| I REFER to the article, 'Are 11-year-olds ready for training?' (ST, Jan 4). As someone who is determined to forge a career in the sports industry, I am happy to note that the Government has put in an increased amount of resources and introduced various schemes to boost the development of sports in Singapore in recent years. I would like to make several comments for government agencies to consider:
The Ministry of Education (MOE) made reference to the work of Dr Istvan Balyi, known as the Long-Term Athlete Development (LTAD) model, on which the Junior Sports Academies (JSAs) are based upon. As a personal acquaintance of Dr Balyi, I am familiar with his work and I can't help but feel that the MOE has taken his work out of context.
The LTAD model is a seven-stage model which outlines a framework of key development milestones an athlete should achieve as he progresses from one stage to the next.
In general, 11-year-olds fall into the third stage of the LTAD model, which is known as the 'Learning to Train' stage. While the MOE is correct to say that 11-year-olds may begin to specialise in their preferred sport, at the Learning to Train stage it is strongly recommended that they continue to engage in other sporting activities to achieve well rounded physical literacy and not just one-sided motor development.
With each new sports initiative announced, it is increasingly apparent that there is no national policy which outlines the Government's strategy to develop a well structured and integrated sports delivery system.
Using the LTAD model, countries such as Canada and Britain have developed a national framework that sets the vision and philosophy of the development of sport at each level of participation. Such a policy would help the Government plan and allocate resources more effectively.
Lastly, I urge the Government to take a long-term view and invest more resources to promote the participation of children in sport and physical activity - especially since childhood obesity is a growing concern. Research suggests that children who receive a positive sporting experience are more likely to be still actively involved in their adult years.
Active adults are more likely to experience fewer health problems than sedentary ones, which will mean fewer burdens on the health system in the future. Data gathered from countries such as Australia suggests that this investment is significantly less than the cost to the health system and the loss to national productivity through sick days.
Michael Loke Ming-Yen
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