Gommern calls for children's decathlon: strong kids for a healthy future!

Gommern calls for children's decathlon: strong kids for a healthy future!

Movement is life, and this is especially true for the youngest among us. The health and children's decathlon (GKZ) brings a breath of fresh air into the sports landscape and gives children the opportunity to try out a varied competition. Initiated by sports educator Steffen Hartwig, this diverse competition enjoys great popularity beyond the borders of Gommersn, including in Brandenburg, Sonneberg, Celle and Wernigerode. The first registrations have already been received from children from SV Eintracht, SC Magdeburg and Potsdam who would like to take part in this event for children born between 2014 and 2019. You can register easily via the website malig-lauf.de.

But what exactly is behind the GKZ? With the motto “Making children strong without addiction and drugs”, supported by the BZgA, the competition pursues an important goal: to get children moving again after their sporting breaks of the last two years. This push is also necessary because movement plays a crucial role in the development of physical and psychological abilities in childhood, and diverse types of movement are particularly important. The World Health Organization recommends that preschool children be active for three hours a day, including at least 60 minutes of moderate or higher intensity activity. This makes events like the GKZ all the more important, as they give kids fun in exercise and promote their health.

An exciting competition system

The GKZ offers an innovative competition system in which children can demonstrate their skills in various disciplines. The challenges include the 6 second sprint, zone long jump, medicine ball shock, standing high jump, 30 second run, 30m hurdles, discus throw, soft javelin throw, pole fly and a 400 meter stadium run. These disciplines are designed to be age-appropriate and at the same time increase the fun of exercise.

With a specially developed evaluation and measurement system, which has been subject to regular adjustments since 2019, half points can now also be achieved. The children start in a 15 meter triangle, which is an exciting challenge, especially since only two of them compete at a time. The competition is also supported with certificates and medals for all participants as well as trophies for the winners. During the competition, a fruit buffet from Schmidtchen on Tour ensures that the little athletes are also catered for.

Movement as a cornerstone of childhood

The importance of exercise in early childhood development cannot be overstated. Children who exercise regularly not only develop their motor skills, but also benefit from their concentration and social interaction. According to a study, the lack of exercise in Germany is worrying, and it is clear that educational institutions and parents are called upon to make children's everyday lives more active. This finding is emphasized in numerous sources, including the Federal Agency for Civic Education, which points out the social differences in exercise and educational opportunities.

Nowadays it is even more important that children are motivated to be active by role models in their environment. It's not just access to sports that plays a role, but also the social and emotional support they receive. Movement should be enjoyable and not burdened by sitting for hours, because after all, we are all called upon to encourage children's natural urge to move. So, dear parents: Be active and let your little ones accept greetings from the fresh air!