Kids get active with the Premier's Sporting Challenge

Premier Morris Iemma recently launched The Premier's Sporting Challenge which is an initiative aimed at reinvigorating sport and physical activity in public schools.

The Challenge includes a range of initiatives with one common purpose - to have more students, more active, more of the time!

The NSW Government is dedicating $58 million towards the initiative that will see schools across the State promote active and healthy lifestyles for students.

"Research shows that physical activity is essential for children and young adults, for their mental, physical and social development," Mr Iemma said.

"The most recent health data shows about a quarter of school students are overweight or obese as are more than half of all adults. As a community we need to tackle this problem head-on. The Premier's Sporting Challenge is a practical way to encourage every student to take up more physical activity or group sport events," Mr Iemma added.

  

  Video Clip - Premier's Sporting Challenge, Sydney Cricket Ground

Activity = Award Points

Whether bike riding with friends, football training or walking to school, children will earn points towards a Premier's Sporting Challenge Bronze, Silver, Gold or Diamond Award.

All students in Kindergarten to Year 12 are challenged to set goals to accrue time spent each week in moderate to vigorous activity. Students who achieve the set target will qualify for a Premier's Sporting Challenge Bronze, Silver, Gold or Diamond Award.

Awards	Daily average activity time per student
Bronze	30 minutes per day
Silver	45 minutes per day
Gold	60 minutes per day*
Diamond	80 minutes per day

* 60 minutes a day is the recommended national daily activity standard.

Registered schools have a 20 week time frame (from May 1 2008) to complete the 15 weeks of physical activity required to meet the Challenge.

Sporting Ambassadors:

The Premier's Sporting Challenge is also supported by sport ambassadors, state sporting organisations and elite athletes who will visit about 70 schools across the State this year to promote the benefits of a healthy lifestyle to school communities.

This year's sporting ambassadors include:

• Cricketer Brett Lee
• Sydney Swans Jarrad McVeigh
• Wests Tigers Robbie Farah
• Australian netballer Susan Pratley
• Socceroo Tim Cahill
• Australian softballer Renee Gloss
• Para-cyclist world record holder Jayme Paris
• Paralympics world record holder swimmer Ben Austin
• Matilda Heather Garriock

  

As well as introducing the Premier's Sporting Challenge to every Government primary and high school in NSW the NSW Government is also:

• Introducing the Girls in Sport Action Research Project to increase the participation of girls in sport and physical activity;
• Providing the Sports Leadership Program - an online training and credentialing system for students wishing to be accredited as a referee, umpire, sports official or trainer;
• Extending the Dancing Classrooms program to an additional 12 primary schools;
• Providing a Sports Leadership Program to build links between schools and sporting organisations;
• Introducing the Get Active in the Middle Years Program to enhance the engagement through sport of students moving from primary to secondary school;
• Upgrading and improving school sports facilities - for example netball courts, playing fields and cricket practice nets; and
• Providing Sports Equipment to Schools Grants to support schools involvement in the Premier's Sporting Challenge.

The Premier's Sporting Challenge website is now live and schools should visit the website to find out more and register.