Based on the original Olympic ideals of training a 'healthy mind and healthy body', his approach aims to combine the often conflicting goals of Individual Excellence and Sport for All, in today's increasingly restrictive environment which has led to an epidemic of child obesity. However, the benefits of his coaching extend far beyond sport and fitness, and into the realms of self confidence, self esteem and character development.

Fair play and the building of team spirit are crucial elements in his lessons; hence social and co-operative skills are just as important as physical ability. Julian has developed imaginative teaching and training techniques which ensure children of all standards can take part, even in competitive situations, without being made to feel that they are losers or inadequate in any way.

Basic fitness training centres on running skills, particularly style and technique and pace judgement, and this is promoted largely through team relays, handicap races and time trials. However, within this basic framework many other skills relevant to numerous other sports are developed, such as spatial awareness, physical co-ordination, ball handling, throwing, catching and jumping, leadership and team skills. In addition Julian provides an introduction to mobility and strength training through gym work and circuit training.

Overwhelmingly the results have shown that youngsters today are generally not fit, but would like to be. They thrive on fast moving physical activity and clearly enjoy competition, provided it is organised in a positive and encouraging atmosphere. Just one lesson is usually sufficient to make noticeable improvements, simply by correcting faults of style and technique, and demonstrating how vigorous physical exercise can be fun. After three sessions in consecutive weeks increased fitness levels already become apparent, and any subsequent lessons allow the children to consolidate and develop these skills further, as appropriate for the season and weather conditions, and bearing in mind the requirements of the National Curriculum.

Whether you are a teacher or a parent, if you would be interested in promoting this sort of approach in your school, Julian is available to help. Click here to contact Julian for further details.

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Young people in sport scheme, Bracknell

Athletics & Cross-country Coaching - Spring 2005 Report

Bracknell Forest Borough Council included athletics and cross-country coaching in their 'Young People in Sport' scheme from the end of February 1996, when 3 schools started to participate. Since then the scheme has expanded to include 28 schools, from infants through to secondary schools. For the past 8 years Julian Goater has been spending between 15-20 hours per week showing over 500 local children each term how running can be fun. As a result, over 20 schools have participated in the summer athletics competition and the winter cross-country relays, each of which have involved between 200 - 400 children. In addition, 5 schools have started after-school running clubs, and 3 have even put on mini-triathlons.

These are just some of the bare statistics, but they cannot describe the fun and sense of achievement which the children have experienced as their running, throwing and catching skills have developed.

Each school has been free to allocate the coaching sessions to suit its particular requirements. Some have restricted the coaching to just one or two classes, who have had a lesson each week, and have not surprisingly made dramatic improvements. Others have spread the sessions much more widely, giving each group perhaps just 3 sessions, but allowing many more children the opportunity to take part. Class sizes have generally been around 30, but sometimes 2 or even 3 classes have been amalgamated; in these cases, coaching and organising 60 or 90 children at a time has been an enjoyable challenge.

The coaching has had to be flexible, to take into account the different facilities available at each school, the weather conditions, different age groups and ability levels etc. But whatever the variables, my coaching always concentrates on the following aspects:

Style and technique, and running skills eg breathing control, balance, co-ordination, relaxation etc

Pace judgement ie ability to run strongly for sustained periods

Relay races team spirit, co-operation, stressing the vital part each member of a team has to play

Handicap races allowing the less fit/talented the chance to lead, and the more fit/talented the additional incentive and fun of overtaking

Fair play in everything!

Throwing and catching skills often incorporated into relay races

With this sort of approach, the improvements achieved by almost all of the children over a very short period of time have been remarkable - indeed not one teacher has failed to comment on their surprise and pleasure at the progress of their pupils. The children themselves have gained tremendous confidence and an obvious sense of well-being, as they have felt themselves managing to run faster, further and more skilfully each week.

As we see in the Bracknell Schools Cross-Country Relays, there may only be two winning teams, but there are certainly no losers. All who take part contribute to their team performance and learn how to meet physical challenges in a fun but nevertheless competitive atmosphere. Team spirit, self esteem and fair play - three very topical educational benefits generated in abundance, just by a simple running event!

My most difficult task has rarely been one of motivation, but quite the reverse, many times having to slow the children down and show them how to run in a more controlled and skilful way. Quite often it has been difficult to bring a lesson to a close, due to the clamour for the chance to do 'just one more relay race - please!'

Clearly even the less fit children have found that with the right approach and encouragement, running can be fun. They have been shown that far from being a mindless, boring and painful activity, running is about skill, technique, control, and balance. Not only does running develop basic fitness, but it also helps to hone skills which are essential for most other sports.

Notwithstanding all these additional benefits which running can engender, physical fitness is still the primary benefit. And just as all the teachers involved have agreed on the remarkable improvements in their pupils' fitness, the first session with each group has always impressed upon them (or in many cases confirmed their suspicions) that their pupils' general level of fitness is poor. This applies not just to cardiovascular fitness, but also to more basic aspects such as co-ordination, balance, posture and suppleness. In my opinion this is a major problem which is already manifesting itself in secondary schools and amongst recent school leavers and which, if allowed to continue unaddressed, can only lead to a build-up of social and health problems in the years ahead.

Arguably these basic skills should be learned whilst still in primary school, but it is very noticeable that at present secondary schools are being inundated with unfit, uncoordinated - and hence often physically unconfident and demotivated teenagers. With their current resources they are unable to remedy this trend. The national curriculum may ensure that children are introduced to different athletic events in school PE lessons, probably having one(!) lesson on each group of events eg sprinting, hurdling, high or long jump, javelin/discus/shot, middle distance running and relays. But it most certainly does not ensure that the children are any fitter, or any more capable of performing these events, than they were before. The national curriculum may ensure that children are introduced to most events, but this is a far cry from raising childrens' general fitness and skill levels.

This is not a criticism of either the children or the teachers, but it is a valid observation which has been consistently borne out, and which makes the continuation of the 'Young People in Sport' athletics coaching scheme even more desirable, because this scheme manifestly does produce fit kids.

My overwhelming conclusion (especially amongst the under 11 age group) is that the vast majority of children enjoy physical activity, and are as enthusiastic and competitive as ever. They are desperate for the opportunity to let off steam and learn new skills, in a properly structured environment. Whatever their initial standard, they get immense pleasure and exhilaration from feeling fit and running faster, but the real benefits extend far beyond the running track - their ability to listen, concentrate, and encourage each other have all considerably improved - both outside and inside the classroom.

Amongst the older age groups (above 11), the effects of several more years' minimal physical activity is more pronounced, and therefore the generally low fitness level, - combined with the prevailing negative peer group pressure - has initially proved a greater obstacle. Nevertheless, my experience over the past years has demonstrated that it is not too late to recover these 'lost' years, and some notable improvements have been achieved.

For all these reasons I hope that Bracknell Forest Borough Council's 'Young People in Sport' coaching schemes will not only continue to grow in future years as their true value becomes fully recognised, but also act as a model for schools and local authorities in other areas of the country.

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Problems

Unfit and unhealthy adults, the decline of sport in schools, the decline in British sport at top level, and the increase in the British 'yob culture' not only on the periphery of sport but also elsewhere eg vandalism, crime, and general disaffection ... are these not all different aspects of the same problem? Are the Home Office and the government health and education departments aware of how much sport can do to help alleviate problems in their own specific areas, and thereby reduce their expenditure?

There is vast and widespread dissatisfacion with the standard of sport in this country. Everybody is clamouring for more and better facilities, easier access to sport, and more lottery funding for all manner of schemes. But at the same time our schools are offering fewer and fewer sporting opportunities, both within the rigid national curriculum and outside. And our national teams are having to draw from an ever decreasing pool of fit, motivated and disciplined youngsters - with monotonously depressing results. Everybody agrees 'something must be done', but nothing seems to be happening at grass roots level to address this trend.

20% of women and 17% of men in Britain are now officially not just overweight - they are obese.

Many youngsters suffer from asthma; most are unsupple and many are weak and uncoordinated. Many are already showing signs of obesity below the age of 13. Fitness standards required for entry to the armed services, police etc have had to be reduced simply to keep the numbers up. Even ball boys and girls for this year's Wimbledon had to go on a special fitness course to bring them up to standard.

British sport at top level is declining in many areas compared with the rest of the world, eg football, tennis, distance running.

School sport is declining in many ways and for a variety of reasons, eg: fewer pitches, fewer fixtures, fewer teachers prepared to give up time outside school hours, teachers being unwilling to risk their career prospects for the sake of sports which may have health and safety implications or lead to possible allegations of sexual harrassment, teachers and schools with less time for sport due to earlier exams in summer term, fewer motivated kids, obsession with exam results, failure to recognise the value of sport and reward participants, too many sports to choose from in schools resulting in 'jack of all trades and masters of none', and teachers and pupils being spread too thinly to field teams in all these activities.

Does the National Curriculum in schools get kids fit? No. How often are children out of breath as a result of curriculum activities? Very rarely.

Government Health and Sport Ministries are aware of these problems, but are not acting in a co-ordinated way to address them. Most schemes to address these problems centre on education and diet awareness, but not on developing (cardiovascular) fitness. The Education Department seems content to teach kids how to play games rather than how to get fitter. The latest Government proposals to bring the benefits of sport back into schools centre on providing sport outside school hours for volunteers (ie probably the most able kids), not as part of the curriculum for all children.

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Feelgood Factors 'Fit for All Sports' scheme

Over the past 8 years I have regularly visited 24 Primary Schools in the Ascot / Bracknell / Sandhurst area, introducing young children to running and general fitness training. During this time I have developed a comprehensive range of practical lessons which cover all aspects of running, jumping and throwing, ball handling skills and circuit training. Judging by the rapid improvements I have seen and the positive feedback I have received, these lessons have not only been fun but have also been highly effective. The children actually have got fitter, faster, stronger, more supple and physically more dextrous, and of course this has improved their ability at other sports too.

Despite the competitive flavour of the classes there are never any losers; every child feels a sense of achievement at having improved, usually by a measurable amount. The scheme is neither elitist nor sexist; I have been able to develop fitness and produce improvements equally across different ability levels, different age groups, and for boys and girls alike.

I think it would also be fair to claim success in improving and developing some other qualities that are arguably even more important than physical fitness. It is not difficult to deliberately create situations in a sporting environment which focus attention on the importance of fair play, and the role of the individual as part of a team. In this way qualities such as teamwork, leadership, co-operation and team spirit, self confidence and self esteem, concentration, determination - even courage - can be developed. I strongly believe that it is often the lack of these qualities which is the root cause of many of the anti-social behavioural problems which currently afflict society today, both in and out of school, and that is why I feel sport has so much to offer when trying to combat these problems.

At the other end of the spectrum, I think it is fair to say that endurance running and a number of other sports in GB have been in decline for a number of years. I believe that this decline is not due to less talent or poorer coaching, but rather, to lifestyle changes in society, ineffective PE lessons in schools, and lack of vision and poor use of funds by sport's
governing bodies. Numerous factors spring to mind, eg: less active lifestyle due to cars, TVs and computer games, poor diet, decline of school sport, absence of fitness training in school PE curriculum, weaker personal qualities (eg courage, determination etc), to mention but a few.

There are numerous schemes aimed at introducing sport(s) to children by making them fun (in the sense of games) - but are these schemes effective (in terms of fitness)?. They generally have the backing of the educationalists and Sport England, and are often lottery funded. But none of these schemes seem to be designed to get children fit for sport in the first place. Indeed educationalists, teachers, even (to their shame) many athletics coaches, constantly add to the belief that distance running is boring, and is only for those with a complete lack of speed and ball skills.

Nobody (else) has yet come up with a fun and effective fitness and endurance scheme for children, and that is why I believe my scheme is original and deserving of support, and can work alongside other initiatives (eg TOPS). If introduced on a sufficiently wide scale, I firmly believe that this scheme can make a significant difference in these 3 key areas of fitness, health and behaviour. This would then give coaches in all sports much better developed young sportsmen and women to work with, and standards would undoubtedly rise as a result.

For the past 8 years with my 'Fit for All Sports' scheme I have shown that you can make running and fitness training both fun and effective. There are always teams and races, and the teams are constantly changed to produce close finishes and plenty of excitement. The most able kids are stretched just as much - often even more - than the less able. Great emphasis is placed on running skills, and balls are often used as well, allowing numerous ball skills to be developed whilst still running. The aim is to get children basically fit, strong and confident for all sports, to instill a sense of fair play and teamwork, and to develop their personal qualities described above.

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