Roo Sports International (RSI) Australia, and The Sports Gurukul (TSG) India have joined hands to launch Ready Steady Go Kids (RSGK) in India. The sports program is scientifically designed for children aged one-and-a-half to six years to help instil values of fitness and discipline at a grass root level.
Sports play an integral role in the physiological and cognitive development of children of all age groups. Additionally, studies have shown that involvement in sports and physical activities is integral to balance stress levels, which have increased ten-fold in today’s day and age. Socially too, participation in sports help develop the required interpersonal skills and team spirit, alongside boosting self-esteem and confidence from a young age. RSGK is therefore a unique initiative which shall enable holistic growth and development for children that partake in it under the guidance of John Buchanan.
Served as the head coach of the Australian Cricket Team from 1999 to 2007, Mr. Buchanan is involved in the administration of RSGK program. With thirty years of experience as a Peak Performance Coach in sports as well as business industries, his perspective has been crucial in designing the sports curriculum to strike the right balance between fun and discipline. Under his leadership, RSGK brings to India the Australian perspective on sports lifestyle, breaking the Indian stereotypes around sports education and training for children in schools.
The partnership between RSI and TSG is paving way towards a new chapter on sports education in India that fosters multi-faceted benefits. Commenting on their partnership, John said, “To grow and scale the franchised program, it is essential that we partner with a reliable and respected Indian business. We have found this in The Sports Gurukul. Their Co-founder Jay Shah is as excited as we are to be able to partner to deliver such a unique, fun and fundamental program for the physical, emotional, psychological, social and health benefits for children aged between one-and-a-half and six”.
Set to launch in India across 5 centres in Mumbai and Vadodara, this program aims to build over 150+ franchisee-based programs across the country within the next five years with a special curriculum for training pre-school children. Moreover, any pre-school in the country can enhance their offerings by incorporating this program in their curriculum. RSI is open to work with pre-school chains, thereby making RSGK more accessible to their target groups – children and parents.
It is unfortunate that people in India fail to acknowledge the importance of sports in the holistic development of children, and the advantage of physical activity in the overall well-being of an individual of any age. While this mindset is changing but it needs to change more rapidly for long term benefits for a child. According to studies conducted by government agencies, children in India are spending an average of 7.2 hours studying as opposed to 39 minutes of physical activity. Sharing thoughts on the scenario of Indian sports, Jay Shah, Co-founder of The Sports Gurukuland CEO of Ready Steady Go Kids India said, “A lack of sporting culture in our country is not due to lack of spaces or funds alone but more so essentially due to lack of ideas and initiatives from people”.
Since the last 10 years, The Sports Gurukul (TSG) has been working to spread awareness about the importance of sports and physical education in the country by working with schools across India. By providing education, training, and management pertaining to sports in schools and colleges across 50 cities in India, TSG is committed to take sports to the next level. As RSI’s partner for Ready Steady Go Kids India, TSG strives to highlight the Indian sports heritage as well. Therefore, the program will incorporate indigenous games and exercises including Yoga, Kabaddi, and Kho Kho in addition to ten other sports activities which are a part of the international curriculum. “This program is unique and completes that lack of a quality program for age groups one-and-a-half to six years which helps children develop motor abilities through sports skills”, Mr. Jay added.
Ready Steady Go Kids is supported by Trade and Investment Queensland (TIQ-Queensland government) and aids RSI’s mission to cater to the needs of children from a tender age and expand their market internationally. Abhinav Bhatia,Senior Trade & Investment Commissioner-South Asia at TIQ said, “It’s exciting to see top quality sports training and education coming over from Australia to India. These programs ensure the children’s physical, social, emotional, and psychological well-being. John and his team have a deep understanding of using sports as the teaching medium, and Jay’s team has an excellent network in India. That is why I am very proud of the work my team did in facilitating this partnership. This engagement also aligns well as Brisbane gears up for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.”
Almost thirty percent of India’s population is under the age of fourteen years, and sports education is the one effective tool that brings together children from different socio-economic backgrounds and cultivates their holistic development.
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