GAME ON! YOUTH SPORTS
GAME ON - EVER EXPANDING
Over the last year the Game On! Youth Sports Caribbean program has grown in tremendously. There has been an increase in the number of children actively participating in primary schools, from 8,700 children in 2008, to 17,875 children in 2009. This comprises of 8045 boys and 9830 girls from Anguilla, Dominica, St. Lucia, Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago.
The number of certified Game On! Teachers have also increased to 260 teachers within the Caribbean. The 2010 plans for Game On include the expansion of the program into Barbados, Jamaica, Guyana, Suriname, St. Kitts & Nevis, and Antigua.
In 2009, through the efforts of Mr. Mark Mungal (Chairman of TTASPE), the Univeristy of Trinidad & Tobago (UTT) has partnered with the IAYS to enhance the Game On! Youth Sports program, worldwide.
The signing of the MOU with the University of Trinidad & Tobago for the setting up of a youth sport research and development center is seen by the Game On! countries in the Caribbean as one that will continue to add creditability to the program, help provide research/feedback to governments and other stakeholders. It will also help refine and keep the program easy to train and deliver for practitioners (i.e. teachers, coaches & volunteers). This partnership has already yielded the benefits - the UTT Academy of Sport and Leisure students use Game On! as their “Be the Change” program for schools and communities; sport for development masters students use the program as part of their community development initiatives.
This brings great visibility to the Game On program and we hope encourage schools and institutions to use Game On in their physical education programs throughout the Caribbean.
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Game On! Youth Sports world model ... leading the way.
Dominica, the IAYS selected world model country has expanded their program tremendously within the last 3 months. After a training session conducted by TTASPE in June 2008 for teachers and sport officers in Dominca, the Division of Sport has expanded the program in the new school term (Sept 2008) from the original 10 schools to an amazing 49 schools. Additionally 30 more schools have benefited from the purchase of developmentally appropriate equipment by the Sport Division in Dominica headed by Mr. Aswald Savarin, (Director of Sport) and Mr. Andy Burkard (Senior Sport Officer) of Dominica.
Approximately 7500 students are now being reached by the Game On! Youth Sports in-school physical education program in Dominica. The Sports Division has also expanded into 10 communities for after-school sport specific programs, year round. This expansion was facilitated by the commitment of the Dominican government and the leadership within the Division of Sport to restructure the Division and increase the number of sport officers employed by the ministry.
On his follow up visit in November, Kerish Maharaj, TTASPE's Game On Coordinator described the visit as "overwhelming due to the positive and proactive development of the program at all levels. The real indicator was the tremendous levels of fun that the children had while developing their sport and basic motor skills ."
The next steps for Game On in Dominica include expansion to primary schools in the south of the island.
Game On! Youth sport program is funded by the IAYS and run by TTASPE locally and regionally.
Lengua TIA impresses UK Sport
A delegation from the Uk visited Trinidad & Tobago earlier in November to meet with a number of stakeholders in education, sport and community development, among them TTASPE.
Both Debbie Lye (UK Sport) and Judith Henry (Education Consultant, British Council – Education & Training) were very impressed with the material about Game On! (program outline, updated stats etc) which was sent to them prior to their visit. They presented us with material from UK Sport's program, Top Sport,that is similar to Game On! In return they asked for a copy of the Game On! manual. They were in high praise of the program concept and the actual value of the program design both to children and teachers.
On short notice they were able to make time to visit Lengua TIA Primary school in South Trinidad on Tuesday morning (which was not on their schedule) mainly because of the positive feedback they got from Anne Marie Elsom of UK Sport who visited TTASPE earlier this year.
Lengua TIA did not have school that morning but in less than a day they were able to bring over 100 students from the community along with most of the teachers. Both TTASPE and the visitors were extremely happy for the commitment of the school to accommodate the visit.
UK Sport and the British Council's expressed how impressed they were with what they saw happening at the school, which was an almost perfect program (small groups, everyone active and not being left out, boys and girls playing at the same level and together, student directed activities, kids having fun, review sessions with kids openly giving feedback etc). They were also impressed that the teachers running the sessions were all female, in hijabs and PE wear, under the blazing sun, having fun with the kids.
The teachers indicated that they have only been implementing the program alone for 2 months and that in their lesson plans, they have not reached that stage of development for the kids that were there (5-9 year olds). Both Debbie and Judith were extremely pleased with that response.
The school was also able to show them the benefits to the school and community since their partnership with TTASPE, some of which are, the setting up of the tennis court, acquiring developmentally appropriate equipment, noticable changes in the behaviour of the students and staff members, their proud banners and pictures.
The Principal also shared her plans for Physical Education in her school and the involvement of the PTA and community members as well. Two of the teachers presented the data collection that we are using for the pilot for the Game On! Workbook, as well as, personal assessments that they have done with their students. The teachers were also in high praise of TTASPE's use of the UTT students to aid in building the capacity of the teachers to run the program in the previous term.
The British Council is the United Kingdom's international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations.