South West NAPHER-SD advocates online education for sports development in COVID-19 era

The National Association for Physical, Health Education, Recreation, Sports and Dance (NAPHER-SD) South West Region has said the major tool to overcome the effects of the current COVID-19 pandemic lockdown on sporting activities is for stakeholders to embrace online training for improved sports development.

The association in a communiqué released after its August 11 to 13, 2020 conference themed, ‘Paradigm shift in Health Physical Education, Recreation and Sports Development Initiatives in Nigeria during and post pandemic,’ described online teaching as an important area of consideration amidst the global pandemic, which has created unprecedented dynamics to the state of affairs in all spheres of life.
NAPHER -SD added that online sports education would enhance the growth of the sports industry with emphasis on human capital development and infrastructural sustainability towards a viable and vibrant economy in Nigeria. It advocated effective balancing of physical interaction with online teaching in Human Kinetics, which provides for holistic modern education and sports development sustainability amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
The organisation also said qualitative capacity building of physical education teachers at all levels should be done with modern technology to upgrade their knowledge in their areas of specialisation.

NAPHER-SD also added that teachers and coaches must create the kind of experience derived from traditional physical practical sessions through the use of modern technology, adding that there should be more investment and strong collaboration between public and private organisations to conduct more researches in the area of exercise prescriptions that can improve the immune and respiratory systems during and post the COVID-19 pandemic.