Lifelong Learning Programme

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission.
This web site reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

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School Directors

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Their support is a key element to promote sport at school

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How to Support Students to Balance Sport and Study at School

School Directors

1. Avoid competition
Not all athlete students aspire to a career in sport. Some see in the daily practice of a sport a way to acquire some living hygiene as well as a strict and rigorous discipline.
Many students find in sport the motivation they need in their studies. The students who practice sports on a top level often are disciplined and take a serious responsibility in both studies and sports activities. Their daily rhythm with practices, lessons and homework is balanced and supervised by the students themselves.
Because it is related to a more concrete effort than the intellectual effort, sport can often be used to explain students the meaning of homework or the need to persevere even when you do not understand at once: “like a football or basketball player needs to exercise shooting every day in order to do it during a game, likewise a student needs to do their homework carefully every day if they hope to have a good mark when they do the task in class”.
Learning Objective
The learning objective of step 1 is to help school directors and teachers understand the nature of top sports and how this can be used as a support for the studies by showing the similarities between the two areas (such as time management and serious work).
Online Resources
  • Case studies on “Not Only Fair Play”A collection of interviews with students who explain how they manage to balance sport and education, what support they receive, especially from their parents
  • Premiere SportsIn 2013 Premiere Sport launched the Inspire Programme, an initiative delivered by qualified sports professionals. It offers schools tailor made suites of sport and activity options targeted towards achieving curriculum outcomes. It is designed to be inclusive, with complete activity structures to engage all pupils, from those not normally inspired by sport, through to the budding stars of the future.
  • Dundee Academy of SportThe Dundee Academy of Sport works alongside colleagues in partner schools to develop a programme of learning opportunities, which link the participation in sport/physical activity to other areas across the school curriculum. Sport can be a vehicle for developing an active learning approach.
  • Knowing Your Land – Environmental Heritage – Trekking ActivityKnowing the cultural and natural beauty of the territory of Prato, Tuscany and Italy, planning and carrying out a trekking activity at school, with an experienced guide and the teachers in an inter-disciplinary work.
  • Sports and scienceGiving ideas of science projects related to sports this initiative gives students notions on how to use their science knowledge to be better in sports while promoting the importance of sports in terms of health.
  • Sports Science Fair Project IdeasThe initiative offers science fair projects ideas related to various sport disciplines. It shows there are many interesting ways to apply science to sports. It shows the importance of science knowledge in sports and shows sports as an activity that has a lot to do with how school students learn. The initiative promotes also the importance of sports in terms of health.
  • Combining Sports and Learning (only in Finnish)A Finnish survey of how to balance elite sports career and studies by Timo Manninen.

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This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This web site reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.