By Dorothea Ban (19S06A) and Nicole Tong (19S06E)
After sitting through numerous talks about Monday Enrichment Programmes, many Y5s wonder, “Should I join a Monday Enrichment Programme? Is it worth it to wake up early on Monday mornings? There are so many programmes, which should I choose?” Well, fret not for we are here to tell you more about the E.W. Barker Institute of Sport Science Research Programme!
When one hears the word “Sports”, it may seem as though he/she would need to be a jock to keep up with our Monday morning runs, jumps and workout routines. But fear not! Participation in any form of physical activity is purely voluntary (though they are highly encouraged). Instead, we spend more time understanding how our bodies work through lessons on nutrition, sports taping, periodisation and many more. We also conduct our own research programme on a topic of our choice! Our batch researched on 4 different topics – power naps, push-up training, running and juices.
One group researched on different training methods to test which was the most effective in improving the number of push-ups that a male student could do. Our group had the opportunity to work with students from Rosmini College in New Zealand and compared our results with theirs to see how these different training methods worked across climates. Our research was mostly conducted on Monday mornings with minimal spillage over to after school hours. Hence, the workload was very manageable.
Video of resistance band training demonstration
Initially, many of our groups were unsure of how to conduct the experiments and how to analyse our data. However, under the guidance of our amazing teachers, Mr Lee, Mr Iqbal, Ms Chin and Ms Tan, we were able to pull through and complete our research programmes, some more successful than others.
Now, for the most anticipated part of the programme: our year-end trip!! In December, we headed to Auckland, New Zealand for a 7 day trip to learn more about Sport Science and experience advanced technologies and methods which we were unable to find in school.
At Massey and the Auckland University of Technology (AUT), we attended 4 days of lessons on Sports Science. The Universities, it seemed, had a never-ending supply of high-end sports science technology. At Massey, we also had the opportunity to dissect the knee joint of a cow to view how ligament injuries affect an athlete’s mobility and functionality. These are but a handful of the many new technologies we were able to experience in New Zealand.
During our stay at the Millenia Institute Sports Hostel in AUT, we were given access to many of the facilities available. Furthermore, we had the chance to see our sporting idols up close training in the indoor facility. Even though we could not take photos with them, seeing the Silver Ferns, Eliza McCartney, and Valerie Adams, among others, was an experience that we will never forget.
On top of that, we also met some new friends from Rosmini College and had the opportunity to try an iconic Kiwi sport – lacrosse! Even though we struggled with the sport, we still had a whale of a time watching the experts demonstrate cool tricks and even learnt some simple ones ourselves! After a couple of hours basking in the New Zealand sun, we settled down to have dinner. We interact with the students and exchanged souvenirs before bidding goodbye to a wonderful day with them.
On the second last day of the trip, we visited the Avantidrome to try out some track cycling. As we reached a little early, we were even able to catch a glimpse of the national track cyclists’ training. They really made it look track cycling look like a piece of cake! We were also in awe as we watched Mr Lee demonstrate his flawless track cycling skills after 7 years of training in this very Avantidrome.
The last day in New Zealand was spent visiting some of the iconic sites in Auckland. First, we had some fun at the Rotorua Skyline Luge. Then, we visited the Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Area to learn about the volcanic region in Rotorua. The scenery there was absolutely breathtaking (even though it reeked of sulfur). Lastly, we visited a Maori Village to experience the lives of the indigenous Maori tribe.
The EWBIS Programme has indeed taught us a lot more about Sports Science and piqued our interest in this area. If you would like to experience the above-mentioned activities, do apply to be part of our programme! We promise waking up earlier on Monday mornings is worth it when you’re in the EWBIS programme.
If you would like to know more about what we do in EWBIS, do check out the EWBIS symposium that is coming up on the 1st of March! It is from 830-1230 and you will be excused from lessons. See you there!
