by Renee Bellavance, PE Teacher -

Do you imagine yourself working on the sidelines of your favourite sports team? Perhaps you think about designing equipment that can enhance sports performance? Or, do you dream about being a sports doctor?

These questions were on the minds of many of our Grade 10 students during their Physical Education field trip to the Sports Science Department of the National Institute of Education on 3 and 4 March. This half day excursion, led by Dr. Swarup Mukherjee, brought the many aspects of Sports Science to life, including the application of biomechanics to analyse performance and the study of the physical effects of exertion. The students even had an opportunity to visit the laboratories where university students were conducting tests for their theses and course projects.

The grade 10 students learnt how Sports Science applies to their daily lives. The activities in the Exercise Physiology and Biochemistry Laboratories helped them understand how science plays a vital part in our overall health as well as our performance levels in sports. “How to measure force of a kick on a ball?” and “how to change the direction of the ball for effective play?” were the questions that instigated a new thinking. A few students used the VO2 Max machine to determine their fitness and optimal performance levels. The class was impressed by the analysis of the test and had good follow up questions for Dr. Mukherjee, who has given the students a great overview of possibilities in the field of Sports Science.

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Thank you Dr. Mukherjee, Assistant Professor at the National Institute of Education in Jurong West, for hosting CIS students at the Institute for the past four years.