– Young people to have their say in Government sport policy for the first time
– Sports Minister Jack Chambers holds engagements with secondary school students on their involvement in sport and physical activity
Young sports people want greater access to sports facilities, opportunities to play in less competitive environments and more female role models so young girls can continue to participate.
These views were expressed at a Youth Forum event hosted by the Minister of State for Sport and the Gaeltacht, Jack Chambers, T.D. The event is part of a new initiative to engage and hear the views and concerns of young people participating in sport in Ireland.
The Forum is the first time young people have had such an active input into the development of Government sports policy in this way and further engagements are planned in the future.
Minister Chambers met with members of the FAI Transition Year course based in Corduff in Dublin and Swim Ireland students from Galway Swimming Club and Shark Swimming Club on Thursday (04.03.21) in an online forum.
Minster Chambers discussed a range of issues and posed questions to our young sports stars like: why do you participate in sport? Why do you think young people might drop out of participating in sport? What should the government do better to make sure young people continue to take part in sport and enjoy physical activity?
The students told the Minister and sport officials the reasons why some people their own age are not taking part in sport and the actions they believe should be taken to encourage participation.
These proposals included improving access to facilities, the need to have role models to encourage young women to continue to participate, the provision of opportunities to participate at less competitive levels and having a broader variety of different sports.
While this long-term goal of improving participation was the primary focus of the discussion, students also took the opportunity to inform the Minister of their own experiences of the effect that the pandemic and the public health restrictions have had on sporting activity over the past year.
The Minister outlined that while the current public health restrictions remain in place until April 5th, any staggered easing of restrictions will be focused on outdoor activities and sport after that if the public health indicators improve.
The students took part under the guidance of Denis Hyland, Course Coordinator, FAI Transition Year course, and Kate Hills, Head of Safeguarding, Ethics and Youth Development & National Children’s Officer for Swim Ireland.
Minister Chambers said after the event: “Firstly I would like to thank both Denis and Kate, from the FAI and Swim Ireland, for recruiting students to take part in the first event of this kind. They provided an important overview of the great work that is being done in both organisations in getting young people active.
“I have been keenly aware of the need for young people to have a voice in issues affecting their lives and in how they can access and participate in sport in particular. We need to improve the ways in which they are consulted by government on the issues that affect them. Over the course of the afternoon we had a really positive discussion on the reasons they enjoy sport, the challenges they and their friends face in keeping active and the reasons they feel so many young people drop out as they grow up.
“They were able to give powerful insights on the challenges and obstacles they think impede young people taking part. It is clear that increasing access to sports facilities is a big issue as well as creating less competitive sporting environments where young people can play sports in less competitive, and pressurised settings. The students from Galway Swimming Club and Shark Swimming Club outlined very clearly the importance of having female role models.”
He added: “They were also able to express first-hand how they and their friends have been impacted by the restrictions on sporting activities over the last year. Their feelings of frustration and anxiety are completely understandable.
“The inputs, insights and ideas on the participation numbers which were provided are very helpful for my Department and Sport Ireland in developing policy and programmes to increase sport and physical activity levels among young people. I intend for this to be the first of a series of engagements with young people on this important issue in the months ahead.”
Daoine óga: ba mhaith leis an Aire Spóirt cloisteáil uaibhse
– Beidh seans ag daoine óga a dtuairimí a chur in iúl maidir le polasaí spóirt an rialtais den chéad uair
– Labhróidh an tAire Spóirt Jack Chambers le daltaí meánscoile i dtaca lena rannpháirtíocht sa Spórt agus san Aclaíocht
Ba mhaith le daoine óga rochtain níos leithne a fháil ar áiseanna spóirt, deiseanna imeartha a fháil i dtimpeallachtaí nach bhfuil chomh hiomaíoch agus níos mó eiseamláirí mná a fheiceáil le cailíní a spreagadh chun a bheith rannpháirteach.
Cuireadh na tuairimí seo in iúl ag Fóram Óige a reáchtáil an tAire Stáit don Spórt agus don Ghaeltacht, Jack Chambers, T.D. Tá an imeacht mar chuid de thionscnamh nua chun labhairt agus éisteacht le daoine óga a ghlacann páirt sa spórt in Éirinn.
Is é an fóram seo an chéad deis a tugadh do dhaoine óga ionchur chomh gníomhach a bheith acu i bhforbairt pholasaí spóirt an rialtais ar an mbealach seo agus tá súil ag an Aire níos mó cruinnithe a reáchtáil sa todhchaí.
Bhuail an tAire Chambers le baill chúrsa idirbhliana an FAI, lonnaithe sa Chorr Dhubh i mBaile Átha Cliath agus daltaí Snámh Éireann ó Chlub Snámha na Gaillimhe agus ó Chlub Snámha Shark ar an Déardaoin (04.03.21) i bhfóram ar líne.
Rinne an tAire Chambers plé ar réimse leathan ceisteanna agus chuir sé ceisteanna ar na réaltaí óga spóirt, ar nós: cén fáth a nglacann tú páirt sa spórt? Cén fáth a gceapann tú go n-éiríonn daoine óga as an spórt a imirt? Céard is féidir leis an rialtas a dhéanamh chun a chinntiú go nglacann daoine óga páirt sa spórt agus go mbaineann siad taitneamh as an aclaíocht?
Rinne na daltaí cur síos don Aire agus d’oifigigh spóirt ar na fáthanna nach nglacann daoine ar comhaois leo páirt sa spórt agus na rudaí ar cheart a dhéanamh chun rannpháirtíocht a spreagadh, dar leo.
Ba mhaith le daoine óga rochtain níos leithne a fháil ar áiseanna spóirt, deiseanna imeartha a fháil i dtimpeallachtaí nach bhfuil chomh hiomaíoch, níos mó eiseamláirí mná a fheiceáil le cailíní a spreagadh chun a bheith rannpháirteach agus rogha spóirt níos leithne a fháil.
Cé gur díríodh ar an sprioc fadtéarmach maidir le rannpháirtíocht a ardú go príomha sa phlé seo, ghlac na daltaí leis an deis chun a dtaithí féin le linn na paindéime a chur in iúl don Aire, mar aon leis an tionchar a bhí ag na srianta sláinte poiblí ar ghníomhaíochtaí spóirt le bliain anuas.
Cé go gcuirfear na srianta sláinte poiblí reatha i bhfeidhm go dtí an 5 Aibreán, dúirt an tAire go ndíreoidh baint agaithe na srianta ar ghníomhaíochtaí faoin aer agus ar an spórt tar éis sin, má thagann feabhas ar shainchomharthaí sláinte poiblí.
Ghlac na daltaí páirt faoi threoir Denis Hyland, Comhordaithe Cúrsa, Cúrsa Idirbhliana an FAI, agus Kate Hills, Ceann Cosanta, Eitice agus Oifigeach Forbartha Óige & Oifigeach Náisiúnta um Pháistí Snámh Éireann.
Dúirt an tAire Chambers tar éis na himeachta: “Ar an gcéad dul síos, gabhaim buíochas le Denis agus Kate ón FAI agus ó Snámh Éireann, as daltaí a earcú chun páirt a ghlacadh sa chéad imeacht den chineál seo. Thug siad léargas tábhachtach ar an obair iontach atá ar siúl sa dá eagraíocht le daoine óga a spreagadh chun a bheith gníomhach.
“Tá a fhios agam go maith go bhfuil gá le cloisteáil le tuairimí daoine óga maidir leis na rudaí a théann i bhfeidhm ar a saolta agus go háirithe i dtaca le conas is féidir leo teacht ar an spórt agus a bheith rannpháirteach sa spórt. Caithfimid na bealaí a fhaigheann an rialtas comhairle ó dhaoine óga ar na rudaí a théann i bhfeidhm orthu a fheabhsú. Le linn na hiarnóna, bhí plé thar a bheith dearfach againn ar na fáthanna a mbaineann siad taitneamh as as spórt, na dúshláin a bhíonn le sárú acu agus ag a gcairde agus iad ag iarraidh coinneáil aclaí agus na fáthanna a gceapann siad go n-éiríonn daoine óga as an spórt agus iad ag fás aníos.
“Thug siad léargas cumhachtach ar na dúshláin agus na constaicí atá le sárú ag daoine óga agus iad ag iarraidh páirt a ghlacadh. Tá sé soiléir gur ceist mhór í leathnú rochtana ar áiseanna spóirt chomh maith le timpeallachtaí nach bhfuil chomh hiomaíoch a chruthú sa chaoi is gur féidir le daoine óga spórt a imirt gan a bheith faoi bhrú. Léirigh Club Snámha na Gaillimhe agus Club Snámha Shark an tábhacht a bhaineann le heiseamláirí mná a bheith ag cailíní freisin.”
Dúirt sé, chomh maith: “Chuir siad a dtaithí féin le linn na paindéime in iúl agus an tionchar a bhí ag na srianta sláinte poiblí ar ghníomhaíochtaí spóirt le bliain anuas. Tá sé éasca a thuiscint go bhfuil frustrachas agus imní orthu.
“Tá an t-ionchur agus an léargas a thug siad ar líon na rannpháirtithe an-chabhrach do mo Roinnse agus do Spórt Éireann i bhforbairt polasaithe agus clár chun leibhéil spórt agus aclaíochta a ardú i measc daoine óga. Tá sé ar intinn agam tuilleadh plé a dhéanamh ar an gceist thábhachtach seo le daoine óga i sraith cruinnithe sna míonna atá romhainn.”