Kids aged 12 can't run, catch a ball and have poor motor skills.

diomed

This is not a religion bashing thread.

Vince135792003

diomed wrote: »

This is not a religion bashing thread.

Not looking to bash. I am a fairly regular church goer who teaches at primary level. Currently religion is allocated 150 minutes a week. PE is allocated 60 minutes. There is room for adjustment there.

angiogoir

Simple explanation, health n safety mentality.

mikeymouse

Young lads can become very dexterous very quickly at that age,
albeit only one handed

beauf

Shinbin223 wrote: »

http://m.independent.ie/irish-news/health/revealed-irish-kids-aged-12-cannot-run-jump-catch-or-even-hit-a-ball-36043842.html

A study undertaken by the GAA and DCU has found the poor motor skills of 12 year olds, not being able to catch a ball with two hands or use a bat to hit a ball.
As with all of these reports, there may be some exaggeration but the main issues raised are scary enough in my view.

What are they comparing the study with? Did they do the same test 5 or 10 yrs ago? Perhaps they are only realizing now the disparity in ability in kids because they've never tested for it before.

Not everyone has the same natural ability regarding co-ordination. Its not always about fitness. I don't think you improve your ability to hit a ball by running marathons, you do it by hitting a ball a lot. Some people have a natural ability that others don't.

Kids sports also mainly only encourage kids with natural ability. because they want to win stuff. Those that do it for exercise, or social skills are often excluded and discouraged. The fact that 99% of the population will only ever do sports for exercise or fun, seems to have been lost somewhere.

A lost of schools are built with no sports ground, or playing fields. We prefer as a society to let the developers built right up to schools especially new ones.

nice_guy80

No running in school at break times - wtf? children learn how to move in the chaos of other children moving.

No playgrounds or climbing frames in schools - wtf? every school should have one!

Playgrounds closed due to public liability insurance costs - claim culture from silly greedy parents

Children sitting inside on computers all day - get outside parents and bring them with you!

Children learn all their behaviour from their parents and those around them. If the guardians are lazy, the children will be.


As a GAA coach I couldn't care if children can kick a ball (we kicked each other), throw a ball (we threw stones as kids) or swing a bat (we just swung random sticks at each other) as long as they are out running, jumping, landing, rolling, crawling, climbing and using their bodies for exercise

razorblunt

gordongekko wrote: »

That's not the story here. The article goes onto say

Their motor skills are so bad they exercise as if they are in their 30s or older, whenever they have to take part in physical activities or sports.

So why in the name of God can't someone in their 30s catch a ball?

All the good men are married?

andekwarhola

Isn't Gaelic football just about shouldering other players and assaulting referees anyway?

Kids that aren't any good at ball sports might be OK at other activities like swimming, martial arts or gymnastics etc

Syphonax

Vince135792003 wrote: »

Not looking to bash. I am a fairly regular church goer who teaches at primary level. Currently religion is allocated 150 minutes a week. PE is allocated 60 minutes. There is room for adjustment there.

That depends on whether you want to be more healthy in spirit or in mind and body.

r93kaey5p2izun

These seem like very basic skills that should come naturally? I'm in my 30s and I can do all these things and I could as a child too. I'm not a sporty person, and I dodged PE as much as I could as a teen. I never played outside because the place was infested with antisocial scummy behaviour, running in the yard was banned in my school right back in the 80s and there was no opportunity to get involved in local teams. I feel there must be something else at play if children fail at such basic tasks, beyond simply lack of physical activity.

Syphonax

andekwarhola wrote: »

Isn't Gaelic football just about shouldering other players and assaulting referees anyway?

Dont forget brawling, with parents living through their kids forcing them to play a sport that the parents themselves probably like but the kids hate.

jimgoose

Syphonax wrote: »

Dont forget brawling, with parents living through their kids forcing them to play a sport that the parents themselves probably like but the kids hate.

YE WERE FUCKIN' USHELESS!!!

Syphonax

jimgoose wrote: »

YE WERE FUCKIN' USHELESS!!!

Whats the vid I cant watch in work? A good el brawl?

jimgoose

Syphonax wrote: »

Whats the vid I cant watch in work? A good el brawl?

The great Timmy Ryan, hurling coach extraordinaire.

Alf Veedersane

Syphonax wrote: »

That depends on whether you want to be more healthy in spirit or in mind and body.

That's what I put my spiritual health down to alright....those extra 30 minutes spent at it in school across a week which might otherwise have been spent doing something pointless.

corner of hells

corner of hells wrote: »

I think the article and the OP are trying to make the point that significant amounts of kids are being reared indoors with little or no encouragement to engage in any activities outdoors .
Years ago kids spent hours out and about roaming around not just hitting a ball with a bit but getting up to all sorts.
I would include robbing orchards and chased by gamers and gardai along with fighting with kids from other estates along with making our own redbull type carts never the hours spent fishing.

I imagine them throwing dice at you

corner of hells

Deleted User wrote: »

corner of hells wrote: »

I think the article and the OP are trying to make the point that significant amounts of kids are being reared indoors with little or no encouragement to engage in any activities outdoors .
Years ago kids spent hours out and about roaming around not just hitting a ball with a bit but getting up to all sorts.
I would include robbing orchards and chased by gamers and gardai along with fighting with kids from other estates along with making our own redbull type carts never the hours spent fishing.

I imagine them throwing dice at you

ðŸ˜
I'd a tough childhood.

judeboy101

Not allowed run in most school yards. The Gods of H&S are cruel masters.

Syphonax

jimgoose wrote: »

The great Timmy Ryan, hurling coach extraordinaire.

Nods clueless in your direction thinking "who the fook is he on about?" :pac:"

Syphonax

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

That's what I put my spiritual health down to alright....those extra 30 minutes spent at it in school across a week which might otherwise have been spent doing something pointless.

Pointless like keeping fit?

salmocab

Kids around my way are free range out all day playing football hide and seek etc just like I was when I was a kid, I think a lot has to do with where you live my estate has only one entrance so no through traffic. Kids are happy to be out all day its the parents that have changed and are happy to blame the xbox

Alf Veedersane

Syphonax wrote: »

Pointless like keeping fit?

I wasn't being entirely serious.

But I do think that trimming 30 minutes off religion in schools and giving it to PE would be more beneficial.

blinding

diomed wrote: »

This is not a religion bashing thread.

Bashing stuff can be exercise......

freshpopcorn

I remember when I was in primary school a load of us hated GAA. None of us were overweight but if a group came into our school to watch us catch and run around with a ball. We would have put in zero effort.

corner of hells

judeboy101 wrote: »

Not allowed run in most school yards. The Gods of H&S are cruel masters.

I think the point that's being is the way kids are being reared , it's nothing to do with health and safety or schools or GAA.. it's kids being reared indoors .
It's too easy to hand a kid a PlayStation rather than let them explore outside .
Kids need to go collect conkers ,learn to fish ,cycle a bike and so on.

Alf Veedersane

corner of hells wrote: »

I think the point that's being is the way kids are being reared , it's nothing to do with health and safety or schools or GAA.. it's kids being reared indoors .
It's too easy to hand a kid a PlayStation rather than let them explore outside .
Kids need to go collect conkers ,learn to fish ,cycle a bike and so on.

While I agree completely, I wonder is there an element of parents thinking the outdoors is much more dangerous than it used to be?

More traffic, being more aware that the world is full of unsavoury people etc

Irish Guitarist

Ireland is a hell of a lot more crowded than it used to be. There are less empty fields or places where kids can just mess around and run after each other.

Inflicting more P.E. on kids who have no interest in sport isn't a good idea. I was never good at sport and when I tried to kick a ball it resulted in the entire class laughing at me. P.E. was by far my most hated subject.

Try bringing kids to a park or somewhere scenic, taking their phones away for an hour and just let them play at their own pace.

When I was a child it would have been my idea of torture to be forced to play Gaelic football with the GAA.

corner of hells

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

corner of hells wrote: »

I think the point that's being is the way kids are being reared , it's nothing to do with health and safety or schools or GAA.. it's kids being reared indoors .
It's too easy to hand a kid a PlayStation rather than let them explore outside .
Kids need to go collect conkers ,learn to fish ,cycle a bike and so on.

While I agree completely, I wonder is there an element of parents thinking the outdoors is much more dangerous than it used to be?

More traffic, being more aware that the world is full of unsavoury people etc

I'd imagine so , we've lost an element of innocence replacing it with fear of unknown.

Wheeliebin30

It da goverment and da bankers fault!

Vince135792003

Irish Guitarist wrote: »

Inflicting more P.E. on kids who have no interest in sport isn't a good idea. .

The PE curriculum is not as narrow as you think. Competitive games should only ever be a fraction of it. Games, Athletics, Dance, Acquatics and Outdoor + Adventure are the 5 strands of the curriculum.

Plus if the teacher can create a positive, kind atmosphere, PE can be a very inclusive subject where children help and involve others. It does not have to be a subject a child's dread. It can be fantastic to see a child at the start of the year fear PE and by the end of the year loving it.

I taught a boy who now plays for Ireland in basketball. He was amazing at including, supporting and encouraging other children.

Children spend far too long sitting in school in classrooms too small for the numbers of children in them. The solutions are quite simple. Devote more time to physical activity in school, ensure teachers a properly trained, provide schools with all the equipment necessary to teach PE and also ensure there is enough actual space.