Following the Launch of the Community Sport Strategy for Wales, Professor Laura McAllister gives her view on why the focus will make a difference to sporting life from the grassroots to elite.
The 100 days to go until London 2012 mark has been and gone – I can scarcely believe that it’s been seven years since we won the bid.
Of course, it wasn’t just the technical strength of the bid itself that led to our hosting of the Games, it was largely down to the commitment to maximise the power of the Games to inspire the youth of the world to re-engage with sport.
We already have a strong Welsh contingent forming within Team GB and ParalympicsGB, which is only set to grow with former medallists and current World Champions such as Geraint Thomas, Helen Jenkins and Dai Greene yet to be selected.
The London 2012 Games provides us in Wales with a once in a lifetime opportunity to capture the imaginations of our children, and use these athletes that have been born and bred in Wales, attended our schools, and been members of our sports clubs as role models to inspire youngsters into sport.
By launching the Community Strategy for sport in Wales, that holds our ambition of getting every child hooked on sport for life at its very heart, we have already made strides in fulfilling that commitment.
100 days out from the Games, and with the help of back to back broadcast coverage from BBC Wales, ITV Wales and Real Radio, we unveiled a further investment of £9million National Lottery funding into community sport over the next three years. In total this means that Sport Wales will now be injecting a total of almost £32m a year into community sport in Wales.
The abundance of positive feedback from partners and the extensive media interest in the Community Strategy, and what it means for the people of Wales, is testament to its importance and this launch is very much the beginning.
The strategy is designed to challenge the sports sector to up the ante in increasing the number of people across the nation playing sport; to fulfil our ambition of getting every child in Wales, without exception, hooked on sport for life. And I don’t make that statement lightly.
The strategy sets out clear priorities to enable a dramatic shift in the range and number of people involved in local sport. It’s about developing much wider offers, both formal and recreational, which are capable of appealing to a greater variety of children, young people and adults. Sport needs to keep adapting to be fresh and appealing. Sport needs to fit into today’s busy lifestyles. At Sport Wales, we will be incentivizing new and innovative approaches. We cannot have more of the same. The same approaches will produce the same results.
We know that there are pockets of good work happening across Wales already of course. But good work needs to become the norm everywhere. And we need to ensure that those groups that may have less opportunity to take part are not excluded. We simply cannot be complacent and we need everybody in the sector to raise their game.
We cannot underestimate the education agenda – it is absolutely crucial if Wales is to witness a significant increase in the numbers of young people playing sport. Schools play a fundamental role in developing and sustaining a child’s love of sport.
We need to see every child accessing two hours of high quality PE every week. This needs to be supported by at least three hours of extracurricular or community sport.
The most important factor in all of this is that of the headteacher. Those that embrace the importance of vibrant school sport and are passionate about it place sport high on the agenda. They ensure that opportunities, designed by the pupils that meet their needs, are provided and that they link with the community and local clubs.
In some cases, time allocated to physical education within Initial Teacher Education and Training for primary school teachers is minimal.
The lack of training means that often our primary school teachers are not confident and, if they don’t have a passion for sport, where does that leave our children at a crucial time in their physical development? Sport Wales is a firm believer that greater priority should be given to the training of teachers in this area so that they are upskilled and confident in the delivery of physical education.
We also recognise the need to further maximise the available expertise and resources of FE and HE institutions, to continue the development of sporting opportunities beyond the school environment. If we can achieve this across the board in Wales, it would make a serious impact on our aspiration to get every child in Wales hooked on sport for life.
So while London 2012 creeps ever closer, the winners and the stories of triumph, we all need to consider how we can make the biggest difference, using the power of the Games and those to come, to get every child hooked on sport for life.
We’re keen to hear your views on community sport. If you’ve got anything to add to the debate then get involved by tweeting me @lauramcallister or @sport_wales and using #communitysport.
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Mae carreg filltir y 100 diwrnod i fynd tan Gemau Llundain 2012 wedi dod a mynd – dydw i ddim yn gallu credu ei bod hi’n saith mlynedd ers i ni ennill y cais.
Wrth gwrs, nid dim ond cryfder technegol y cais ei hun oedd yn gyfrifol am y penderfyniad i ni gael cynnal y Gemau, roedd yn ymwneud i raddau helaeth â’r ymrwymiad i fanteisio i’r eithaf ar rym y Gemau i ysbrydoli ieuenctid y byd i ailddechrau cymryd rhan mewn chwaraeon.
Eisoes mae gennym ni garfan gref o Gymru’n rhan o Dîm PF a Pharalympiaid PF ac mae’r nifer hwnnw’n siŵr o gynyddu gyda chyn-enillwyr medalau a Phencampwyr Byd presennol, fel Geraint Thomas, Helen Jenkins a Dai Greene, eto i gael eu dewis.
Mae Gemau Llundain 2012 yn darparu cyfle unigryw i ni yng Nghymru gydio yn nychymyg ein plant a defnyddio’r athletwyr hyn sydd wedi’u geni a’u magu yng Nghymru, ac wedi mynychu ein hysgolion ni a bod yn aelodau o’n clybiau chwaraeon ni, fel modelau rôl i ysbrydoli ieuenctid i gymryd rhan mewn chwaraeon.
Drwy lansio’r Strategaeth Gymunedol ar gyfer chwaraeon yng Nghymru, sy’n cynnwys ein huchelgais ni i gael pob plentyn i wirioni ar chwaraeon am oes yn rhan greiddiol ohoni, rydyn ni eisoes wedi cymryd camau at gyflawni’r ymrwymiad hwnnw.
Gyda 100 diwrnod i fynd tan y Gemau, a gyda chymorth darlledu cefn wrth gefn gan BBC Wales, ITV Wales a Real Radio, fe wnaethon ni ddatgelu buddsoddiad o £9 miliwn pellach o gyllid y Loteri Genedlaethol mewn chwaraeon cymunedol yn ystod y tair blynedd nesaf. Mae hyn yn golygu y bydd Chwaraeon Cymru yn cyfrannu cyfanswm o bron i £32m y flwyddyn at chwaraeon cymunedol yng Nghymru.
Mae’r holl adborth cadarnhaol gan bartneriaid, a’r sylw eang gan y cyfryngau i’r Strategaeth Gymunedol a beth mae’n ei olygu i bobl Cymru, yn dyst i’w phwysigrwydd a’r lansiad hwn yw’r dechrau yn wir.
Nod y strategaeth yw herio’r sector chwaraeon i anelu’n uwch a chynyddu nifer y bobl ar hyd a lled y wlad sy’n cymryd rhan mewn chwaraeon a chyflawni ein huchelgais o gael pob plentyn yng Nghymru, yn ddieithriad, i wirioni ar chwaraeon am oes. Ac nid datganiad ysgafn, difeddwl mo hwn.
Mae’r strategaeth yn datgan blaenoriaethau clir i alluogi newid dramatig yn ystod a nifer y bobl sy’n ymwneud â chwaraeon lleol. Mae’n ymwneud â datblygu cynigion llawer ehangach, yn rhai ffurfiol a hamdden, sy’n gallu apelio at amrywiaeth ehangach o blant, pobl ifanc ac oedolion. Mae’n rhaid i chwaraeon addasu’n gyson i fod yn ffres ac apelgar, i weddu i’n ffyrdd prysur ni o fyw heddiw. Yn Chwaraeon Cymru, byddwn yn cymell ffyrdd newydd a blaengar o weithio. Ni allwn fodloni ar fwy o’r un peth. Bydd yr un dulliau o weithio’n arwain at yr un canlyniadau.
Rydyn ni’n gwybod bod pocedi o waith da’n digwydd ledled Cymru eisoes wrth gwrs. Ond mae’n rhaid i waith da ddod yn norm ym mhob man. Ac mae’n rhaid i ni sicrhau nad yw’r grwpiau hynny sy’n cael llai o gyfleoedd i gymryd rhan efallai yn cael eu heithrio. Ni allwn orffwys ar ein rhwyfau ac mae’n rhaid i bawb yn y sector anelu’n uwch.
Mae’r agenda addysg yn gwbl hanfodol hefyd os yw Cymru am weld cynnydd sylweddol yn nifer y bobl ifanc sy’n cymryd rhan mewn chwaraeon. Mae ysgolion yn chwarae rhan sylfaenol mewn datblygu a chynnal hoffter plentyn o chwaraeon.
Mae’n rhaid i ni weld pob plentyn yn cymryd rhan mewn dwy awr o AG safonol bob wythnos. Mae’n rhaid cefnogi hyn gyda thair awr o leiaf o chwaraeon allgyrsiol neu gymunedol.
Y ffactor bwysicaf yn hyn i gyd yw’r pennaeth. Mae’r rhai sy’n croesawu pwysigrwydd chwaraeon ysgol hyfyw, ac sy’n teimlo’n angerddol dros eu lle pwysig ar yr agenda, yn sicrhau bod cyfleoedd sy’n cael eu cynllunio gan y disgyblion i ddiwallu eu hanghenion yn cael eu darparu ac yn cysylltu â chlybiau cymunedol a lleol.
Mewn rhai achosion, mae’r amser a neilltuir i addysg gorfforol yn yr Hyfforddiant ac Addysg Gychwynnol i athrawon cynradd yn brin iawn.
Mae’r diffyg hyfforddiant yn golygu nad yw ein hathrawon cynradd ni’n hyderus yn aml iawn ac, os nad oes ganddynt angerdd dros chwaraeon, beth sy’n digwydd i’n plant ni wedyn ar adeg mor allweddol yn eu datblygiad corfforol? Mae Chwaraeon Cymru’n credu’n gryf bod rhaid rhoi mwy o flaenoriaeth i hyfforddi athrawon yn y maes hwn, fel bod eu sgiliau’n gwella ac er mwyn iddynt fod yn hyderus i gyflwyno addysg gorfforol.
Rydyn ni hefyd yn cydnabod yr angen am ddefnyddio i’r eithaf yr arbenigedd a’r adnoddau sydd ar gael gan sefydliadau Addysg Bellach ac Addysg Uwch, i ddal ati i ddatblygu cyfleoedd chwaraeon y tu hwnt i amgylchedd yr ysgol. Os gallwn ni gyflawni hyn yn gyffredinol ledled Cymru, byddai’n cael effaith fawr iawn ar ein dyhead ni i gael pob plentyn yng Nghymru i wirioni ar chwaraeon am oes.
Felly tra bo Llundain 2012, yr enillwyr a’r straeon am lwyddiant yn dod yn nes ac yn nes o hyd, mae’n rhaid i ni i gyd ystyried sut gallwn ni wneud y gwahaniaeth mwyaf, gan ddefnyddio grym y Gemau hyn, a’r rhai sydd i ddod, i gael pob plentyn i wirioni ar chwaraeon am oes.
Rydyn ni’n awyddus i glywed eich barn chi am chwaraeon cymunedol. Os oes gennych chi unrhyw beth i’w ychwanegu at y drafodaeth, yna dylech gymryd rhan drwy drydar gyda mi @lauramcallister neu @sport_wales a defnyddio #communitysport.
