This course adds another dimension to the much-needed debate on the important role sport can play in the education of young people. It contains significant pedagogical principles embedded within a sound philosophy of sport education that encompasses both the teaching and coaching arena. This course challenges you to rethink how we represent sport to young people, whether they are novices or elite performers. It also reemphasizes careful observation, critical reflection and the exploration of ideas.
Sport education is as a sub-discipline of physical education. Course material focuses on helping students learn games sense. Aside from the technical and competitive aspects of most games, success lies in truly understanding the rules, tactics, and strategies of games. Even without the technical skills that typically go with high performance a playful and enjoyable sense of the strategies involved in games can be developed in physical education classes. The more enjoyable these games are the more likely youngsters are to continue playing them and thus develop a deep understanding of what is taking place in a game. It is this understanding rather than simple technical skills that make playing games fun.
Developing games sense is an important element in long-term engagement in sport and physical activity. Igniting passion in movement and sport participation will have long lasting benefits for health and enable a life of participation in sport and healthy activity.
Upon successful completion of this course, students will have knowledge and understanding of the following:
Launder, A.G. (2013). Play Practice: The Games Approach to Teaching and Coaching Sports (2nd ed.). Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.