Q&A with Gabby Logan on sport for kids - ANSWERS BACK

[RachelMumsnet]

Broadcaster Gabby Logan is joining us this week for a Q&A on children and sports. Gabby is an ambassador for Lloyds TSB's National School Sport Week which is hoping to get as many schools as possible participating and offer parents and children a chance to win tickets to London 2012 and carry the Olympic Flame in the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay. A former international gymnast, Gabby has worked as a sports broadcasters since 1996. She hosts many programmes for BBC Sport, mainly focusing on football as well as a lunchtime show on BBC Radio 5 Live. Gabby is married to former Scottish international rugby player husband Kenny and has five?year old twins. Gabby has recently been in the news speaking out about the effect of super-injunctions having been on the receiving end of unfounded twitter speculation.

Send your questions to Gabby on how we can encourage children to participate in sport both at home and in school, how to deal with children who excel in sports and those who are reluctant to engage, as well as her life as a broadcaster and mother.

[StarlightMcKenzie]

Hi again Gabby,

Aside from the bullying that tends to be prominent in PE/sports (I have found) than other curriculum subjects, what should be done about the fact that children grow at different rates. For example, at my school, one girl had very long legs. She always got the position in netball of scorer (sorry forget the proper name) and was hailed as being some kind of netball hero. All she had at that point was long legs.

However, given that she got so much practice and confidence at this position, when all our legs caught up with hers, and in some cases passed hers, she was still the best scorer. I'm certain that some of the other children, had they been given as much support, would have been even better than her.

The reverse of this also happened. The quiet girl with the short legs got picked last and treated as a poor performer despite her relatively advanced ball skills.

Should there be some kind of 'handicap' based on the length of your legs whilst you are growing, in order to enable fair competition, and further, should this extend to the Olympics?

[Doobydoo]

How much are Lloyds TSB paying you?

[SameAsYou]

I work for LBG and a London 2012 Champion. I have organised a whole range of events and have got archery/karate/gymnastic teachers coming in to my sons school on NSSW to give their time to assist with giving access to sports that they don't necessarily get access to.

My ideal would be to get an Olympian or Paralympian to come and talk to the children about thier experiences and any offerings of advice. I have been given approximate costs of what this would cost to give thier time. Pending thier level of popoularity it ranges up to 11k plu travel - this is something that is not achieveable. Could I ask your opinion on this?

Our ambassadors are Jonathan Edwards & Ade Adepitan - Ade is fantastic!

[SameAsYou]

Hi lottiejenkins

At LBG we do fund a programme (in conjunction with Sportsaid) called Local Hero's and we provice support to 250 emerging athletes for thier Olympian/Paralympian journey. I believe its from about age 13 but they provide funding of around 1k.

[RachelMumsnet]

Thanks for your questions so far - we're going to be sending the questions over to Gabby in the morning so if you have a question to you want to put to her, please send it over before end of today. As soon as we get her answers back, we'll link to the transcribed Q&A from this thread.

[Cortina]

Hi Gabby

Matthew Syed believes that innate sporting talent is a myth and if it exists it isn't widespread and makes little difference long term. He says you may be limited by your 'hardware' in other words lack of sufficient muscle fibres in legs for competitive running, being too short for basketball etc but that's it. What he says is most important is your 'software' in other words you mindset (mental strength), tenacity and most crucially how much you practice. He cites the example of Tiger Woods (and many other compelling examples) already having hours of golf practice under his belt before most others even picked up a golf club and thus a major advantage.

My question is do you agree or disagree and why? Thank you.

[ScousyFogarty]

I think pushy people should be aware that it is wrong to push the wrong children

I also think people who do sport professionally are not necessarily objective judges of personality. There is a tendenct to live our lives through our children (and other peoples)

[bidibidi]

I strongly disagree with Mr. Syed (irrelevant anecdotal comment, I know).

[ScousyFogarty]

It is rather shallow to think a nation who all indulged in sport would be a nation of nicer people Philosophical sports people know there is a ..downside to us all becoming competition junkies. Win, win win, can be seenas selfish,selfish selfish...(I watch a lot of sport) But none of my family are fiercely ambitious. As a sporting person following a family trend Mrs Logan needs to look much deeper. Its a big subject. We need something other than sporting tunnel vision. After allMrs Logans original choice was the law

[ScousyFogarty]

Is Mrs Logan on hols? If you take the gig it is usual to do the jig. I wrote a couple of enquiries to D.Ps on the subject. The TSB site does not give much detail. It needs looking at independently. Coined a good phrase about olympics. "Like a royal wedding with perspiration added." It will be exciting; but overkill before it gets here. I like football, cricket and injunctions. RICH PERSONS LAW DOES NOT DESERVE TO SURVIVE

[ScousyFogarty]

Are we supposed to have answers on this site. Have I misunderstood something?If its just a general knockabout why does not everyone join in? I would like to be told the nature of Q and A I thought I was a world expert on mumsnet

[RachelMumsnet]

Hi Scousy - We've sent all the answers over to Gabby and will create a transcribed Q&A page as soon as we have her answers back. You can see all transcribed Q&As here.

Mumsnet Q&As

When it's ready, we will be linking to the Q&A from this page and across the site. Hope that clears things up for you but do let us know if you have any other questions on how they work.

[SameAsYou]

Look forward to the responses!

[ScousyFogarty]

One is inclined to laugh out loud. Is it a later than usual aPRIL . fOOLS JOKE. (ITS PURE STEWART LEE )bUT NOT AS FUNNY.

[tjacksonpfc]

MNHQ is there any signs of the responses yet or any idea when they might arrive?

[Cattleprod]

Any news from Gabby yet?

[tjacksonpfc]

Maybe as its olympic linked we don't get the answers till 2012

[GabbyLoggon]

Gabby does post regularly on twitter

[tjacksonpfc]

Shame she doesn't answer her questions on here so quick lol.

[swanker]

Am I going mad? Are there any answers yet?

[RachelMumsnet]

Sorry for delay - we do have Gabby's answers back and the transcribed Q&A should be ready by tomorrow latest.

[GabbyLoggon]

Put out more flags I thought she would be in my county today. But a Minister bloke came instead.....one sided story

[GabbyLoggon]

I hope she has a lot of "in my opinion" in her answers....will add credibility

[RachelMumsnet]

Here's the transcribed Q&A

Gabby Logan Q&A

[Cortina]

Great to hear back from Gabby. She mentions that Nick Faldo disproves Matthew Syed's belief that talent is often a myth/hidden practice as Faldo came to the game relatively late.

Apparently he was known in the golf world for his unusual amount of practice: In the mid-1980s, Faldo decided to take drastic action to make himself a better player. He decided to change his swing, which many observers had considered a pretty, long swing. Faldo believed it was unreliable, and used too much wrist. With the help of coach David Leadbetter, Faldos's swing became more efficient, compact, and tight. To accomplish his goal, he hit 1,500 practice balls a day?(this quote comes from his biography I believe)