Fourteen year old Maddy Rees has the world at her feet; fit and healthy, lots of friends, full of confidence and ambition. She is also physically literate and hooked on sport, both elements which she will tell you have played a huge factor in placing her in this great position.
Far from shunning sport and PE, Maddy will be the first to tell you that she cannot get enough of it. And at we want every teenage girl to love sport. Not just because we love it, but because, as Maddy will tell you, sport offers a lot for teenage girls; health, confidence, ambition and the opening of new opportunities, to name just a few!
The key to getting more teenage girls hooked on sport is physical literacy. Maddy is physically literate -without being so she wouldn't be telling us how much she loves taking part in lots of different activities. Being physically literate means that being physically active is just part of who Maddy is, she has that burning desire to take part and try new things.
The good news is that with the right support, opportunities and experiences, any girl can become physically literate – just like any girl can learn to read and write. It is for us all to help them get there.
Below Maddy reflects on how she became physically literate and what this means to her everyday life and future.
Starting at a young age
I have always loved sports. It has always been something I love doing. I started to take interest at the young age of 3, when I started swimming lessons at Connah’s Quay swimming pool. My family enjoy sport, so my sister and I were encouraged in our early years to explore the world of sport. I feel that because I was introduced to sport at a young age, sport has become second nature for me and it will be something that I will continue to do for the rest of my life.
Sport helps me every day
I believe that sport should be something that everyone takes part in. Not only is it good for you physically, it also prepares you mentally in everyday life. Sport has boosted my confidence and helped me build friendship groups. Also, in swimming, my coach has made me feel motivated to succeed because he gives me constructive criticism and positive feedback; this makes me feel better about myself and gives me the belief to do well. My netball coach spotted that I would be a good player from a young age, this made me believe that I was good enough to play at a performance standard and I have achieved this goal because of the belief from my coach.
I’m moving closer to my dream
Gymnastics has always been my favourite sport. I like it because it is precise and fun! I don’t do it competitively, I do it because it is a team sport and I like to cheer on my friends. I am now old enough to be a young leader and I coach the younger girls; my dream has always been to be a coach! I feel that gymnastics has helped me develop team work skills and has given me great opportunities for my career in later life. Once I started gymnastics I never wanted to quit! Although I already had netball and swimming, gymnastics has always been something special to me.
Sport is important to me because…
I believe that sport is a stress relief and is a good way to develop social skills. Sport builds confidence and gives you the motivation to do anything challenging. It keeps you physically fit and healthy and helps you to believe that anything is possible. Gymnastics has made me willing to try new things and I feel since being at the club it has changed me as a person, for example the way I work with children and learn new socialising skills. I believe that if you have a positive attitude, you try your best and keep practising; you will be the best that you can be.
Maddy’s physical literacy journey started right at the beginning of her life. Supportive parents encouraging her to be active as a tot undoubtedly putting her on the right track from the very start.
Fast forward through her life and supportive teachers, encouraging coaches and the opportunity to practice lots have helped her to develop into a physically literate young woman with very promising future.
This is why we all need to get to grips with physical literacy. We all can play a part in child's physical literacy journey, sitting back and making excuses is after all denying them the opportunities that Maddy speaks so passionately about.
Maddy Rees is 14 years old and from Mold Alun High School in North East Wales. Her favourite sports are gymnastics, netball and swimming.
She is a member of Buckley Girls Gymnastics Club, plays netball for Mold Netball Club and swims for Mold Swimming Club.
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