Our Year 9 cohort is currently involved in a unit about fitness in the community where they experience various fitness opportunities that are nearby and might lead to a lifelong engagement in physical activity. The students are participating in gym classes, circuit training, lawn bowls, aqua aerobics, cycling and a school-based fitness arrangement. The cohort rotates around the different activities in three groups and we cooperate with partners in the community to make this program versatile, interesting and challenging for all. Students enjoy the challenges although they are at times tough and require every bit of energy hanging in that circuit training at Vision Personal Training and going for just another push up when the muscles want to give in. We cooperate with Vision Personal Training for the gym and circuit training.
Then again lawn bowls is a very different experience, guided by one of the club's ‘elders’ Earl, the students engage in a fun activity that needs precision and accuracy over strength and power. They soon realise that a sport, generally associated with older persons, can actually be challenging and demanding in other ways. They also realise the potential for doing this activity with their friends after school in their own leisure time.
As the term rolls on students will experience more opportunities in other fields and widen their knowledge, understanding and experience in different movement contexts. With it, comes the realisation that sport is more than the traditional sports we can watch on TV and that being engaged in different movement contexts is healthy and provides a wonderful way to realise the breadth of activities that are on offer here in the local community.