Body Focus Course Encourages Children's Understanding of How Their Bodies Function

YOUNG BODY FOCUS (UK) LTD will launch their Sport Specific Courses next week designed to encourage children to understand how their own bodies function, during playing a sport (general or competition level), or during everyday lifestyle.

During the five week course, the children will be using the latest high technology equipment throughout the course, which will allow BodyFocus(UK)Ltd to continuously assess the child’s

• Balance/proprioception Speed/power
• Agility (jumping) skills Core Stability
• Coordination Stretching/Flexibility

The course will also have little talks at the end of each session, in which they will learn about muscles, bones, stretching, and of course food and drink/diet. Due to the continuous testing and the fun games combined into the course, it will allow the child to find out what sports suits them. The course will also allow the child to feel more confident with sport, and most importantly allow the child to realise that there are many sports available for them to enjoy.

Fitness Testing
At the start of each course, there will be a whole session dedicated to assessing the current condition of each child. A variety of testing equipment will be used in order to measure the level of fitness components; Power, Speed, Agility, Balance, and Reaction Time. Throughout the course, we will explore how each of the fitness components are important to day to day life, to sport, and how they are important to general fitness. Each result will be recorded in the child’s personal logbook so that results can be monitored.

BodyFocus (UK) Ltd feel it is the utmost importance that each child is monitored thoroughly during performing the functional skills, and a record of their performance will be kept in their own personal log book.

Speed (Running)
Speed is required in many athletic and sporting activities. In sprinting, the upper and lower limbs are required, and in throwing or fast bowling the upper limbs are required.

By the end of the course the child will have completed all these factors including the running style and techniques. The Therapist will help the child to improve their running style; arm action, running stride, the start, throughout the race, and breathing techniques. This will all help increase their speed.

Agility
Although Plyometrics take a number of different forms, activity revolves around jumping, hopping, and bounding movements for the lower body, and swinging, catching and throwing weighted objects, arm swings, and pulley throws for the upper body. The main objective of Plyometric is to improve a child’s ability to generate
maximum force in a shortest time.

Balance
Young athletes, particularly those struggling to learn a new skill, use poor body positions that reduce the quality of their performance. They don’t plant their feet
properly when throwing, striking, or hitting, and they may find that the reaction forces resulting from their actions cause them to stumble or fall in the opposite direction. The course will teach the child how to make the best manoeuvres to regain control quickly.

Core Stability
The core muscles are those which lie deep within the trunk of the body, and generally attach to the spine, pelvis i.e. transversus abdominus, and the muscles
which support the scapula.

During the course, the Therapist will carefully assess the child’s level of balance and stability and teach the child about posture. Once they have an understanding of the
position of the neutral spine, the child will work on these areas using a variety of protocols.

YOUNG BODY FOCUS CHILDREN’S SPORTS ACADEMY is run by Caroline Blackburn, BSc (Hons), Dip.FTSP (Sport Therapist, Rehab, Sports Trainer, and YBF) who formed BodyFocus (UK) Ltd. She is an Ex International 400m Hurdler and Bobsleigher. Caroline achieved a BSc (Hons) in Sports Studies, and a Diploma in Sports Injury and Rehabilitation. Caroline has previously worked with the Barbados Football Team and GB Junior Pentathlon Team, and currently works with Rosslyn Rugby Team, and the British Olympic Judo Team.

All the trainers that will be working with the children have been CRB checked and CYQ certified.

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April 24, 2007