Olympics Legacy

[herthab]

The biggest 'problem' we have in this country regarding the more obscure sports and to a degree athletics, is that not many of us are really interested in them. This is also the reason why World of Sport and Grandstand are no more.
The Olympics are the cream of these sports, can't see too many people being that interested in everything that comes before a major event.

[Reg Smeeton]

'Legacy' should be focusing on primary and secondary schools, compulsory sports every day with teachers or coaches that can catch the imagination of the kids. There should be one sport for everyone out there to get passionate about, to fall in love with and the ones that find one that they're quite good at, they can take it further.
The kids that enjoy sport in school are more likely to keep going.

there should be competition between schools too

Any more compulsory sports, is the last thing required. These days sport at secondary school comes under the title "healthy lifestyles", the majority of kids having no particular talent, but are encouraged to get some execrcise, for the health benefits.

There's a lot of good work goes on for kids who are a bit more sporty, which is hung together in a sort of informal network between clubs, schools and official bodies, who'll send the odd Olympian round for some coaching etc.

This system works in a British sort of way....up to a point.

There are however many competing sports out there, some of them not even Olympic...undoubtedly access to better facilities has to be an issue that could be addressed by the decision makers.

Swindon doesn't have much of a record of producing Olympians, is that because the facilities are poor? I don't know the answer just throwing it out as a question.

[Flashheart]

A lot of kids simply just are not sporty.

While there's nothing wrong in encouraging them to live healthily, they shouldn't be pushed into doing something they don;t want to do and just aren't any good at. By all means do something to enhance the facilities and programs for the kids that are sporty, but not at the expense of academic facilities for kids that are better at using their brains.

[Reg Smeeton]

A lot of kids simply just are not sporty.

While there's nothing wrong in encouraging them to live healthily, they shouldn't be pushed into doing something they don;t want to do and just aren't any good at. By all means do something to enhance the facilities and programs for the kids that are sporty, but not at the expense of academic facilities for kids that are better at using their brains.

I'm not sure that academic facilities, are going to be that important for the majority of kids in the future as IT increasingly grows, but I would like to see, some sort of program, whereby nippers, are given greater opportunities to sample a wider range of sports. As previously pointed out a lot of this, was already happening until Mr Gove and chums, decided to axe the scheme.

This was the School Sports Partnership, and a public outcry did manage to salvage some reduced funding, but it's the sort of thing that should be increased if the Government are serious about a legacy.

[Flashheart]

Academic facilities will always be needed.

The calculator didn't stop maths being taught, it just changed how maths was taught. If computers can solve ever more complicated problems for us, people will need to learn how to tell the computers what problems they want solved. Whereas physics in schools is now about chemical reactions and gravity and stuff, computers may one day take it to quantum mechanics and beyond.

It all seems a bit off a knee-jerk reaction to me. There's plenty of people out their that are quite happy and successful in their academic pursuits, leave them be. Don't make kids run around when they would be better off learning stuff in a classroom instead.

[Reg Smeeton]

Academic facilities will always be needed.

The calculator didn't stop maths being taught, it just changed how maths was taught. If computers can solve ever more complicated problems for us, people will need to learn how to tell the computers what problems they want solved. Whereas physics in schools is now about chemical reactions and gravity and stuff, computers may one day take it to quantum mechanics and beyond.

It all seems a bit off a knee-jerk reaction to me. There's plenty of people out their that are quite happy and successful in their academic pursuits, leave them be. Don't make kids run around when they would be better off learning stuff in a classroom instead.

We'll see.  Increasingly though, schools as institutions are about social work, rather than much academic work, that couldn't happen away from the institution by use of IT. 

All, the calculator did , was take away the use of log tables and the slide rule, which I grew up with, the basic tenets of maths, and how they are taught are little changed.

[london_red]

The biggest 'problem' we have in this country regarding the more obscure sports and to a degree athletics, is that not many of us are really interested in them. This is also the reason why World of Sport and Grandstand are no more.
The Olympics are the cream of these sports, can't see too many people being that interested in everything that comes before a major event.

Agree with this.

Whilst its a nice thought to call for Grandstand's return - and I do hope the interest in these sports doesn't trail off straight after the end of the Olympics - there is already decent coverage of quite a bit of it just people don't watch it. The BBC show all the Diamond League Athletics meetings throughout the season, and had extensive red button coverage and a daily highlights show on BBC2 from the Track Cycling World Championships earlier this year.

[Reg Smeeton]

Whilst its a nice thought to call for Grandstand's return 

Bring back scrambling in black and white for the Grandstand Trophy with commentary by Murray Walker....Dave Bickers, Jeff Smith, Vic Eastwood, Arthur Lamkin et al, riding Greeves, Matchless, Husqvarna, BSA, CZ....not a Honda, Suzuki or Kawazaki in sight. Throw in course side ads for Swarfega and the world is a good place.

[reeves4england]

Agree with this.

Whilst its a nice thought to call for Grandstand's return - and I do hope the interest in these sports doesn't trail off straight after the end of the Olympics - there is already decent coverage of quite a bit of it just people don't watch it. The BBC show all the Diamond League Athletics meetings throughout the season, and had extensive red button coverage and a daily highlights show on BBC2 from the Track Cycling World Championships earlier this year.

See, I know athletics, cycling etc is on the BBC sometimes... but I never know when, or who is competing. Maybe I've had my head in the sand, or maybe they could do a bit more to advertise it and build up interest - would do their viewing figures some good I'm sure.

[walcot red]

See, I know athletics, cycling etc is on the BBC sometimes... but I never know when, or who is competing. Maybe I've had my head in the sand, or maybe they could do a bit more to advertise it and build up interest - would do their viewing figures some good I'm sure.

Agreed, I don't see many/if any promos for any sport on the bbc other then motd or the f/l show.

[Reg Smeeton]

See, I know athletics, cycling etc is on the BBC sometimes... but I never know when, or who is competing. Maybe I've had my head in the sand, or maybe they could do a bit more to advertise it and build up interest - would do their viewing figures some good I'm sure.

Can you get Eurosport? Today for example, you can see road race cycling, mountain biking or triathlon on Eurosport 2.

[london_red]

See, I know athletics, cycling etc is on the BBC sometimes... but I never know when, or who is competing. Maybe I've had my head in the sand, or maybe they could do a bit more to advertise it and build up interest - would do their viewing figures some good I'm sure.

This is a fair point, granted. I guess they have an approach of 'It's there if you know where to look' meaning the die-hards will tune in but lose people like yourself who have a passing interest and might well watch if they made people more aware of it. Quite surprising really, given all you get between shows on the BBC is adverts for other BBC programming, no excuse not to promote these things better.

[Ardiles]

Where Grandstand wins over Eurosport is shared experience.  Stick it on BBC1 (or even BBC2) for 4 hours on a Saturday afternoon, and millions will tune in.  Book end it with Football Focus at one end and Final Score at the other.  It would cream off a lot of the viewers watching score updates on Sky Sports News (which is really just a modern day replacement for Ceefax, isn't it?)

[nevillew]

Bring back scrambling in black and white for the Grandstand Trophy with commentary by Murray Walker....Dave Bickers, Jeff Smith, Vic Eastwood, Arthur Lamkin et al, riding Greeves, Matchless, Husqvarna, BSA, CZ....not a Honda, Suzuki or Kawazaki in sight. Throw in course side ads for Swarfega and the world is a good place.

Good shout Reg,

Went to a televised meeting at Naish/Nash  hill (Melksham way) when I was about 6(I think). My dad has a cine film of me getting Murray Walker's autograph.  All the above mentioned were there plus John Banks.

Mind you, I always used to like the rallycross from Lydden Hill .

[LucienSanchez]

My own personal legacy is that I'm going to have a bash at fencing (until i can go back to gridiron). I think I'm the wrong generation they were hoping to inspire, but hey ho!