Moray athletics coach says her sport is “slowly disappearing” from school physical education classes
A Moray athletics coach believes her sport is “slowly disappearing” from physical education classes at schools in the area.
Margery Swinton, a long-serving teacher at Knockando Primary who formed an athletics group in the Speyside community more than 20 years ago, has noticed a decline in athletics activities within PE lessons both at primary and secondary level.
Swinton spearheaded a community effort to build a Scottish Athletics-standard jumps runway for long and triple jump next to Knockando school. The facility has helped produce strong Moray athletes, some featuring high in the Scottish rankings for their age level.
She has helped organised a series of jumps meetings at Knockando over the summer, but has spoken out at the lack of encouragement being given to young athletes by their schools.
“It is such a shame that athletics is slowly disappearing from both primary and secondary school PE,” she said.
“Most youngsters enjoy athletics as they are competing as an individual, not as part of a team, therefore it is for personal improvement and this seems to appeal to most pupils.”
The coach accepted that no other school has a jumps facility like Knockando, but said setting up an area for long jump within school grounds or other events could be done quite easily.
”A wooden frame dug into the ground to contain the sand, and a bulldozer bucket of sand is enough to get going with long jump at primary level,” she added.
“All children need to do is master their eight, 10 or 12 step run-up, take off and land in the sand.
“Most schools do some running so adding in long jump would not be difficult.
“Shot putt would be my other suggestion as this can be done on grass as in many Highland Games.”
She said smaller, 2.72kg shot puts could be purchased for girls and primary age boys, and slightly bigger 3kg for under-13 boys.
“These offer many options for athletics as a run, jump, throw competition can be held. I think it is easier to do this with smaller schools.”
Swinton has been disappointed by the turn-out at recent Moray primary and secondary school long jump competitions which she helped to organise at Knockando.
Top ranking Moray athletes Holly Whittaker and Gemma Forgie were among the winners.
The Elgin High pair both won in their age groups, with Forgie victorious in the under-15 girls’ triple jump with a leap of 9.71 metres, edging Speyside High’s Rowan Bain into second place.
The positions were the same in the under-15 long jump with Forgie managing 4.50m and Bain jumping 3.96m.
Whittaker produced a leap of 5.43 metres in the under-17 women’s long jump to win ahead of Elgin Academy’s Anna Reid (5.01).
Speyside High’s Ted Bosomworth won the under-15 boys’ triple jump in 8.39m and the long jump in 3.95m.
Primary school long jump results.
Under-11 boys: 1 Duncan Meldrum, Knockando (2.69); 2 Christopher Millsop, Knockando (2.60); 3 Calum Moss, Knockando (1.80).
Under-11 girls: 1 Evie Shortreed, Aberlour (2.76).
Under-13 girls: 1 Hope Handley, Bishopmill (3.63); 2 Charlotte Hirst, Bishopmill (3.19); 3 Jade Tait, Rothes (2.97).
Under-13 boys: 1 Cooper Cruickshank, Rothes (3.80); 2 Noah Fleming, Rothes (3.19); 3 Daniel Richard, Knockando (3.16).
