Minister Thomas Byrne Launches Olympic Movement Breaks with Olympic Federation of Ireland
On November 7th, Minister Thomas Byrne TD, the Minister of State for Sport and Physical Education, unveiled the Olympic Movement Breaks in collaboration with the Olympic Federation of Ireland. This initiative, a joint effort between the Olympic Federation of Ireland’s Dare to Believe program and the Active School Flag Program, aims to provide exciting opportunities for primary school students to increase their physical activity levels.
The Olympic Movement Breaks: Promoting Physical Activity
The Olympic Movement Breaks offer an easily accessible format, featuring a series of short videos led by Olympians and High-Performance athletes, demonstrating enjoyable exercises and activities suitable for students of all abilities. These videos cover a range of sports, including athletics, boxing, rugby sevens, swimming, breakdancing, and para powerlifting, to facilitate movement opportunities within the classroom.
A Collaborative Approach: Dare to Believe and Active School Flag Program
In alignment with their shared goal of promoting the benefits of physical activity, Dare to Believe and the Active School Flag Program encourage schools to participate in a four-week “Active Break Every Day” challenge. Twelve athletes lead short, engaging exercises lasting 3 to 5 minutes, requiring no additional resources. Regular physical activity for children enhances the teaching and learning process, and following these high-performance athletes serves as an excellent way for young people to connect with Ireland’s representatives at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
Empowering Teachers and Students
Teachers can access a challenge chart to track their class’s daily progress during the 4-week challenge, which runs from November 13th to December 8th. Additional resources are also available alongside the videos, enabling children to learn more about the featured athletes, read their bios, and explore information related to their respective Olympic sports. They can also gain insights into Olympic history and values and take part in a fun Olympic quiz at the end of each week.
Strong Support and Innovation
The OFI Dare to Believe program enjoys the support of PTSB, the official sponsor of Team Ireland at the Paris 2024 Olympics. The Olympic Movement Breaks were developed by Dare to Believe co-founders Roisin Jones and Roisin McGettigan-Dumas, with input from participating Olympic athletes and teacher consultants.
Government Support and Encouragement
Minister Thomas Byrne, the Minister of State for Sport and Physical Education, expressed his enthusiasm for launching the Olympic Movement Breaks and emphasized the importance of collaboration between government departments and agencies in addressing the decreasing levels of physical activity among youth.
Fostering Academic and Emotional Growth
Roisin Jones, co-founder of Dare to Believe, highlighted the potential benefits of short, active movement breaks in aiding students academically and emotionally, as well as physically. The Olympic Movement Breaks aim to help students focus and engage while providing insights into Team Ireland Olympic athletes.
Supporting a Healthy Future
Minister of State for Public Health, Wellbeing, and the National Drugs Strategy, Hildegarde Naughton T.D., expressed her support for initiatives promoting physical activity among children and young people.
Register for Olympic Movement Breaks
Registration for the Dare to Believe Olympic Movement Breaks is free of charge and can be found at www.daretobelieve.ie.
