This sports education programme, sponsored by Lucozade Sport, offers clubs and sporting organisations an opportunity to access free education for their athletes, players and coaches in the area of sports science.

Phase 1:

Delivering workshops on 5 key topics:

• Fluid for Sport
• Fuel for Sport
• The Female Athlete
• Get Fit for Sport
• Planning for Success

Phase 1 workshops are 1 hour in duration and are suitable for both coaches and participants.
Phase 2 workshops are 2 hours in duration and are aimed at Level 2/3 coaches and regional standard athletes

Phase 2:

• Lifestyle - Getting the balance right
• Circuit Training - Development of Strength & Conditioning
• Nutrition - Feeding Performance
• Making Weight - Tipping the scales for success
• Hydration - You are what you drink

These workshops will be delivered by highly skilled presenters and are of enormous benefit to coaches and athletes alike.

The next Lucozade Sports Education Programmes from Phase 2 is:

Circuit Training Seminar

North Tipperary Sports Partnership is hosting a Circuit Training Seminar on Monday 29th April, in LIT Tipperary, Thurles from 7.00-9.00pm. This seminar is developed and delivered by the National Coaching & Training Centre & Lucozade Sport and offers clubs and sporting organisations an opportunity to access free education designed for regional standard athletes, players and level 2/3 coaches in the area of sports science.

This seminar will highlight the following topics:

- Types of Circuits

-  Design guidelines for various types of circuits

-  How you progress from one session to next with circuit training to ensure a training effect

-  Instructional guidelines on the delivery of a circuit training session

This is a two hour workshop followed by 15 minutes for questions and answers. If you are involved in a sport, coaching or a selector, this seminar is a must for your club.

This Course is open to everyone free of charge. To book a place, please, contact the NTSP office – Elaine/ Sharon / Tara on 067-43604.

All Lucozade Sport Education Programme factsheets are available for download at: www.coachingireland.com/lucozade_factsheets

Background:
Buntús Start is a comprehensive physical activity programme for children aged 2-5 years old.  It has been designed for use in pre-school settings so that pre-school and playgroup leaders can provide a wide range of learning opportunities for young children to develop their fundamental motor skills, manipulative skills, co-ordination and balancing skills and develop a positive attitude to physical activity.  The programme was first piloted in Sligo and Donegal in 2004/2005 and is now being offered to areas with Local Sports Partnership’s, including North Tipperary.

Buntús Start helps adults working with children to establish positive attitudes to activity and a healthy lifestyle through enjoyable activity with children.  Buntús Start offers a combination of adult-initiated and child-led activities and enables adults to choose and plan appropriate activities as well as giving children opportunities to freely select and explore.  Whilst using Buntús Start children have opportunities to develop naturally through individual involvement in physical play, small group activity and to participate in whole-group activity.

The aim of Buntús Start is:

To extend the physical, creative, personal, social and emotional capabilities of pre-school children through enjoyable, planned, physical development play activities in the areas of spatial awareness, basic motor skills, co-ordination and control skills and aiming, predicting and estimating skills.

Buntús Start activities help children’s learning in other curriculum areas by supporting and developing the following:

 Personal, social and emotional well being
 Social and creative skills
 Attention skills and persistence
 Language and communication
 Reading, writing and maths
 Knowledge and understanding of the world
 Creative development

Buntús Start Training Programme:

Participants attend an initial four hours training programme with a further 4 hour follow up approximately 6-8 weeks after the programme is used in the pre-school.  Training will take place in a central venue. All staff must attend both training sessions. The objectives of the training are that by the end of the session participants would:
 Have an appreciation of the Buntús equipment
 Be familiar with the Buntús Start resource cards, their format and layout, and their use with pre-    school children
 Be able to extend their understanding of fundamental motor skills
 Be able to develop their understanding of inclusion and safe practice

The training session is designed to be practical and participatory.  Buntús tutors deliver the training to participants.  The tutors will deliver the training through a variety of activities, inputs, small group exercises and full group discussion.  Links will be made to children’s stages of development and to methods of skills development. 

At the end of the training session, each participating centre will be provided with a set of resource cards and a Buntús Start bag .

Cost:
There will be a cost of €100 to centres taking part in the programme. This fee covers all the training and equipment for each centre. The overall cost (approx €600) will be subsidised by the North Tipperary Sports Partnership and the North Tipperary County Childcare Committee.

All staff must attend the training sessions. It is very important that the selected pre-schools are committed to ‘full-staff training’ and to using the Buntús Start bags on a regular basis.