Sports Science Conference for Years 7-10 Teachers

Transcription

1 Sports Science Conference for Years 7-10 Teachers Friday 20 March 2015 Exercise Research Australia, Thornbury The Sports Science Conference for Years 7-10 teachers was a fantastic day filled with informative presentations to help teachers update their knowledge of Sports Science topics and to develop Sports Science throughout their Year 7-10 HPE programs. Held at Exercise Research Australia (ERA) for teachers to see state of the art Sports Science equipment in action, the venue set the scene for an exciting and innovative conference where keen and interested teachers came together to talk about everything Sports Science for a day! ERA Company Director Dr Melissa Arkinstall explaining the role of Sports Science in industry. Dr Melissa Arkinstall, Exercise Physiologist and Company Director of ERA welcomed our delegates and provided an insight into the role of Sports Science in industry, and essentially addressed how high performance experts can help athletes perform at their absolute best. The Physiology of Sports Performance Dr Melissa Arkinstall, ERA Company Director Melissa s presentation on The Physiology of Sports Performance was most interesting and engaging! It explored the key concepts that Sport Scientists typically examine when working with elite athletes. Determinants of energy demand, event fuels, energy systems and National high performance testing were among the hot topics addressed and judging by the number of questions being asked, the delegates just couldn t get enough of this opportunity to update their knowledge in these areas.

2 V0 2 Max Test Dr Emma Gallaher, ERA Sports Scientist ERA Sports Scientist Dr Emma Gallaher then gave us a full demonstration of some of the National High Performance tests including body composition, hydration and the aerobic VO2 max test. It was exciting that one of our delegates Kylie Williams from Genazzano FCJ College had volunteered with great enthusiasm to perform the VO2 max test. Kylie had not completed this type of test before and was really excited to take advantage of the opportunity. Delegates were highly engaged as Emma explained the data being recorded at various stages throughout the test. Measurements of heart rate, blood lactate, and oxygen consumption provided information about the fuels and energy systems being used. Emma ultimately explained why the maximal amount of oxygen that an individual can utilise for energy during maximal exercise is considered the best indicator of an athlete s aerobic capacity. ERA Sports Scientist Dr Emma Gallaher explaining fuels for energy during the VO2 Max test. Resistance Training for Adolescents Tony Sephton, ERA Strength and Conditioning Coordinator Tony Sephton s presentation was incredibly engaging and he had everyone on the edge of their seats when he posed the question Are we being negligent when we allow our young kids to play competitive sport when they do not have enough strength? This controversial question certainly got everyone s attention! Tony s session started with a fact or fiction forum where he dispelled many of the common myths that have surrounded the topic of resistance training in adolescents, for example: resistance training can retard growth in adolescents; resistance training will decrease flexibility; resistance training is ineffective for adolescents; and resistance training is a more dangerous activity for adolescents than other sports. The arguments and evidence that Tony put forward not only completely dispelled these myths, but it became quite clear that we should be doing more to ensure that our young athletes are physically conditioned prior to participation in many sports. As advocated by the Australian Strength and Conditioning Association (ASCA), appropriately performed, supervised resistance training is not only safe but extremely effective in children and youth.

3 Tony Sephton ERA Strength and Conditioning Coordinator Tony then outlined and explained the resistance training guidelines that must be followed to minimise the risk of injury when training adolescents. He then demonstrated how to use the ERA Exercise Matrix which has been devised to assist practical implementation of resistance training. The levels within the exercise matrix are identified by movement competency. The matrix acts as a ready-made resistance program - it shows the exercises, along with the progression level at which the adolescent should work. It s very user friendly. Many of the delegates expressed how eager they were to use the exercise matrix with their students straight away. Tony showed the delegates the progressions of each of the exercises in the exercise matrix. He also spoke about resistance training frequency, equipment and the various types of resistance training methods appropriate for adolescents. It was interesting to hear that novices should begin with muscular endurance training before commencing a strength program.

4 Developing Sports Science in your school Ben Reynolds, Marcellin College & Airlie Swallow, Northcote High School The afternoon workshop proved to be a most valuable session where teachers listened to Ben and Airlie s experiences of how they have developed sports science in their schools. With reference to the Australian Curriculum, Ben and Airlie identified sport science concepts that can be introduced in year 7 and showed how they can be further developed throughout years 8, 9 and 10. It was interesting to hear which concepts and topics Ben and Airlie group together to form explicit units of work within HPE and which topic areas are popular when offered as separate electives to provide pathways to VCE PE, VCE VET Sport and Recreation and even VCE HHD. Ben spoke about the innovative Sports Science elective program that has been developed at Marcellin College. The electives are proving to be very popular student numbers are increasing, not only in the Year 9 and 10 electives but also in the related VCE subjects. It was exciting to hear about the positive effect the electives program has had on the HPE subject area on the whole. The electives developed for Year 9 include: The Fitness Challenge; Sports Research and Data Analysis; Sport & Recreation AFL; Event Management and Coaching Soccer. At Year 10, students can elect to participate in The Advanced Fitness Challenge or the Applied Nutrition elective. The content, activities, resources and Apps implemented and used in these electives sounded wonderful it s no wonder student numbers are increasing! Ben Reynolds Marcellin College Providing examples of activities and resources throughout, Airlie spoke about the Fitness Components and Fundamental Movement Skills Unit she has developed for her Year 7 s and the Benefits of Physical Activity and Acute Responses to Exercise Unit she teaches to her Year 8 s. Airlie s Year 9 s participate in a Training Methods and Skill Acquisition Unit along with a Sports Coaching Unit.

5 At the Year 10 level, students participate in a Body Systems and Nutrition Unit, and a Personal Training Unit. The units sounded absolutely fantastic - fun, engaging and would no doubt spark and develop student interest in sports science and Physical Education. Airlie Swallow Northcote High School This event was supported by RHSports and Visual Coaching Pro who showcased their products and services that were relevant to Sports Science. Teachers appreciated the opportunity to discuss their needs with consultants who were highly knowledgeable with Sports Science. We thank both organisations for supporting our event. The ACHPER team along with Event Partner ERA thoroughly enjoyed hosting our 2 nd Sports Science Conference for Years 7-10 teachers and will look to build on this type of professional learning at the 2015 ACHPER Conference and beyond.

6 Comments from delegates: I found the conversations in the breaks as helpful as the content presented. Great access to the ERA staff which was wonderful they encouraged lots of questions throughout the day. I really enjoyed hearing about the variety of approaches to teaching sports science content. It was valuable to update our own knowledge at the higher level relating to fitness assessment, VO2 max testing, energy systems etc. I found the resistance training session and the teacher workshop/discussion most useful. Airlie Swallow s session and handout were amazing! The Sports Science info and resistance training matrix and programs were fantastic! Useful to hear how we can implement concepts in our schools / It was great to learn about the ways in which all these ideas can be incorporated in the classroom. I found the afternoon workshop and discussion with the teachers most useful! I felt I could take something away from all presentations. Very beneficial for all year levels.