Children are our future and Sport Pembrokeshire - Pembrokeshire County Council's sports development team -- is working hard to make sure that we educate youngsters about the benefits of a healthy lifestyle.
Unfortunately it is predicted that, if current trends continue, within 10 years obesity will be the single largest health problem facing society.
Obesity is the result of poor diet and lack of exercise due to today's generally more sedentary lifestyle. It leads to coronary heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis and general lack of well being.
One of the most effective ways to counter it is through regular exercise. Medical experts and Government Health Advisors recommend that adults should engage in moderately intense exercise for at least 30 minutes, five times a week with children recommended to exercise for at least one hour a day.
Regular participation in sport is an important way of achieving such exercise levels and as a result Sport Pembrokeshire prioritises its efforts to increase participation in sport and regular exercise, particularly among young people. Essential to such efforts is the need to ensure that basic sporting skills are learnt at an early age.
With a brief to create sports programmes and take them to our County's schools, clubs and communities, Sport Pembrokeshire schemes include:
Teaching physical education in schools across the County and offering advice and training to teachers, coaches and support staff. The team also provides resource support for School Sport Festivals.
Establishing good practice examples of PE teaching and school sport, including specialists training for teachers of PE.
Organising extracurricular sports clubs, as well as training for teachers, parents and volunteers and sports leadership schemes for sixth formers - including the highly successful Dragon Sport scheme for Primary schools.
Developing clubs and links between schools and clubs across a range of sports including Cricket, Cycling, Football, Golf, Netball, Rugby and Tennis.
Running National Sports Governing Body courses and coach registration schemes.
Delivering grants to clubs and schools for new sports initiatives
Developing disability sports clubs and providing specialist training for teachers, coaches and learning support staff and carers.
ID: 6680 Revised: 25/6/2010
