Government of the State of Osun through the Directorate of Social Mobilisation and Guardian, Office of the Governor, recently announced its decision to institutionalise Calisthenics into Public Schools across the state. Ademola Yaya , one of the calisthenics team leaders provides more insight into the intention of the government in this interview with KEHINDE AYANTUNJI. Excerpts
OSDF: It has been in the news that a new template has been designed for Calisthenics in Osun. What is it about?
Ademola: Yes, since the introduction of calisthenics in our Public Schools by Governor Rauf Aregbesola, performances and displays at various anniversary celebrations had been restricted to about 15,000 pupils from schools in Osogbo and Olorunda Local Government Areas alone. With the new template as approved by Mr. Governor, selected public schools in all the nine Federal Constituencies as well as interested Private Schools in the proximity of the designated Training Centres can participate.
Secondly, participation is voluntary with the Parents or Guardians of the participating students responsible for their costumes. The government will only be responsible for the training and competitions which will hold in two stages – at the Senatorial level amongst teams representing Federal Constituencies and at the State level among the First Placed Teams that might have emerged at the Senatorial level competition.
In addition to trophies, plaques, medals and certificates of participation for the participants, cash prize of N1,000,000 (One million naira), N750,000 (Seven hundred and fifty thousand naira); and N500,000 (Five hundred thousand naira) will be won by the first, second and third place teams respectively at the state level competition in July, 2017. By November 2017, the 1st team in each of the Senatorial level will compete for N2,000,000 (Two million naira); N1,000,000 (One million naira) and N750,000 (Seven hundred and fifty thousand naira) for 1st, 2nd and 3rd positions respectively. These cash prizes will be used by the authorities of the combined participating schools and the host school for the development of their sporting facilities and activities.
OSDF: How practicable is this activities, especially at the State Anniversary level in November, 2017?
Ademola: Calisthenics is very flexible, it all depends on creativity. At our level, displays take two categories – field composition and background display. Activities at the Federal Constituencies to the Senatorial competition are only based on field compositions. At the state level on the Anniversary day, a background display consisting of rows of pupils seated in a gallery at Osogbo Township Stadium will be forming captions of different words or patterns, speaking to the competing teams in the main bowl. The background will not be competitive, it will only add flavour and glamour to complement the competing teams and entertain the audience.
At another level, the field composition could also play background role to form different words and captions. Display can involve from a few dozens up to thousands of persons exercising in unison. As stated already, calisthenics is very flexible; it is a function of creativity.
OSDF: What does this new template intend to achieve?
Ademola: Calisthenics takes pupils from average families away from harmful and vile-out-of-school engagement into joyful and healthy activities, especially in the absence of other healthy exercises in our schools today. It teaches discipline, cooperation and teamwork; it conditions the pupils to be physically and mentally sound; it brings participants from various background and orientation together in a happy atmosphere which is a fertile ground for developing pleasant, unforgettable experiences and perhaps, lifetime friendship.
In essence, the target of Mr. Governor is to institutionalise calisthenics in our schools curriculum as an integral part of processes to mould a complete new character that is imbibed with tools needed for daily application of life such that they will be completely educated in soul, mind and vision. This should not be taken in isolation. Just like the mega schools, school feeding, uniform, Opon Imo, training and re-training of teachers, incentives to teachers and many more, calisthenics is engraved in the Six-point Integral Action Plan of Mr Governor, with which he canvassed for votes in 2007 gubernatorial election in Osun.