Last month, we ran an open letter to parents from Tim Pritchard in relation to encouraging their kids to get into sports. A comment left on our Facebook page by Michelle Willetts agreed with Tim’s sentiments, but explained some of the difficulties in fulfilling his ambitions.
I appreciate the sentiment [of Tim’s lettter], but think we need a reality check on this. I have three children aged four, six and eight. Our experiences of getting active on the Island have not always been positive.
Being refused entry to our local pool in Ryde several years ago due to the adult child ratio was the first bad start. We then went to The Heights, luckily for us we could drive there unlike other families who may be looking at upwards of £10 for bus travel (although train is cheaper it’s still an added expense).
Limited facilities
Our want to go swimming comes from our children’s natural passion for it, so we wanted to encourage this. No sooner as we settled into going to The Heights weekly, it closed.
Thus we tried the Waterside Pool again, who tell us there are no longer restrictions on adult/child ratios, but who are only open for an hour and half casual swimming at the weekends.
So we take a trip to Medina … only to be told that, due to the closure of The Heights, they are extra busy and can only guarantee an hour’s swimming!
Who, in their right mind would pay the bus fare from Ryde to Medina (in our case would be two adults and two children) for an hours swim?
Travel costs mount up
My daughter attends ballet once a week at a generous cost of £2.30. We have to pay £5.25 for the two of us to travel from Ryde to Brading, one way, on the bus.
The reason we use the bus is because my husband takes our sons to Newport for football training on a Saturday – £3 per child, again a reasonable cost but add bus fare in … becomes expensive.
Sport comes at a price
I know we have access to some wonderful parks and beaches on the Island which are free to play on, but if you want children to get passionate about something and work towards achieving in sport, it comes at a price.
My six year old has gained confidence through an amateur football club coming to his school and training once a week. However, he has also gained a passion for playing football which means cost and time on a Saturday morning, and from September a Sunday morning as he plays for the team.
I am grateful he has this opportunity and grateful I can 1) get him to Newport/around the Island without the expense of public transport and 2) can afford the expense of the weekly fees. I’m sure many would like to do the same but can’t find a way.
Restrictions need to be overcome
If this is to go anywhere, if we are going to get kids passionate and enthusiastic we need to look at the restrictions in place and how they can be overcome.
I can’t believe how difficult it was to get our family together in a pool for a swim, yet while abroad they were able to dive in and away they go!
Hope this isn’t taken as a criticism, I just wanted to point out that parents ARE doing their bit but sometimes it’s difficult!
Image: Dennis Wong under CC BY 2.0
