The benefits of physical activity are enormous. Yet 61% of Canadians aged 5 to 17 are not doing enough, according to data released by ParticipACTION in 2020. With his team, David Arsenault, founder of Champions for Life, wants to improve the statistics. Take a look at a program that gets kids moving.
It is 3:30 pm In a single file, the kindergarten students from the Petite-Bourgogne school enter the gymnasium with their daycare educator, Mr.me Elena. Some are agitated and eager to move. Mr. Ali, a physical education teacher, takes the floor and unveils the plan for the next 30 minutes: repeat the exercises seen in the last few weeks and play tag. “I know it’s your favorite game,” he said, buried by the children’s cries of joy.
PHOTO PHILIPPE BOIVIN, SPECIAL COLLABORATION
Ghalya practices the long jump.
Divided into three groups, the young people walk from station to station to work on basic movements: the long jump, throws and balancing postures. At the first station, Mr. Ali reminds the children how to jump by dissecting the movement. Luca is the first to do so, then Sofia, followed by Ghalya, Illes and the others.
PHOTO PHILIPPE BOIVIN, SPECIAL COLLABORATION
Luca enjoys practicing the throw a lot.
The whistle sounds: the group changes station. After having worked their balance by imitating the flamingo, the young people throw pockets in hoops. Luca particularly enjoys this exercise and is proud of it when it succeeds. Sofia, on the other hand, prefers the following activity: tagging. To hear the exclamations during the game, we can see that she is not the only one.
PHOTO PHILIPPE BOIVIN, SPECIAL COLLABORATION
It’s time to play tag!
The Petite-Bourgogne school, located in the Sud-Ouest borough in Montreal, is one of 258 schools in Quebec to benefit from the Champions for Life program, intended for children aged 4 to 8.
In day care services, the program lasts 20 weeks.
PHOTO PHILIPPE BOIVIN, SPECIAL COLLABORATION
Ali Bencheikh, physical education teacher at the Petite-Bourgogne school
From start to finish, there is a marked improvement in all physical skills.
Ali Bencheikh, the physical education teacher who leads the activity
As the weeks go by, the children who participate in it pay more attention, and not only in the gymnasium, says educator Elena Mihaela Crisan. “I noticed a big difference compared to other schools where I worked. ”
The movements seen during the year will be used in the practice of many sports, underlines Ali Bencheikh. Throws in baseball and basketball, balance in gymnastics, jumps in athletics, he gives as an example.
Go back to base
“Children are not only too little active, they also don’t learn to move,” says David Arsenault, founder of Champions for Life. This former member of the national taekwondo team has long evolved with the sports elite. He has coached some hockey players, including Vincent Lecavalier.
“Athletes are a pyramid. You start with a base and it’s just the best that get to the top. I coached the best for 12-15 years. […] One day I thought to myself, “They don’t need me. The children need me. ” ”
PHOTO PROVIDED BY CHAMPIONS FOR LIFE
David Arsenault, Founder of Champions for Life
I saw more and more young athletes who did not know how to jump, frolic, run properly, do basic movements properly. The basis of physical literacy was not there.
David Arsenault, Founder of Champions for Life
Supported by physical education teachers, David Arsenault created, in 2013, a program that allows children to acquire basic motor skills and have confidence in their abilities. The emphasis on physical literacy prompted the Montreal Canadiens Children’s Foundation to become a partner of Champions for Life.
Tools for confidence
“We worked to find the obstacles to physical activity and the lack of skills is a major obstacle. A child who does not feel competent will not join a group playing dodgeball in the schoolyard or ride a bicycle. […] It is important that a child learns to run well, jump well, throw well. It gives him self-confidence and, afterwards, he has a taste for playing sports, ”explains Geneviève Paquette, Executive Director of the Fondation des Canadiens pour enfants.
Are Champions for Life activities similar to those in a physical education class? “We do not replace physical education, we are a complement”, answers David Arsenault. Moreover, Champions for Life also offers training and information sheets to equip teachers.
Offered free of charge in underprivileged schools thanks to partners and donors, the program has been followed by more than 17,000 children to date. David Arsenault and his team hope to increase the number of participating schools to 500 within a year to reach even more young people. “I want children to thrive,” says this sports fanatic who was most benefited by physical activity in his youth.
Visit the Champions for Life website