Debbie Garea Fundamentals Advisor Sport Bay of Plenty

Sport Bay of Plenty's GO4it programme is being delivered to 40 schools in the Bay of Plenty region in 2014.

Last week more than 170 teachers participated in professional development workshops, hosted by regional and national sporting organisations within the GO4it programme.

GO4it teachers in action at ASB Baypark Arena, with facilitator Erica Third, from Gymsports New Zealand.

The sporting organisations participating in GO4it believe the development of fundamental movement skills and motor skills is critical to establishing the foundation for participation in many sports and physical activities.

Sport Bay of Plenty's fundamentals advisor Debbie Garea is passionate about working with sporting organisations and schools and believes 'a child who has not had the opportunity to develop these basic motor skills experiences difficulties or barriers when participating in sport”.

The GO4it programme includes Leg it (Get, Set, Go NZ Athletics Programme), Move it (MoveMprove Gymsports NZ Programme), Hit it, Pass it, Kick it and Lead it. Optional strands include Bike it and Swim it.

Debbie says GO4it is designed to develop the physical literacy as a solid foundation to support long-term sport participation 'and teachers play an important part in the teaching of fundamental movement skills”.

Staff at Papamoa's Golden Sands Primary School says they enjoyed the opportunity to explore the different activities the children do in the GO4it programme.

This included the crucial teaching points and the ways in which they could supplement these points in their own physical education lessons outside of the GO4it-instructed sessions, saying;'GO4it is an excellent programme to teach movement skills and is targeted at the appropriate age groups”.

From watching the first session, the teachers could see the children really enjoyed themselves and were developing various movement skills throughout the session.

St Mary's Catholic School in Tauranga supports this, adding: 'We were ready to embrace a year of different skills and sessions”.

'After our first week, the children are fizzing with their new learning and the teachers are feeling confident this will be a great addition to their teaching of physical education and sports skills.”

For more information go to: www.sportbop.co.nz/GO4it