National Centre for Sport and Exercise Medicine (NCSEM) academics and members are supporting national Parents in Sport Week, which runs until October 8.
The aim of the week, an initiative established by the Child Protection in Sport Unit (CPSU) in 2016, is to encourage sports organisations and clubs to recognise and promote the positive and important role parents play in helping children reach their full potential.
Organisations are invited to work with parents to reflect on the demands they’re encountering and identify strategies to manage these demands. In addition, sports are encouraged to show they value parental input and are grateful for what parents can do.
To support the week the NCSEM has produced a series of videos featuring expert advice from academics:
- Professor Chris Harwood discusses how parents can support the psychological development of their children through his 5Cs framework.
- Professor Mark Batt discusses the amount of physical activity children should be doing to benefit their health and how parents can help support their child
- Dr Karl Steptoe’s video looks at how parents can help influence the psychology of their children and the role they play helping them meet the demands of elite sport.
- Dr Mike Loosemore explains how getting more active throughout the school day can have huge benefits for children.
- Dr Janine Coates discusses how you can get children with a disability to be more active, looking at barriers that exist and to how to overcome them, the benefits of being more active, funding and information sources available.
- Professor Rob Copeland discusses how parents and children can get more active together.
- Natalie Matthewman looks at the importance of getting children active from an early age, and the impact this has on child development.
- PhD student Rob Townsend focuses on disability coaching and the role that parents of children with a disability play in supporting coaching and how parents and coaches can work together.
- Drs Emma Haycraft, Natalie Pearson and Lauren Sherar focus on the KidsFirst project, which is aiming to reduce children’s screen time and how to be more active as a family.
All the videos can be viewed at www.ncsem.org.uk/parentsinsport.
During Parents in Sport Week, NCSEM East Midlands is also hosting a public lecture on Wednesday 4th October at 6.25pm, titled ‘The weight of responsibility: Schools and the future of our children’s health’. It will be given by Dr Lauren Sherar, a Senior Lecturer in Physical Activity and Public Health.
For more information, or to reserve a place at the event click here.