As we return to school and University life here in England, and that is the case for most of our great network around the globe, we hope you have enjoyed some proper R&R this summer!
With a little bit less uncertainty around what school and more specifically PE life will look like than we had this time last year, it has certainly been the first real break in 18 months for some. Inevitably there will be more curve balls to come but let’s take a moment to reflect on a great summer of sport. From the Euros to a return of Wimbledon; the delayed Tokyo Olympics with a Lions Tour of South Africa thrown in for good measure; the Paralympics now in full-swing and many more high-profile sporting events beside, we have certainly not been short of drama, inspiration or excuses to immerse ourselves in a world of sport. But, also, to recognise the power of sport to build a better world for all. We can also look forward to some flagship Winter sporting events in the spring with the Winter Olympics and Paralympics, Winter X Games and Special Olympics World Winter Games. Beyond that the Commonwealth Games is coming to Birmingham at the end of July and a pretty hectic ‘normal’ calendar of events means there will be plenty more excitement and great role models to come.
Are you making the most of these great opportunities to connect your students, staff, parents, carers and local communities to the power of sport, physical activity, play and our role in ensuring PE stands for Positive Experiences for all?
Just in case you missed it
- The BBC did a great alternative Olympic medals table based on population and one based on the average national wealth per person – surely a great GCSE, A Level or even assembly conversation starter?
- The BBC also did a great comparison of the cost of an Olympic Medal compared to the amount of funding that sport has received … at an average cost of about £3million where do you think the best bang for buck comes from or where it should be invested going forward?
- If you didn’t tune into Gold Rush: Our Race to Olympic Glory to better understand the socio-political thinking and change in direction then it is still available via BBC iPlayer
- The BBCs Panorama programme also did an interesting exposure looking at the sport’s classification system – Paralympics: The Unfair Games?
Our top role model picks
Inspiring students to a change in attitudes, mindsets and then behaviours is often best achieved via role models and here are a few stories worth sharing:
- Lauren Price – brought up by her grandparents in Newport and was not put off her dreams aged eight of becoming a kickboxing world champion, playing football for Wales and going to the Olympics when her teacher doubted that reality – do you know the next Lauren Price?
- Charlotte Worthington – if at first you don’t succeed (and fall in your first attempt at a 360 backflip on a BMX) then just get up and go big again to go home with the gold
- Beth Shriever – crowd-funded her way to the Olympic gold in the BMX racing and trained whilst working part-time as a teaching assistant in Essex
- Tom Daley – finally picks up his gold four Olympics later (and in between his knitting)
- Sky Brown – 13 year old skateboarder and surfer showing her resilience a little over a year from a near fatal and skull fracturing fall
- Adam Peaty – the first British swimmer ever to retain an Olympic title and current holder of the top 20 fastest times in 100m breaststroke before announcing the need for a break to look after his mental health
- Laura and Jason Kenny – Britain’s most successful Olympic couple, ever
- Every Single Paralympian – perhaps start with Ellie Robinson, Maisie Summers-Newton and Tully Kearney in the pool, Sarah Storey on a bike, Jonnie Peacock, David Weir and Hannah Cockcroft on the track, the GB wheelchair rugby team, Ibrahim Hamato the Egyptian table tennis player with no arms and many more besides.
Which were your favourite stories that you plan to re-tell to your students this term?
Most visited content
Here at PE Scholar we pride ourselves on closing the research-to-practice gap to help you work smarter (not harder) and join a network of the most informed, inspiring and impactful educators from around the world. Here’s some of our most requested insight, resources and research that you will not want to have missed:
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Resources
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And finally, just for you…
As a thank you, in anticipation of another hard year ahead, we would like to offer you 10% off everything on PE Scholar – from our fantastic courses range, to our store products, and membership plans – to help you stay ahead of the curve.
Simply use discount code – BACKTOSCHOOL10 – when placing an order with us, or quote it via e-mail when purchasing through your finance team. Discount valid until 31st September 2021.
Before you go, if you haven’t already, we’d love you to join our network to stay connected, collaborate and work smarter. In doing so you will receive a weekly newsletter, access to hundreds of free resources, new introductory short-courses and discount off premium resources or courses. You can also apply to the PE Scholar Outreach Fund. To find out more about our membership plans, please visit https://www.pescholar.com/join/ or contact us to discuss your team needs.
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