Motorcycling Ireland was represented by both the men’s and women’s teams at the World Trial Champion, which took place in Spain from 18th to the 20th of September 2015.
The ladies team finished 9th overall while the mens team finished 6th overall.
, an expert group on health-enhancing physical activity has compiled a set of recommendations to encourage physical education in schools, including motor skills in early childhood, and to help create links with the sport sector, local authorities and the private sector.
, leading to huge economic cost for society.Participation in sport and physical activity also contribute to fairer societies., the European Commission worked with experts from EU countries, and with relevant observer organisations, in an Expert Group on health-enhancing physical activity to draw up the recommendations on physical education in schools. 28 recommendations 
, including supporting evidence and relevant research, have been proposed and addressed to national governments, sport organisations and the private sector.28 Recommendations to encourage Physical Education in Schools
Recommendation 1 – Physical activity should be promoted from birth and throughout the life course, at all educational levels: early childhood, primary, secondary education, and tertiary level. The pre-school and school environments play a key role in the development of physical education and promotion of physical activity and sport.
Recommendation 2 – All those in charge of children from birth and through early childhood should be aware of the important role they have in starting an educational process for motor development and physical activity. Parents, educators in day-care settings, and teachers in pre-schools should be assisted to develop their knowledge and knowhow for this topic, especially for sensorimotor learning and active play. Community-based programmes should be developed and offered to parents, educators and teachers.
Recommendation 3 – From birth and during early childhood, physical education should include daily active play, enjoyable games, and sports aiming to develop core neuromotor skills, physical, psychological, and social attributes. In primary and secondary education, physical education should include a broad variety of different games, dance, sports, and physical exercises. Physical activity at school and physical education should be fun and enjoyable to maximise children’s willingness and desire to learn and participate.
Recommendation 4 – The physical education curriculum content should include physical activities according to maturity phases taking into account the favourable periods that allow the full development of neuromotor abilities and skills.
Recommendation 5 – Outdoor physical activities and sports should be promoted at all education levels. Along with extra-curricular activities, the physical education curriculum should instil lasting habits of moving regularly in outdoor settings.
Recommendation 6 – Physical education and extra-curricular activities should foster an ethical education by teaching values such as fair play, cooperation, equity, equality, integrity, peace, human rights, and respect of others’ capabilities. Through sport participation, they should also develop relevant skills such as teamwork, social inclusion and leadership, avoiding sport stereotypes.
Recommendation 7 – The physical education curriculum should include health education concepts like personal and social well-being, health promotion, and healthy lifestyles from a broader perspective beyond the practice of physical activity and sport. Physical education teachers should also cooperate closely with other disciplines in school to fully develop these concepts among the education community.
Recommendation 8 – Everyone should be able to participate in physical education and extra-curricular activities through inclusive, differentiated and adapted methodologies and activities, including less active and less skilled children. Children with a disability or special educational needs should be offered adapted activities and not be excluded.
Recommendation 9 – Planned and well-designed physical education classes should integrate safety strategies and prevention measures in order to reduce the odds of injury and improve risk management.
Recommendation 10 – The minimum physical education taught time recommended during compulsory education period should be increased to at least 5 lessons per week (~ 5 hours). The physical education curricular structure and goals should be adjusted accordingly, defining tangible and flexible outcomes for each developmental stage, and suggesting the inclusion of realistic activities.
Recommendation 11 – Physical education is a necessary part of school curriculum, and exemptions should only be granted in extraordinary circumstances. In most cases, participation should be ensured with the use of inclusive, differentiated and adapted activities.
Recommendation 12 – Physical education should consider the possibility of including evaluation based on personal progress and achievements to complement both formative and summative methods. physical education teachers should provide effective and regular feedback, within defined learning outcomes.
Recommendation 13 – Qualified and specialised PE teachers should be preferred at all educational levels. When not possible, as a minimum, qualified PE teachers or certified coaches should counsel and support general teachers.
Recommendation 14 – National education coordinating bodies should promote quality changes in the training curricula of physical education teachers, both in initial formation and continuous education, in order to improve and expand those teachers’ knowledge and competences in a variety of relevant subjects.
Recommendation 15 – National education coordinating bodies and schools should support the development and implementation of methods to ensure the compliance with and the high quality of the physical education curriculum.
Recommendation 16 – Schools, alone or accompanied by other relevant organisations should promote and increase the availability of physical activities outside physical education curriculum (e.g. physical activity and sport, active breaks) including the implementation of the active school concept.
Recommendation 17 – Schools should seek to establish a cooperative framework with sport organisations and other local sport offers in order to promote both curricular and extra-curricular activities.
Recommendation 18 – Partnerships should be created between schools and sport sector organisations to ensure quality and availability of safe infrastructures and equipment for physical education, extra-curricular or after-school activities, and communities. These partnerships should ensure the efficient management of infrastructures and prevent duplicate or underused facilities.
Recommendation 19 – School administration should be encouraged to open their sport facilities after schools hours to make them more accessible to local communities and sport organisations.
Recommendation 20 – A label should be created at European Union level to be awarded to schools respecting a set of criteria demonstrating active involvement in supporting and promoting physical activities and sport.
Recommendation 21 – School administration should create and strengthen the conditions to support and facilitate talent development of young athletes aspiring to a career in elite sports, by promoting the adoption of several specific measures such as flexible curricula and weekly schedules (allowing for sufficient time to train and compete), school enrolment, school transfer, remedial classes, flexible exams dates and tutor teachers.
Recommendation 22 –Frameworks should be developed at the national level to promote participation of certified coaches in cooperation between schools, sport organisations and local authorities with the objective of creating a sustainable impact on schools and complementing the sport skills of teachers. This participation should not replace compulsory physical education classes or compensate for a possible lack of physical education teachers.
Recommendation 23 – Local authorities should promote the necessary conditions to develop active transport to and from school, especially reducing car traffic and speed near schools, developing safe routes for cycling or walking groups (“pedibus”) or active skating, providing bicycle racks and promoting active transport among all members of school communities.
Recommendation 24 – Local authorities should develop efficient models to plan, manage and fund high quality and safe physical activity and sport infrastructures making them accessible for schools, sport organisations, local communities and citizens.
Recommendation 25 – In cooperation with schools, sport organisations and other stakeholders, local authorities should develop and implement local campaigns to promote regular physical activity and sport as part of a healthier lifestyle.
Recommendation 26 – Private sector organisations should be encouraged to cooperate with schools or other educational institutions to develop a physical activity and sport offer for young people such as sport camps, regular sport programmes, extra-curricular activities, and public awareness-raising events, in particular in areas where opportunities are limited, and to make it accessible for pupils and school community. These activities must be framed by pedagogical principles, respect equity and ethical values but they should not replace compulsory physical education classes.
Recommendation 27 – Effort should be encouraged to improve data collection on HEPA with objective measurements at the school level.
Recommendation 28 – The European Commission should report on the progress regarding the implementation of these recommendations.
Ireland’s Jack Woolley has added a second place Silver medal in the Israel Taekwondo Open G1 competition to a 3rd place Bronze medal achieved in Poland last week.
Jack Woolley was unlucky not to take a gold medal as the final match went to a draw and a subsequent golden point round where he narrowly missed out to his Israeli opponent.
Jack has picked up a valuable 7.2 points which will contribute to a more favourable draw in the European Olympic qualifying tournament in Turkey in January.
With 4 podium finishes in his first year as senior ,Woolley will head to Russia at the end of the month and then Riga where he will play for the final time in the European Junior Championships.
Background:
About Sligo Sport and Recreation Partnership
Sligo Sport and Recreation Partnership (SSRP) was established in 2001 under the Irish Sports Council (ISC) to increase levels of participation in sport and physical activity in County Sligo. We aim to achieve this by engaging with sporting bodies, community organisations and statutory bodies. Our programme of work is influenced by our current strategy ‘ Sport and Recreation: A Way of Life in Sligo 2013 – 2016’.
What We Do:
SSRP provides a leadership role for the co ordination, development and delivery of sport and physical activity opportunities in County Sligo within the framework of our strategic plan and the resources available.
Our work includes the provision of information on sport and physical activity, the facilitation of education and training opportunities and support for programmes/ events that encourage increased levels of participation. Our areas of work include club development, community sport programme support, volunteer training and encouraging sports participation pathways between school, club and community. In addition, our information role involves providing advice and guidance on sports development while also facilitating information sharing on local directories of sports bodies and facilities. We also engage in planning and sports policy work with our Partners and stakeholders at local level.
How We Do It:
We work with many people from diverse settings to achieve our goal of increased participation levels in sport and physical activity.
We are here to add value to the outstanding work of volunteers, clubs and communities. We work with the many clubs, schools, community organisations and National Governing Bodies of Sport. Also, at local level our partner agencies are fundamental to the success of SSRP to date. Our agency support includes Health Service Executive West, Sligo County Council, Mayo Sligo Leitrim ETB, Institute of Technology Sligo and Sligo Leader Partnership Company. Together with all our stakeholders we seek to optimise value for money and extract the maximum impact from the available resources.
Who Can Participate
We endeavour to involve and support all people equally at a level of their choice in sport and physical activity.
While we try to support participation in sport and physical activity in its broadest sense for the general population, our priority target groups include:
Strategy 1: Active People:
Building capacity among volunteers, coaches and club/ community personnel is a key area of work and this is facilitated through the delivery of a range of education and training courses including:
Strategy 2: Active Places
The work of SSRP involves a diverse range of settings in which a range of programmes are supported including:
Participation Programmes & Events:
2015 has been a very busy year so far with the following representing a snapshot of programmes and events facilitated.
Sligo European Town of Sport:
Sligo had the honour of being selected as the European Town of Sport for Ireland for 2014 and to mark this special year for sport in Sligo an online and hard copy gallery of photos was compiled by SSRP entitled ‘The year the was… Sligo European Town of Sport 2014’.
An Post Yeats Tour of Sligo:
In 2015, the hosting of the fifth An Post Yeats Tour of Sligo took place. The event proved to be highly successful with 2,300 cyclists from all over Ireland and oversees involved resulting in significant economic benefit to the area of over €450,000. The event is part of the An Post cycle Series which is co ordinated at a national level by the Irish Sport Council/ An Post and facilitated locally by 5 Local Sports Partnerships. Event ambassador for the Sligo for the last two years is well known cycling enthusiast and singer ‘Bressie’.
Cranmore Regeneration Through Sport:
SSRP delivers an
agreed Sport and Recreational programme for Cranmore as part of the social regeneration initiatives under the overall Cranmore Regeneration Project. Activities involve all age groups and include Soccer, Boxing, Dance, Boules, Walking and Fitness. SSRP engaged the Centre for Research in Social Professions at Institute of Technology to do an external evaluation of the project and the outcome of the evaluation indicated very positive impacts for both individuals and wider community associated with the sports project. The full report is available on SSRP website.
Youth Sport West:
Youth Sport West is an extra-curricular school sports programme delivered by SSRP Community Coaches and co ordinated by SSRP in conjunction with Mayo, Sligo, Leitrim ETB. Schools are offered a six week programme involving 1 hour extra curricular coaching per week in a sport of their choice with a pathway of participation encouraged from school to club/ community sport. In the current school academic year to date 115 quality extra-curricular sports programmes have been delivered at both secondary schools and primary school sites involving 1430 participant places.
Inclusive Sports Hall Athletics:
This annual North West Inclusive Schools Sports Hall Athletics festival took place in the Sligo Regional Sports Centre in May 2015. The programme represents a joint initiative between the Sports Inclusion Disability Officers in Sligo, Donegal, Mayo and Roscommon. All of the participating schools involved from the various counties took part in a familiarization programme prior to the sports hall event which involved over 75 athletes on the day.
Sligo Fit 4 Life Women’s 5K Series:
The promotion of women’s participation in Athletics in Sligo is supported annually by SSRP through the delivery of the Sligo Fit 4 Life Women’s 5K Series at 5 locations across the county. This programme is funded under the Irish Sports Council Women in Sport initiative and in 2015 this Spring/ Summer event series was facilitated by five local Athletic Clubs and involved over 400 women, most of whom are new to the sport of running.
SSRP – A Partnership Approach to Delivering Sport at Local Level::
Contact Details:
Phone: 071 9161511
Website: www.sligosportandrecreation.ie
Email: info@sligosportandrecreation.ie
The Irish Underwater Council (IUC) is the national governing body for recreational underwater sports in Ireland. It was founded in 1963 to organise and promote the sport of scuba diving and snorkelling. The IUC is affiliated to both Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques (CMAS), the international umbrella organisation for recreational diver training organisations and the European Underwater Federation (EUF). Our members have served on the boards of both of these as well as President of the Technical Commission of CMAS. We were the first diving organisation in the world to achieve an ISO certification for our standard of training as well as one of the first national governing bodies to become a company limited by guarantee and purchase our own headquarters.
In the words of our Archivist Mick Moriarty who has been a member since 1963 and one of the founding members “In those early days the equipment was very basic and very hard to come by. There were no wetsuits never mind drysuits and diving involved multiple layers of clothing to keep warm as well as home fashioned masks and snorkels.” With the explosion of interest in the underwater world the scene today is very different. Gone are the wollie jumpers and rubber tubing, replaced by high Tec drysuits and safety equipment.
With the establishment of IUC the sport has grown immensely, well beyond the expectations of those early divers, the sport is now fully regulated with a suite of courses to suit all interests and over 2,000 people participating on a weekly basis.
Ireland is one of the best locations in the world to dive, in fact a dive site off the coast of Mayo was voted the 10th best dive site in the world. With over 3,000 miles of coastline and pristine waters the opportunities are endless. We have a large network of clubs all around the country that provide top class dive and snorkel training at a fraction of commercial rates.
We currently have 2,000 members and 73 clubs nationwide.
We take training very seriously and our Dive Instructor grade is one of the highest standards of outdoor instruction in Ireland and internationally. In order to become a Dive Instructor you must complete a number of pre requisite courses and have at least 5 years experience . However the path is an enjoyable one and one that gives you an opportunity to meet divers and experience dive sites around the county. Our Snorkel Instructor grade is also internationally recognised and again there is a number of grades to pass through along the way, each one building on your experience and knowledge.
The highlight of this year would have to be our regional diving and snorkelling rallies, open to members and non-members alike its great opportunity to meet likeminded people and visit locations you may not have had the opportunity to visit before. This year we have had 5 regional rallies and well in access of 500 people participating.
We are very excited about the future! We were the creator of the now famous Blueway water trails and we look forward to welcoming a new generation of snorkelers through these trails. We have also just launched our new Underwater Archaeology Course which has created a wave of interest especially with the 1916 centenary coming up next year.