Holistic curriculum helps create future Olympians
Integration of sports curriculum into the school Physical literacy
Physical education, as the only curriculum subject whose focus combines the body and physical competence with values-based learning and communication, provides a learning gateway to grow the skills required for success.
Academic achievement
Regular participation in quality physical education and other forms of physical activity can improve a child's attention span, enhance their cognitive control and speed up their cognitive processing. Inclusion: quality physical education is a platform for inclusion in broader society, particularly in terms of challenging stigma and overcoming stereotypes.
Health and fitness
Physical education is the entry point for lifelong participation in physical activity. Globally, many of the major causes of death are connected to non-communicable diseases associated with physical activities, such as obesity, heart disease, stroke, cancer, chronic respiratory disease, and diabetes.
What needs to be done?
Establishing and implementing high-quality round-the-year structured Sports, Health and Physical Education programs can provide students with the appropriate knowledge, skills, behaviours, and confidence to be physically active for life. High-quality PE and Sports are the cornerstones of a school's physical activity program. The following aspects are important
aspects of Integration with Education.
1. Ensure sports, health and physical education programmes are core to the school curriculum.
2. Encourage inclusive and innovative approaches to sports, health and physical education
3. Invest in a coach education programme/workshop
4. Age appropriate learning outcomes
Developing future Olympic athletes, Olympic athletes are known for being hard workers, dedicated & mental toughness, having natural abilities, and being passionate. It might seem like only a unique type of person could become an elite athlete – a game changer, a record breaker. While this is true in many ways, there's also something straightforward about their beginnings.
It's not hard to find scientific evidence in most sports that the best young athletes rarely go on to become our best senior athletes. It's not a rule. It's just the reality. The question is why. The answer, in my opinion, is the overwhelming focus on outcome and the confusion between "talent selection" and "talent identification."
Talent selection is the practice of choosing athletes who perform well now at the expense of those capable and willing to participate and possibly grow into elite athletes in the future. On the other hand, talent identification is the practice of trying to predict future performance based on an evaluation of current fitness, technical skills, tactical skills and emotional qualities in addition to overall athleticism (the ability to learn and perfect new skills quickly).
India's road to international circuit
India is keenly interested in sports like tennis, football, badminton, hockey, kabaddi, basketball, and kho kho, in addition to the prominent national ones. Interest in specific sports and games varies from region to region, as do the rules and methods of playing. It has produced a variety of exceptionally talented athletes across sports who have secured India's biggest wins on the international stage. It has also encouraged several distinguished sportspersons to settle in India to mentor and coach upcoming talent. The pyramid model of sports strategy holds a lot of potential towards unlocking India's sports talent - where sports and physical activity are a fundamental part of the school educational experience, with promising talent being trained and groomed to pursue pathways to competition and careers in a sport that brings personal success and national glory. This investment model pays tremendous dividends by enriching students' experience at every level of participation in sports.
Nitin Chand Rao
(The author is Head of Sports Orchids The International School)