Dockers and Notre Dame work for community development

Document Type

Media Release

Publication Date

Fall 3-4-2007

Publisher Name

The University of Notre Dame Australia, Fremantle

Publication Place

Fremantle

Abstract

Health and Physical Education (HPE) students from The University of Notre Dame Australia, Fremantle are donning the ‘purple jersey’ in a community outreach program they are conducting alongside the Fremantle Dockers.

Second year HPE students are visiting different primary schools throughout the semester with the Fremantle Football Club (FFC) to deliver their ‘Johnny the Doc motor skills program,’ initiated for young children.

The program provides playful games to develop the fundamentals of running, jumping and catching in young children. The activities are conducted by Dockers players while Notre Dame students observe and assess the children’s movement skills.

The program was developed several years ago for the club by Executive Dean of Health Sciences, Professor Helen Parker, as part of the club’s community outreach program.

“A real strength of the program is that it includes information about simple extension games that teachers and parents can use to build skills from the first PE lesson with FFC.

“The program is about making children more skilful and coordinated in their movement and about helping the HPE students develop their movement observation skills by assessing the children,” said Professor Parker.

Health Sciences Associate Dean, Dr Beth Hands said involving Notre Dame students in this program gives them first-hand experience in managing large groups of children.

“As a result of this experiences the students will go into schools as practising teachers with greater confidence,” said Dr Hands.

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