally love to read 'em.
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Laura Mannell
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Re: Development through Sport and Physical Activity
June 1, 2007 - 10:58 AM
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Actually, there are even tonnes of resources online through various organizations that revolve around this model like Right to Play. I totally agree with you in regards to the capitalism point of view, however I feel that giving those children the chance to experience those new activities may encourage them to try other new activities that may better themselves.
I was in the Virgin Islands last year for a month and a bit teaching physical education in the schools. It was amazing to see how quickly the children got involved, how eager they were to learn the new games and I found that they got more out of the small developmentally appropriate games than the full-scale "American" sports.
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Public Eye
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Re: Development through Sport and Physical Activity
June 13, 2007 - 11:53 PM
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Hmmm, you are right, there really is a lot of stuff online about this topic! Awesome. Can't believe I forgot about Right To Play- they teamed up with my boy Ovechkin!
I am curious as to how best to approach different age groups. Do the methods change? For instance, do older kids take to more competitive sport, while younger kids are more interested in fun and games? Athletics benefit everyone, so I wonder if the application of these programs is as broad as it could be. Did you have experience with that in the V.I.? I'm particularly interested in how it can be used to reach out to at-risk youth in the early teens and such. In places where crime and violence could be a huge problem, maybe sport programs are the best ways out.
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Laura Mannell
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Re: Development through Sport and Physical Activity
June 14, 2007 - 03:12 PM
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In terms of how to approach different age groups, it really depends on the culture. Both children and youth in the BVI were very competitive in ANYTHING they did so I tried to compensate for this by exposing the younger kids to games that encouraged fair play and games where "everybody wins". I took games like soccer baseball, or "kickball" and modified them to fit those needs. In the short time I was there I witnessed a dramatic transformation among the children who went from bullying and teasing the weaker players to helping them and cheering them on! I actually heard one little boy who normally teased the other kids yell out "Come on Taneisha, you can do it... just keep trying" during a game.
Although the teenage kids were not AS willing to play those "elementary" developmental games, they still participated in some like "ultimate frisbee" and had a great time - they responded quite well.
I think the best way to reach the at-risk population would be to have an after-school drop in program. Have different theme days (ie. team sports, individual, non-traditional, etc) and encourage max. participation. You could start a reward program for regular participants to encourage the healthy behaviours and eventually customize the activities for their needs. For example - one of my high school PE classes didn't want anything to do with the games I had planned, so I developed a dance program that utilized their cultural dance background (ie. stepping) and allowed them to be creative. Almost all of the class participated - even the boys and they had a tonne of fun. I allowed them to showcase their work during the lunch break of the 450 child activity event we had organized. The event was full of activities and games that were based on healthy choices and developing a national pride among the five major islands in the BVI. I still have all of the resources and all of the games that we organized for the event on file if you ever wanted to take a peak.
These methods will work in most areas where they are not exposed to these types of activities, but again, you would have to modify your programs to suit the needs of the culture you are working in.
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