Lakehead Athletics Teams with Thunder Bay Catholic Schools

The following is a media release announcing an ongoing partnership between Lakehead Athletics and the Thunder Bay District Catholic School Board. The program see each Grade 4-6 student visiting Lakehead during the month of January and then again in May. The 1800 students will get a chance to play 5 different sports on each visit.

Catholic School Board Partners With LU Athletics

January 13th, 2011

General News

Author: Hugh Mullally

Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board (TBCDSB) and LU Athletics are pleased to announce that they have formed a unique partnership to promote healthy and active life choices for students. The new program, Partners in Sport, will assist students to develop the physical requirements needed to participate in a range of physical activities, and develop skills and knowledge that encourage engagement in physical activity.

Over the next few months, all Junior students (grades 4, 5, and 6) will participate in Partners in Sport, delivered by Lakehead University coaches and athletes. The program enhances the Active Living Strand of the Ontario Health and Physical Education curriculum.

Dave Bragnalo, (Education Officer), is excited about the possibilities: “It’s great when younger kids have the chance to see older kids who are really enthused about sport. Sport is a powerful tool for building healthy relationships, lasting friendships and lifelong memories. When our students see these varsity athletes committing to school and sport it inspires them. Plus, physical activity gives students confidence and energy. Our school board is very excited about this community partnership and we’re really pleased to be working with a fine school like Lakehead University.”

The unique Partners in Sport program is organized into two two-hour sessions at Lakehead University, where students participate in active, skill-based stations that include:

• Track and Field - footwork, agility, running fundamentals

• Soccer - ball handling, passing, large group games

• Volleyball - passing, setting, serving fundamentals

• Basketball - ball handling skills, passing, mini games

• Wrestling - strength and balance activities, low organization games

The first sessions have been a real success and will continue until 14 schools have made their initial visit.The second sessions will take place in the spring with a second round of 14 school visits.Overall, more than 1800 students in Grades 4, 5, and 6 will have the opportunity to participate.

Partners in Sport brings many benefits to students and teachers. In each skill area, children learn from varsity athletes and coaches who, in addition to being well-rounded athletes, are sport experts in Track, Wrestling, Women’s Volleyball and Men’s and Women’s Basketball. Teachers benefit from professional learning as they observe and assist Lakehead staff in delivering these many fun and healthy activities.

“The benefits to our Lakehead student-athletes is tremendous. They take their sport skills and teaching skills and just plain old enthusiasm and fire up these Junior students. It is a mentoring situation, but because they’re all students in one way or another, there is a neat kind of symmetry,” says Lakehead University’s Athletic Director Tom Warden.

Furthermore,
Program consists of:

A. 14 visits to Lakehead in January (16 schools in the Catholic Board)

(A second round of 14 visits will occur in May for part 2 of the program)

B. Over 1800 kids in grade 4-5-6 will participate in the program

C. The instructors and coaches are coaches and varsity athletes from the 5 Lakehead teams competing in the C.J. Sanders' Fieldhouse (Track, Wrestling, Women’s V’Ball, Womens B’Ball, Men’s B’Ball).