Time to get fit, not fat

TransitionTimes: The GAA is eager to share the benefits of sport with transition-year students, reports Louise Holden

Physical education is the Cinderella of transition year. Programmes have been developed for everything from business to drama to applied maths, but PE is conspicuously absent from the calendar. Yet transition year is all about learning for life: minding your body is the ultimate life skill.

Until now schools have dreamed up their own solutions to the problem of teaching PE in transition year. Many projects have developed locally, but no structured, national programme has been available.

This year the Gaelic Athletic Association hopes to change that. It has just launched the pilot phase of a physical-education module for transition year. Six schools are taking part in the 27-week programme, which will cover a huge range of subjects, from referee skills to nutrition.

Jimmy Darcy, the GAA's coaching and referee co-ordinator, explains how the new module is interpreting physical education. "PE is not just about competitive sport," says Darcy, who has just completed a day-long seminar with teachers from the six pilot schools. "Taking part in sport at any level has so many advantages for students, but many do not participate because they don't feel they can compete. Many students play GAA games in primary school, but by the time they get to secondary the numbers are whittled down to the best 15, and the rest can drift away."

Taking part in recreational sport is obviously good for your health, but there are wider benefits, he says. "Taking part in sport improves self-esteem, develops social skills and teamwork skills and contributes to mental well-being, too. We want to look at the notion of sport for everybody, not just for elite athletes."

The module is divided into four sections and delivered in weekly double periods throughout the academic year. The first section, called Playing Gaelic Games, is designed to improve students' awareness of the GAA in their communities. "Students do not need to have any prior experience of Gaelic games to take part. We look at sport from all angles: the role of the referee, the job of the coach, the administration of sport. We want to give students an idea of all the skills involved in sport and to give them an idea of where they might fit in."

Darcy admits that his organisation is hoping to do some recruiting. "The lack of skilled referees around the country is a problem: some counties have to curtail their fixture schedules because of it. Many people think that refereeing is just for retired players; we'd like to encourage more young people into the role."

The principal aim of the first module is for students to organise a school sports day. Preparing the teams, gathering sponsorship, renting equipment, issuing tickets, liaising with local press - students are introduced to all the machinations of sports management, then charged with taking over the show.

The second module, Health, Fitness and Well Being, brings students back to the physical basics. Why exercise? How does the body react to exertion? How is the body composed and what does it need to stay fit and well? Students learn about their bodies by taking basic fitness tests and working out fitness plans.

Of course, there's more to physical fitness than the odd trip to the gym. "In this module we examine all the components of physical health," says Darcy. "We look at some of the issues that can hamper student's efforts to get healthy: poor body image, obesity, a bad diet. We work with students to examine their own eating habits and to look at ways to improve them."

This is a departure for second-level education: never before have students been offered an education in personal health beyond the biology book. It couldn't have come at a better time. Students are struggling with many health issues, including excessive weight, exam stress, smoking and poor self-image.

Many students do not see sport as an option unless they are good enough to get a place on a team and compete. Many young people, especially girls, drift away from sport as exams, social lives and work take priority.

The third module is designed to address this drift by reminding students what sport can do for them. The Psychology for Health and Well Being section looks at the mental benefits of participation: why does exercise make you feel good? How can you harness this effect for yourself? The module then broadens into an exploration of options: where do you start if you've never been involved in sport? What's the right activity for you? Students are charged with going into their communities and finding out what's available.

The first port of call, naturally, is the local GAA club, but not every student will want to take up hurling or camogie. Swimming, squash, yoga or hiking may be more appropriate: students must find out for themselves. The psychology section also considers some of the social issues surrounding sport: who does sport belong to? Where do people with disabilities fit in? Will our teams reflect Ireland's changing ethnic mix?

"Right now we are looking at ways to foster more inclusion in sport in Ireland," says Darcy. "It's not all about elite athletes any more. We are looking at developing social and recreational leagues, modified leagues for people with disabilities, wheelchair hurling and so on."

The final module examines the functioning of a GAA club and the business end of sport. Darcy is hoping that teachers from all subjects will play a role. "Business teachers, biology teachers, home-economics teachers: there's a multidisciplinary structure to this programme which is the very essence of transition year."

If the pilot is a success, the programme will be offered nationally, free of charge, from September 2005.

For more details contact Jimmy Darcy at Croke Park on 01-8363222

If GAA's not your thing, how about rugby?

The Leinster branch of the Irish Rugby Football Union has established a new league for transition year. Twenty-five schools are in training for first-, second- and third-division play-offs. The rugby league, which will follow the Australian Super 12 scoring system, runs for the six weeks before Christmas.

Father Joseph Gough of Blackrock College, in Dublin, explains the thinking behind the competition. "The transition-year league is designed to provide an introduction to senior rugby without the same level of competition. We have been thinking about providing some kind of bridge between junior and senior rugby for some years. Transition-year students don't necessarily want to play on teams with 17- and 18-year-olds. This league gives them the opportunity to develop their game before senior level."

The rules of the transition-year league have been adapted to shift the focus from competition to building skills. Lifting is allowed and there is no kicking outside the 22-yard line. The modified rules are designed to improve players' handling skills and encourage continuity of play, according to Father Jim Culleton of Belvedere College, in north Dublin, another of the schools taking part.

"This is the first year that we have tried this format using these rules. It might be a disaster, but we'll see how this year works out. The fundamental purpose of the league is to keep players in the game that we might lose during transition year. The timetabling of fourth year is so different that it can be hard for schools to run regular playing hours."

Leinster schools have reacted very positively to the development, as it provides a way of keeping players interested through transition year without having to join senior teams.