British Olympic Association - information and ideas for teachers

School Olympic Camps
Eight School Camps, two in each home nation are held every year. The Camps were originally created in 1990 with the aim of encouraging primary school children to participate more in sport. They try four different Olympic sports and the day culminates in a "mini-Olympic Games". Ordinarily there is an Olympian present to talk to the children and present their medals and certificates.

Youth Olympic Challenge
This is a national schools' competition held in conjunction with each Olympic Games (Summer & Winter). Each school may enter a team of 8 children, who must complete three tasks, which are based on two elements; sport and art. Each student must try an Olympic sport for a week and keep a training diary; as a group the students must portray, in any artistic form, what the Olympic spirit means. The winning team members are guests of the British Olympic Association at the Games.

For more details contact the BOA.

Olympic Day Celebrations
Olympic Day is mainly organised around an Olympic Day Run. The Run was first launched in 1987 with a view to encouraging all National Olympic Committees to celebrate Olympic Day, the 23rd of June, the day on which the International Olympic Committee was founded in 1894. The run takes place in over 172 counties world-wide.

In 1999 4 runs took place in Bath, Worthing, Liverpool and Orpington.

How to organise an Olympic Day in your school

Why hold an Olympic day?

• To focus attention on the attainment of personal excellence for all students.
• To provide a culminating opportunity for cross-curricular activities.
• To form a school-wide event, based on an Olympic theme, emphasising co-operation, participation and fair play.

• Develop understanding of Olympic ideals which reflect worthwhile social and school values.
• Raise the school profile in the local community.
• Free publicity - ensure that the local paper carries a report.

Organisation

1. Early Planning Considerations

• Select a date and time for the Olympic Day celebration. (Olympic Day is celebrated internationally on 23 June to focus attention on the creation of the International Olympic Committee in 1894).
• Select a co-ordinator for the overall Olympic Day activities.
• Select a planning committee. This should include a representative from each curriculum area and head teacher.
• The committee should meet often and report back to each year or class. This will keep the whole school involved in the organisational process.
• Appoint each member of the committee with a certain responsibility.

• The suggested tasks below will help you put together a frame-work for your Games which is tailor-made for your school.

• Select a wide range of events for the Olympic Day such as: athletic events; competitive and non-competitive games; team events.
• Ensure that all the children are able to participate. Teams could be from each form or each year group.
• Guarantee a means of communication on the day with participants, eg a P.A. system.

• Determine location and who will run each event. Planning for this should include: equipment; entries; schedule of events; officials; point tallies.

• Decide what elements of the Olympic Opening and Closing Ceremonies you wish to include.

• Decide on categories for awards. (Participation awards are recommended in addition to result awards).
• Decide how awards will be handed out, when and by whom.

• Invite guests such as the mayor, local athletes, governors, parents and press.
• Contact local radio, television and newspapers.

• Ensure there is a First Aid Station and nurse available on the day.
• Provide shaded areas and refreshments for participants and spectators.

Art

• Design the banners to be used for each country in the Opening Ceremony.
• Design and produce medals and certificates to be used as awards.
• Construct posters to be used throughout the school.

• Write a newspaper article reporting on the Olympic Day.
• Hold a poetry competition with the Olympic ideals as the topic.

• Create the results sheets for the activities
• Assist in the judging of the competition
• Discuss currencies and exchange rates of the different countries.

• Design a world map with all the Olympic host cities highlighted.
• Consider the countries that will be competing in your Olympic Day and compile a list of their capital cities and population.

• Make flags of the countries represented at the Games.
• Discuss their symbolism and what the colours represent.
• Prepare information sheets, for the school, about each of the countries.

• Collect sporting photographs and give them captions in the target language
• Choose one of the competing countries and conduct a "mock interview" in the target language.

• Compose a theme song for your Olympic Day
• Study how music has been a part of the Ancient and Modern Olympic Games.

• Train for the events.
• Start a "fair-play" programme.
• Highlight an Olympic athlete and discuss their sport and career.

• Discuss the effect of science technology on the changes in equipment over the years. Give examples of advances, eg luge, bicycles, ski equipment.

• Discuss a nutritious lunch for all the participants on Olympic Day.
• Discuss the prevention of dehydration during the day's events.
• Devise a fitness plan for all the participants to follow during the preparation for the Day.

• Olympic art competition and exhibition during the day.
• Performance of sports-related drama, music and dance.
• Suggest that the food service provide a variety of world-wide foods in the dining hall.

• As far as possible the day's activities should be as entertaining as can be.
• Ensure there is something for everyone to avoid embarrassment or humiliation.
• Emphasise personal excellence - "be the best that you can be"
• Keep the organisation streamlined.
• Keep everyone informed at all times.