Once you have planned to include physical activity in your HAF programme you will be thinking about how to train and support the workforce you want to deliver the activity. Here is a short ‘top tips’ to get started on what to consider when planning effective sessions.
Delivering successful activity sessions:
- Focus on fun – relaxed and informal, not serious, no pressure, no judgement
- Build in opportunities to consult and engage with young people
- Plan for adaptions that allow everyone to participate
- Use ‘activities’ and ‘games’ rather than sport as these are less daunting for those who say they are ‘non-sporty’.
- Vary what is offered
- Use challenges among friends and against themselves to build in fun competitive options
- Get your participants to engage in leading and adapting activity
- Wherever possible provide trips out – often a good end of the week reward/celebration
- Activity should be well organised but not like school – do you have the workforce skilled in providing informal, well-organised activity that appears laissez faire?
- Link to things that they can take home to involve siblings and family in virtual personal challenges and online such as 10 minute Shake ups from Change4Life.
- Think about how you refer and recommend activities for children, young people and their families that will continue after this provision. Try contacting your local community sports clubs and ask if they have any volunteer coaches who would be willing to run sessions at your scheme. This might give the young people the opportunity to try new sports and meet the people from the clubs. It would also be useful to ask if they have any hardship grants for children interested in continuing with the sport
You can find lots of free resources and inspiration from the sports sector here