20th July 2011
Today marked the third day of the Olympic Youth camp. For the past two days campers have been having a lot of fun in an active learning environment. They have all made new friends and are gradually getting more comfortable in expressing their views among their peers.
‘Sport and Ethics’ is crucial to the development of each athlete and this topic was discussed in detail by Mr. Arjoon. It was a highly educational exercise and campers got the opportunity to openly discuss their views on ethics in sport. The aim of this session was for campers to foster values in friendship, respect, fairness and equality and to empower them to not only learn the values but to live them. Two major ethical issues in sport are fair play and bribery in sport. This was stressed and helpful tips were given to counteract these two major ethical issues.
The next session was entitled ‘Sport and Different Abilities.’ Power lifter, Carlos Greene impressed the campers when he showcased his large number of medals. Campers were inspired by the story of how he became blind and pursued his dream in spite of the odds. He questioned campers about their dreams and urged them to go after their dreams in spite of the many obstacles they may face. At the end of the session campers rushed to view the many medals from his outstanding achievements. This was followed by a presentation from the Trinidad and Tobago Paralympic Committee. Former wheelchair basketball player and student at Roytec encouraged campers not to limit themselves. Campers were also urged to participate in blind cricket and wheelchair basketball.
Ms. Lesey Lewis led a vibrant session on ‘Voice Training.’ Campers were taught proper breathing techniques and practiced breathing exercises. They warmed up their voices using the musical scale. Campers were elated when one of their peers volunteered to sing a song that he composed. They looked on in admiration as he sang beautifully.
Campers were bubbling with energy as they prepared to learn a sport in the afternoon session. They had a lot of fun learning tagby and were delighted to show their skills and talent. They learnt the laws of the game, passing techniques and generally got a basic understanding of the game. In addition to rugby, campers also attended spinning class. This was a highly energetic activity that demanded a lot of stamina.
Tomorrow campers look forward to aqua aerobics and ballroom dancing.