Tackling substantive issues in sport

The third National Conference on Sports Pedagogy (NCSP) has had to pack so much into this year’s gathering, entitled “Best Practices in Movement Education to Develop Champions for Life”. This is simply because of all the larger issues and changes confronting sports, particularly in education. The gathering ot the best minds in sport from here and ASEAN will take place Nov. 7-9, spearheaded by the University of the Philippines’ College of Human Kinetics.

In light of the changes that will affect most physical education practitioners with the implementation of the new K-12 curriculum, the organizers have allotted a special section in the program to discuss these issues which affect how they apply themselves in promoting physical activity involvement throughout the developmental years of their students. The special section on K-12 and PE is scheduled in the morning of the Nov. 8 at the Ateneo de Manila’s Leong Hall. PE teachers, coaches and Human Movement professionals all understand the power of sports and physical activity in molding young minds and building the character of their students.

“In the NCSP 2014, we showcase the best practices in our profession to highlight the importance of our role as educators, in developing the human potential in each of the persons we serve,” explains Prof. Oscar Santelices of the organizing committee. “This year’s conference aims to promote the philosophy of holistic development of the individual through sports and physical education.”

During the scheduled plenary sessions, credentialed speakers and experts in various fields from other countries will share their perspective and practice on how to develop champions – in sports and in life. Those invited guests include Dr. Chen Chee Keong from the Sports Science Unit, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, who will discuss Coaching Science; Dr. Gary Kuan, also from the Sports Science Unit, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, to tackle Sport Psychology; Dr. Jun San Juan from the Department of Physical Education, Health and Recreation, Western Washington University in the US to speak on Biomechanics; and Dr. Sirirat Hinrurat from the College of Sport Science and Technology, Mahidol University, Salaya Campus Thailand, an expert in Motor Learning and Dr. Catherine Capio of the Institute of Human Performance, University of Hong Kong. Each will add substantially to the current body of knowledge of local physical education practitioners.

In addition, the organizers continue to support evidence-based practice by providing a venue for participants to share their research, and encourage others to do their own studies and pool these with others in the profession. Paper presentations are scheduled in the afternoon of the first day of the conference at the UP Institute of Physics Auditorium, Research and long-term studies, particularly on the impact of physical education, in an underdeveloped field in the Philippines. The NCSP is aiming not just to gather data, but make it applicable in the local setting and spur others to initiate their own studies for further develop the field. This movement has slowly been gaining ground since the NCSP was launched in UP in 2012.

Aside from lectures, paper presentations, plenary sessions and open fora, there will also be workshops in various disciplines. These include Arnis (care of Nathan Dominguez), Basic Life-Saving Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (through De Los Santos Medical Center), Cheer Dance (by Lalaine Perena), Circuit Training (by Mark Caron), Futsal (care of Manny Batungbacal), Handball (by Janna Franquelli), Injury Prevention in Team Sports (through Albert Ang), Table Tennis (by Prof. Santelices), Line Dance (by Zyra Brebante), Newsports & Hopsports: New Modalities for Movement Education (from Geraldine Bernardo), Philippine Games (by Jo-ann Grecia), Pinoy Ballroom Dance (by Mynette Aguilar), Self-Defense (care of Brixtonn Busto), Starting a Dragonboat Team in Your School or City (by Ian Ulpindo), and Ultimate. All of these will be on the second day at the Ateneo PE Complex.

Also on Nov. 8 at the same venue, there will also be personal enrichment activities of a wide range. They include Active Isolated Stretching, Basics of Mountain Biking, Bird Watching, Capoeira, Dance Therapy, Dodgeball, Hydro Aerobics, Jiu Jitsu, Pilates, Plyometric Training for Team Sports, Pole Dancing, Search and Rescue, Sport Climbing, and Yoga.

“The movement workshops this year are divided into two categories. Sessions 1 and 2 are identical and involve topics which participants can actually use in their own classrooms and training sessions. Session 3 includes topics which are primarily for personal enrichment or enjoyment,” Santelices adds. “Topics in session 3 may not be applied in the classroom setting but they will definitely provide a positive and challenging experience for those who join them. All in all, each participant can learn from three different 2-hour workshop sessions.”

New additions to this year’s NCSP are those workshops that feature pioneering works of the presenters, which will be a good endeavor for the participants of the conference to pursue beyond the event itself. These workshops shall provide skills which participants can use in organizing events, in civic welfare involvement and in school-based wellness projects. Participants are highly encouraged by the organizers to attend at least one of the workshops, which may be good opportunities to do pioneering work and collaboration. The speakers of the workshops are all certified in their fields and will eventually offer their training outside the NCSP for corresponding fees. The Special Project workshops are scheduled on the third day and offer three hours of hands-on training sessions at the UP-CHK gym.

The entire aim of the NCSP is also to provide opportunities in new fields for sports educators to expand into, and upgrade the field in the Philippines for the long term.