Sk

1
Skólahreysti / School Fitness

• Back to the basics with a bounce

2
Overview

• Background
• The Competition
• Statistics
• Social Effects
• Evolution
• The Vision

3
Background
4
Background

• Spring 2005 marked the inaugural competition of
  School Fitness
• Founders Andrés Guðmundsson and Lára
  Helgadóttir
• Basics of general PE
• Predominantly working with own body
• Healthy competition to spur interest free
  admission no team cover charge
• Involve schools from all parts of Iceland

5
Background

• The catalyst
• Concerns over childrens obesity and overweight
• Lack of excersise for kids sports giving way to
  computers and games
• The goal
• Encourage healthier living
• Strengthen childrens confidence and self esteem
• Bring to the table talents from all sports as
  well as those not involved in any athletics

6
Background

• 6 schools participated first year
• Caught on quickly
• Parents and classmates involved
• Big turnout at preliminaries and finals
• 2008 biggest year so far
• 106 schools out of 134 participated
• Forecast even bigger turnout in 2009

7
The entire competition-field
8
The entire competition-field
9
The Competition
10
The Competition

• Team event
• Two boys and two girls
• 9th and/or 10th grade (age 14 15)
• Preliminaries within each school
• Preliminaries within regions (10)
• Finals of qualifiers from each of the regionals

11
Competitors
12
The Competition

• A five tier event
• Chin-ups
• Push-ups
• Dips
• Fitness grip
• Speed track
• One boy/girl specializes in two events, while
  other competes on the speed track
• Two schools compeating together
• Teamwork is the name of the game

13
Two schools compeating
together
14
Chin-ups Dips
15
Push-ups
16
Fitness-grip
17
Start of speed track

18
Tyres Monkey ladder
19
Pipe Climbing wall
20
Crawl
21
Sack carrying Stone lift
22
Skip rope Rope climb
23
The finish line
24
Champions
25
Statistics

• Steady improvement each consequent year
• The kids getting stronger, fitter and more
  technical
• Evidence of difference in emphasis in PE between
  different parts of the country

26
Statistics

• Interesting regional differences
• Schools from northern part stronger in push-ups
• Northern schools include push-ups in PE tests

27
Social Effects
28
Social Effects

• The schools
• School boards starting to demand good results in
  School Fitness
• Unified ambition on behalf of each school
• Over 40 shools have School Fitness as a PE
  elective
• PE teachers seeking advise from School Fitness
  founders on best manner of preparation
• Excellent collaboration with PE teachers
• Brings much welcomed attention to the labor of PE
  teachers

29
Social Effects

• The students
• A surge in number of participants
• Estimated 2.750 participants in qualifiers within
  each school
• Confirmed 440 participants in regional
  preliminaries
• Participants spending more and more time on
  preparation
• Estimated 13.000 spectators over the season
  cheering their classmates on
• Serious preparation by the spectators as well
  Pep-up chairman, costumes, drums, boards
  banners
• Last finals 22 packed buses with energetic kids
  coming to support their school

30
You can win
31
Pep-up cairman spectators
32
Social Effects

• The media
• State televison (RUV) picked up School Fitness
• Ten 50 min episodes from preliminaries aired on
  prime time
• Live coverage of School Fitness finals
• TV ratings 30 viewing of finals in 2008

33
The Host The Founders-The Spectators
34
Social Effects

• Corporate Iceland
• Companies see value in School Fitness healthy
  message
• Only socially responsible companies allowed as
  sponsors
• MS (dairy products) and Toyota
• Tasteful product placement

35
Social Effects

• Government sanction
• Ministry for education a partner from the start
• Athletics and Olympics association as well
• Municipal support evident
• School boards applaude a fresh new approach to
  rekindle interest in PE

36
Minister of Education
37
Evolution
38
Evolution

• Steady improvements in all aspects since 2005
• Design intended to evoke cool factor for the
  kids
• Competition-clothing design to the same extent
• Fitness-set developed to assist participants
  prepare for the competition
• Fitness field developed to meet community demands
  3 up and running 4 in the makings

39
School Fitness-set
40
Fitness field
41
Fitness field
42
The Vision
43
The Vision

• School Fitness by all accounts a success in
  Iceland
• Nordics a logical next step
• Country competition
• A Nordic challenge
• Pre-requisite to a yearly Nordic finals in School
  Fitness
• Europe and USA down the line
• Not a business idea, but a true vision coming to
  life

44
Thank you