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The British Judo Association’s
pioneering School 2 Dojo programme has now established 500 links
between schools and BJA clubs.
Launched in April 2008,
the programme simplifies British Judo’s approach to Physical Education,
School Sport and Young People (PESSYP), whilst still achieving
the objectives set out by Sport England which focuses on building
links between schools and clubs, delivering competitions and junior
volunteering.
The programme has adapted
PESSYP into a practical and engaging brand that has been warmly
embraced by students, parents and schools alike. This has been
vital in encouraging more key audiences into judo clubs than ever
before.
Daniel Griffin, Children
and Young People Development Manager, has overseen the implementation
of the programme since its 2008 launch and believes utilising
existing BJA programmes has been a significant factor in the programme’s
success.
“The most important thing
we looked at was putting the School 2 Dojo programme in line with
existing BJA programmes so one of our main implementation criteria
was to put it in addition to the Clubmark process,” said Griffin.
The Clubmark scheme is
an initiative to recognise and reward examples of good practice
within clubs that are promoting and delivering judo. The benefits
include club promotion, having a recognised standard, increased
membership, as well as the development of coaches and volunteers.
“School’s linked with a
club can enhance their relationship through the programme which
is vitally important.”
Griffin added: “So far
we have 137 clubs who have gone through the Clubmark process and
within that time we’ve got 500 links. The average club has
two to three links per accredited club which is very promising.”
The programme also enables
schools to actively recognise their links with local judo clubs
having been presented with certificates to be displayed within
the school which benefits both establishments.
The judo club can also
use the School 2 Dojo logo and brand as well as receiving posters
and literature to market their involvement in the programme, the
sport and their clubs.
The popular programme has
ardently been delivered to schools across the country, to reach
the 500 landmark after only two years.
“I think for a two year
period it is quite a landmark, I am happy about it but at the
end of the day its quality as opposed to quantity.”
The programme has been
utilised in a variety of location such as the rural setting of
Vale Judo Club in Rutland. The prominent club have their own facility
and have worked closely with their School Sports Partnership and
Local Authority to make judo available in every primary and secondary
school in their region.
Everybody in Rutland
has access to judo which filters transferable skills into other
sporting avenues and agendas.
The programme has also
been introduced in many more diverse locations such as schools
in Cumbria and London.
At Whitehaven in Cumbria
the club has taken judo to the community. They have a coach that
goes out and does judo in different areas before guiding students
into the club at Whitehaven.
In a city area, SKK Judo
Club is a well-known outfit in Merseyside. They have a purpose
built facility and have coaches operating out of the dojo who
also go out into the community.
Their model, which is similar
to Vale Judo Club, sees their main club run in conjunction with
several accredited smaller clubs where people can go in and test
the club environment.
The future of the programme
is firmly on establishing the links and creating a platform for
clubs to deliver competitions and the first point of access to
the sport for children.
“The focus is to establish
those 500 links, many of which have been in place for a while.
It’s about giving them recognition which is why we have given
them three grades with the programme. Yellow is to recognise the
initial link,” said Griffin.
“When you’ve built up the
relationship, you reach blue which is based on introducing volunteers
and bringing them in to a range of courses as well as supporting
local clubs. For black a school needs to use communications and
contacts within the school to get more people volunteering and
on the mat to have a go, then you can have small judo festivals.
Black does take a long time to achieve but I think once you have
it you have a good structure and opportunity for competitions
which lets children test their ability.
“You can make the competitions fun
for children which is most important and get them engaged and
then they’ll enter the clubs and the competitions, that’s ideally
what we’re looking at.
“Ultimately we want to introduce more
children to the sport through the programme, develop their interest
and then see them take up the sport a local club. The quality
of our links is vitally important and by maintaining them we can
continue to develop the accessibility of the sport.”
For further information
on School 2 Dojo or how to link your club up with a local school
please contact Daniel Griffin on 07817 995093
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