CHILDHOOD OBESITY
every child should be encouraged to participate in sport and not just the mainstream sports – every child develops differently and therefore should not be pigeon-holed into a sport. “Phoenix Sporting Goods (PSG) was born on
the 5th May 2015, to create and distribute a range of strong, performance-led brands to the grass roots, sports education and professional markets, throughout the UK and Europe. PSG’s aim is not only to aid aspiring athletes and their coaches, from grass roots to sporting professionals, to achieve their goals, but to produce products that will allow children to be able to play sport wherever and whenever they want. Lee also points out that it’s important to
consider the available space and to make sure the chosen activity fits the venue. “Our product ranges are quite diverse, from our hero products like the ‘Ping Pong Anywhere Net Set’ which is a retractable net complete with two full sized rackets and three balls. This product can be used
and active without even realising it. My own children abandoned balance bikes long ago – these days, they enjoy BMX and mountain biking, and they don’t think twice about jumping on a bike to get around. We know that cycling isn’t so much an intervention as a way of life.” Of course, cycling isn’t the only way to get
children interested in keeping fit. Lee Crocker, from Berkshire-based Phoenix Sporting Goods, a company offering a wide range of sporting goods and accessories, sees many benefits from involving children in sport. “Sport, whatever the level and whether played
regularly in a team or on your own (combined with eating sensibly) is a great way to exercise the body and also the mind. Sport teaches children a host of valuable skills that they will carry with them throughout their life, so it makes sense that the earlier they begin some form of sport/exercise along with healthy eating, the easier it will be in tackling childhood (and latterly adult) obesity. The more they practise and succeed, the stronger they become, both in body and mind. Our range of products help contribute to this, through allowing children to train through the winter months or via general exercise.
With that in mind, the message from Keith
anywhere, whether in school or on the move, on any table, to our Gorilla Training Portable Rebounder, which is a fabulous piece of kit through is erected within 90 seconds and can be used for any discipline ball sport. “With other products already under
It is my belief that
development for rugby, netball, basketball and other sports, we are looking forward to transforming this start-up company into a respected sporting goods company with training aids for grass roots / professional sports.”
Place, founder and Director of Smooga Ltd, manufacturers of delineated play spaces for children, is simple: make sure you optimise your playground space. “Encouraging activity, play and sport in outside
environments is vitally important for social, physical and mental well-being for all young people. However, many school playgrounds and outside spaces can make this difficult. No matter how big or small the space, chaotic playgrounds and the resultant spatial conflict can be challenging and intimidating for some children and young people. “To help ease this conflict, creating different
zones with physical delineation or barriers ensures that within your existing outside space many activities can now safely share the same playground. “For example, a portable arena can
accommodate a wide range of more structured activities and sports, such as football or hockey, allowing other parts of the playground free for other games and activities. Importantly, all children are still near to each other and included in the social activity of the playground. “Everyone sharing the outside space should be
able to enjoy their activities and feel safe and included. So, if we break up the space, creating specific areas for more organized games, thus encouraging and facilitating a wide range of activities elsewhere, we will allow and encourage more children to be more active more often.” For more information on any of the products in this feature, please use the links below.
uwww.balanceability.com uwww.phoenixsportinggoods.com uwww.smooga.co.uk
32
www.education-today.co.uk April 2017 Of course, there’s more to getting it right than
choosing the correct product. Often, particularly in busy playgrounds, putting lots of children in close proximity to each other and footballs can lead to tears and, more seriously, injuries. Jason Elwell, Director of Sports and PE at
Marish Primary School in Slough, recognises the problems which can arise. “As you can imagine, the playground could be pretty chaotic at times with balls and children flying everywhere. The space was dominated by football with accidents regularly reported children and staff who were hit by balls. The domination of ball sports also restricted students from using the playground for other purposes.”
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