Sport and recreation activity patterns of 12-year-old learners at a city private primary school

Abstract

The new millennium brought about many changes, including changes in the physical activity patterns of children. Children are labelled as the "screen generation". Owing to the wide exposure to computers, television, play stations and cellphones, children tend to lead more sedentary lifestyles as their age increases. A survey was done at a city private primary school to determine the physical activity patterns of the Grade 6 (12 year old) learners (N=63, 33 boys and 30 girls). A self-constructed questionnaire, based on the activities the school offers and on the extramural activities the learners participate in, was used to measure the learners' physical activity patterns and to obtain data about their reasons and key motivators for participation. The responses show that the same group of learners participates in almost all the activities offered. The main problem clearly concerned learners who were uninvolved in all physical activities. Schools were identified as the key element to promote physical activity among learners (Vidyya, 2002:4; Aarnio, 2003:27). The activities must be positive and enjoyable to keep learners motivated and interested in future participation.