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The study, that we propose, is the questionnaire “The School and The Schools”, to be completed by children ages 6-13. This questionnaire would offer the children the opportunity to voice their opinions on the importance of a school of sports, located in the mountain environment. It seems that especially today, with busy family lifestyles, there are fewer occasions for direct contact with nature. Sedentary lifestyles and little fresh air may have damaging repercussions during the developmental period of childhood. We must ask ourselves…To study and play in the open air will it help in development of a child? It seems the answer is yes. |
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The School of Environment Sports, where children and their parents can, together, experience a quiet exchange with nature and parents can have an occasion for growth and comfortable discussions with their children. All should know that nature offers a sense of freedom and has a set of rules, that absolutely must be followed.
The questionnaire, “The School and The Schools”, arose from these and other concerns. We have compiled 6,000 questionnaires in schools, that are located in urban areas and in smaller cities in Italy. |
Data: |
- There is a high percent of overweight children.
- Most children practice 1 sport per year.
- Approximately 50% sporadically practice sports with their parents.
- 90% of the children respond that having contact with natures offers them a sense of freedom.
- 90% of the children feel that vacation time offers them periods of freedom.
- 99% of the group responded to the question “ What would you like to do with your parents?”They would like to spend their free time with their parents in contact with nature.
- A large percent responded that they would like to take sporting vacations. |
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Our Conclusions: |
Young people from the age of 6-12 would like to spend their vacations with their parents and if possible, doing physical activities or sports in the “great outdoors”. This would give them the opportunity to feel free.
This data indicates that children want and need to dialogue with their parents and, the time spent in quality dialogue can also produce a good relationship between the parents and their children. This is sometimes difficult because of active daily schedules and more often, external factors creating stress on the family. The possibility to stay outdoors is a positive influence. Aerobic exercise is equally important, and both, can be accomplished by just being in contact with nature.
The sport instructors have the potential roles to educate and construct a synergistic balance between the teaching in the schools and the family.
Those, who are interested in the well being of children cannot forget and must have the understanding of the connection between sports and child development. Those, who offer opportunities to practice sports in the great outdoors must think of families and children.
Environment sports offer the possibility of multidisciplinary approach to all physical activities and thus become a support of training for all other sports activities. They facilitate the development of different physical capacities related to the specific period of growing up.
They teach the youth to compare themselves with the environment.
The nature that finally dictates the rules and regulations of the games even re-dimensioning those who are stronger.
To help the physiological development in the time being, means to create the capacity that remains unchangeable in the human body for the rest of the life.
The sports in the environment, finally, reduce the risk of cronic fatigue. |
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| The questionnaire: The School and The “Schools” |
 27.12.08 |
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