Dual code rugby star Jason Robinson launches app to help improve school PE lessons

WITH the country once more in a national lockdown – and grassroots sport shut with it – the battle to help get children active has never been more pressing.

Since retiring from rugby, Jason Robinson, the legendary dual-code England international star, has spent much of the last few years visiting schools trying to inspire youngsters about the value of sport and physical education.

However, with Covid now having such an debilitating effect and closing down sports clubs, he realises school could be the only place many children are likely to gain any exercise at least until December.

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Last week, the 2003 World Cup winner helped launch an app designed to help teachers – even those with limited knowledge of PE – plan fun lessons in everything from football and rugby to yoga and dance.

Robinson, who grew up in inner-city Leeds and went on to become one of the world’s greatest-ever rugby players, with Wigan in rugby league and Bath and England rugby union, is part of the Association for Physical Education taskforce which was set up in June to try and improve and increase the amount of PE children receive.

Speaking to The Yorkshire Post: “I’ve been doing it for years, going into schools and teaching PE.

“I got into rugby through PE and it played a massive part in my life going forward.

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“I came from one of the most deprived areas in Leeds; I didn’t come from a sporting family at all and it just shows what PE can do.

“I was at Cross Park Flatts Middle School in Beeston and my PE teacher Mr Aspinall was a big influence on that.

“I wasn’t academic at school. I struggled in lots of different areas and PE was probably the only subject I felt I was good at and could excel at.

“You look at what’s going on now and you see just how important it is. It’s not just about being physically active and educated. It helps with mental health and emotional health.

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“PE is not a core subject in the curriculum so at best kids are currently going to get one to two hours per week.

World Champion: Jason Robinson. Picture: PAWorld Champion: Jason Robinson. Picture: PA
World Champion: Jason Robinson. Picture: PA

“With a lot of schools, though, that’s been pushed back because of Covid so some kids aren’t even getting that.

“But PE needs to be at the heart of the school day; it needs to be every day where children get 60 minutes.

“I went on to have an amazing career in different sports and reached the highest level in both.

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“But I’m not pushing this because I want to find World Cup winners or sporting professionals. This is just a necessity.

Government keeps talking about the health and well-being of the children but if we get children into good habits – like being active and learning about physical education – that will only help.”

Among those who the British Lion has worked with to create the app PE Pro are former Castleford Tigers and Wakefield Trinity hooker Ryan Hudson, from Elite Kids Coaching, and Kevin Till, a professor of athletic development in the Carnegie School of Sport at Leeds Beckett University.

“A lot of schools don’t have PE specialists and you hear of schools where teachers have two hour’s training and they’re then the PE teacher,” added Robinson.

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“If you don’t have the knowledge you are not going to deliver a fun session.

Teachers have so much pressure on them – especially now with Covid – they don’t always have time for sport. They might have an idea on football but what about tennis, cricket, yoga, dance…?

“That’s why we created the app as it helps with that.

“We’ve got 250 videos on there so they can have a look at sessions, warm-ups, all around Key Stage 1 and 2; it’s fun and easy to use with lesson plans and assessments.

“We’re really trying to help the schools. I go in and just try and inspire the children telling them my story in assemblies.”

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The taskforce the 46-year-old is involved with is chaired by Edward Timpson MP and that is to work alongside the Government.

However, separately, Robinson is surprised that community sport has been halted as part of this latest lockdown which runs until December 2.

Robinson continued: “I understand it’s a tough job and I’m glad I’m not making the decisions. But there’s only a very small reduction in transmission for kids outdoors so it’s not like it’s going to affect the R rate and you have the Government’s chief scientific adviser saying that he didn’t advise them to shut down sport outside of schools.

“We’ve already seen what the first lockdown has done; we have higher obesity levels, children struggling with mental health issues and it also affects confidence.

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“One of the things that is really going to be affected is a drop off in participation in those sports clubs outside of schools.

“It’s not been easy getting kids doing sports regularly anyway.

“Once you do get them in you don’t want things like this happening as it’s all about making habits; if you’re regularly doing things, it helps.

“Kids learn so much from PE. It does shape behaviours, attitudes, promotes physical and emotional well being, self-esteem, teamwork...

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“I went from being a shy young kid who couldn’t look anyone in the eye to captaining England so you can see how it does a massive amount for confidence, character and resilience.

“There’s so many skills you can learn from PE and there’s quite often a lot of barriers for children to do sporting activities.

“That might be financial. Not every parent is able to afford subs, travel, etcetera so it makes it all the more important that children get regular PE time and hopefully we can help.”

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