UK ITF Scotland, region 1 Instructor Brad Robertson recently performed ITF Taekwon-Do taster sessions to Primary School children in his local area as part of the Active Schools programme. Brad applied to the Active Schools coordinator who brought him onto the programme based on his achievements within the martial art and his experience as a top competitor. 

Active Schools is a sportscotland led programme designed to encourage children and young people to get active and stay active. Sportscotland works in partnership with local authorities and associated partners, who have all committed to Active Schools.

On the ground, a network of managers and coordinators work within every local authority area to increase the number of good quality opportunities for children and young people to get active.                            

The sessions brought back memories for Brad as he had to liaise with various members of staff at his old school, Dunbar Primary, many of whom remembered his enthusiasm for the Martial Art when he was a pupil at the Primary. Other Primary Schools in the Dunbar catchment area that benefited from Brads experience were West Barns, East Linton, Stenton & Innerwick.                                                  

Brad was asked to discuss with the children the dedication, focus and effort that enabled him to become a junior World & European Champion as well as the current adult World Champion. He also discussed the effort required to consistently remain at a high level within the Taekwon-Do competition circuit talking through some of the training that he had done and the sacrifices he had made to achieve his goal. The highlight for the pupils was when he talked of the feeling of being a World Champion and what it meant to him when the gold medal was placed around his neck.                                                         

The demonstrations consisted of some Taekwon-Do kicking techniques, which the children actively participated in, some patterns and then an open floor question and answer session where the children could ask Brad whatever they wanted.  They took great pleasure in putting him on the spot, especially the students of Taekwon-Do that Brad already teaches.

Each of the schools were so impressed with the interaction and engagement that Brad and the pupils had that they have invited him back to promote Health Week at the Primary’s within the Dunbar catchment area in the coming months.                                                                                                                               

Brad hopes that this exposure through the Active School programme with Taekwon-Do will lead to other opportunities to coach and mentor children and young people to achieve their own goals and maybe one day become a World Champion.

 

Taekwon