Putting sport at the heart of a child’s life is an important aspect of what we do at Ballers Academy. Ballers Academy prides itself on providing sessions that are designed to teach kids physical football skills while practicing some of the academic skills they would usually learn in class.
Youth Sport Trust has released its report evaluating the impact that physical activity can have on young learners. The organisation worked with 10 schools across the UK to see how spending more time learning outdoors, alongside an increased focus on learning about health and lifestyle could have on children’s wellbeing.
The research found that a renewed focus on physical activity had wide-ranging benefits for schooling. Three-quarters of teachers reported seeing increased academic progress in children when more time was devoted to outdoor learning and physical activity. 74% of children felt more enthused by their education, with active lessons helping them to get the best out of their education.
At Ballers Academy we have embraced active learning, opting for activities with straightforward instructions. We encourage our Ballers to count through their keep-ups, toe taps, and goals themselvesand challenge them to beat their own records. To improve their accuracy, we test their knowledge of angles and direction with running drills that use balls and cones.
Alison Oliver, CEO of Youth Sport Trust, added to the concept of active learning by emphasising the connection between physical activity and pandemic recovery, she said:
“This research shows the positive impact an Active Curriculum can have in helping young people to recover from the consequences of the pandemic, but in more settled times too. We believe sport, activity and PE should be core to the education and development of all young people, not just in a moment of crisis but for the long-term.”
Active learning is essential to the experience we bring to children. We offer a weekly academy, holiday courses and a girl’s academy for a variety of different age groups.
