Category : Sport
Date : 14.05.2004
Printable version
Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Sport
has launched Academy Parent, a new initiative to drive parents to get
involved in their kids' sport.
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bbc.co.uk/academyparent has been set up following a
Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ survey which found that 83% of parents would like to see their children
do more sport and that 99% of parents think that their role is important
in encouraging children to participate in sport or physical activity.
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The findings also showed that 55% of all adults would
like advice and information on how to encourage their child to be active.
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Academy Parent aims to help parents become better informed
about the sporting needs of their children.
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Site highlights include:
Nightmare Parent: a fun, interactive quiz. Find out if you are
getting it right, or are a nightmare parent!
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Jonny Wilkinson's parents reveal how they set
the England World Cup hero on the path to glory. Olympic bronze medallist
Katharine Merry and England netball captain Olivia Murphy talk about
how their parents influenced their sporting careers.
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Faking it: get rapidly up to speed on a variety
of sports and gain credibility with your kids.
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What's your game? Guides providing details on
junior and adapted versions of sports, tips on choosing clubs, equipment
needed, what to watch out for, plus useful links to find out what's
on in your area.
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Play it Safe: Every parent's nightmare Β–
safety Β– is addressed. Topics covered include how to protect your
child against abuse, what to check to ensure the environment is safe,
the low-down on injuries, the effects of burnout, growth spurts and
questions to ask when finding a new club.
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Kick Start your Kids: Find out how to help children
get the most out of sport, the benefits and how to get your kids to
lead active and healthy lives.
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Parental Behaviour: 'It's only a game' when it
comes to kids playing sport. Motivating, encouraging and supporting
children to the right level is key; saying the wrong thing in the wrong
way can have lasting negative effects.
Get involved: Sports clubs and schools are always looking for
parents to get involved with a variety of things, from organisation
to catering, coaching to fundraising. Academy Parent has helpful contacts,
volunteering advice, ideas on ways to contribute and how to get started.
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Thinking of Coaching? Find out handy tips on
how to get started, the importance of warm-ups and cool downs, how to
manage a session, what makes a good coach as well as the latest on qualifications.
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Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Director of Sport, Peter Salmon, said: "In
our recent survey, a third of all adults admit the amount of time they
devote to their kids' sport is too little.
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"Getting involved can be really daunting, and we
hope that this new site will give parents more confidence.
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"Sport needs more volunteers, and with all the
current research on obesity and lack of activity, we need to get children
moving and we hope Academy Parent can help parents motivate today's
youngsters."
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Richard Caborn, Minister for Sport, said: "It is
hugely important to involve parents in sport, whether as volunteers,
coaches, supporters or even in providing a taxi service for their children!
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"The Academy Parent website will be a great resource
to support the work that we're doing to encourage young people to take
up sport Β– and stick with it as adults."
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Richard Caborn attended the launch at the Science Museum's
Science in Sport exhibition.
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Academy Parent has been created by Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Sport in partnership
with Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Learning.
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Notes to Editors
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The survey of parents was ICM Research on behalf of
Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Sport, March 2004. Survey size: 1,000 respondents.
