Fit like Hercules

There's already a lot of excitement in the playground at Am Lindenberg school at a quarter to 3. Almost a dozen children are running around in a big hustle and bustle, shouting "Fit like Hercules is about to start!" - "Fit like Hercules, come along!" and then storm off together towards the meadow. The class that exercise instructor and Kassel student Hanna Pohlmann is leading today is due to start at 3 pm. As she turns the corner, she is immediately spotted by an attentive third-grader: "Here comes Hanna! Now there's Fit like Hercules!" Anticipation is palpable in the air. A group of around 15 children has quickly formed around the exercise instructor, all of whom will be running, laughing and doing gymnastics today. Most of them are in third grade, but some are only in second grade. The "Fit like Hercules" project is a new sports program at the school; participation is voluntary, but compulsory after registration. "We're in a district here with few sports facilities and sports clubs, so it's difficult to find trainers," explains social education worker Kerstin Dada. "That's why we're really pleased to have this new project at our school. The focus on playing together is really important for the cohesion of the children."

But let's take another step back, what is it all about? "Fit like Hercules" is a free exercise program for primary school children and is aimed specifically at children in the third grade. Its aim is to promote enjoyment of exercise, self-confidence and self-efficacy. The project, which was launched this year, is run by the City of Kassel's sports department in close cooperation with the sports clubs in Kassel's various districts. Currently (as of November), 13 elementary school and after-school clubs are taking part, with around 20 more expected by the next school year.

The project is being scientifically monitored at the Sports Institute of the University of Kassel. Student Alicia Koch is conducting the empirical research; it is her first independent project and she is being supervised and supported by task coordinator Dr. Julia Limmeroth.

Alicia Koch is studying to become a secondary school teacher in math, physics and sport and is also doing a Master's degree in Empirical Educational Research. She has been working part-time as a substitute teacher at a grammar school in Kassel since 2019 and has been researching "Fit like Hercules" since this summer - because the project offers her the perfect opportunity to combine her subjects. "It's frightening how many motor skills children lack," she says and talks about examples she has observed herself: difficulties running backwards or passing balls and shooting at a goal because the necessary joint movements are not known. "I think it's really important to create an approach here that doesn't require money, a long journey or special equipment." The aim of her research is to check whether the project fulfills its purpose. Therefore, the focus of the study is to determine the change in the children's physical activity time (beyond the hour at school) and to see whether more children are registered with sports clubs in the respective district at the end of the project. The latter is an important sign that the children's long-term and continued participation in sport is assured.

To find out, she will have the participating children fill out a questionnaire that she is currently developing. In spring and summer 2024, she will carry this out with the current third-graders as a trial run and test the evaluation at the first participating schools for any shortcomings or difficulties. Full monitoring of the project will then follow in the 2024 / 25 school year with a new cohort of children. They will be surveyed at the beginning, middle and end of the school year in order to evaluate the impact of participation in Fit like Hercules. As a control group is also needed for this, all third-graders in all-day care at the schools will complete the questionnaire, including those who do not register for the program. A small survey of parents is also planned in order to rule out "origin effects": "We want to make sure that new club memberships, for example, are really closed because of the project and not because of the socio-economic status of the parents."

Alicia Koch would also like to find out how the primary school children perceive their own physical abilities. In other words, the children should indicate how strong or fast they feel, how they feel during and after sport or which sports they enjoy. "I could also imagine other students carrying out motor tests with the children in the future, for example, in order to supplement the results, which I initially based purely on self-assessment," she says.

The aim: to get children and young people interested in sport for life
Overall, the sports student thinks very highly of the "Fit like Hercules" approach. "Our goal as future sports teachers is to motivate children and young people to do sport for life. It shouldn't just be about performance, but the psychological effects, health and fun must be at the forefront," she emphasizes. This is exactly where the project comes in: "It enables young children to exercise without the pressure to perform, they can try out different types of sport and discover their own interests."

Magician versus fairy: who will win? So on a sunny Wednesday afternoon in October, Hanna Pohlmann plays three games with the children for 60 minutes; more precisely, they play different versions of tag that day. In a "playing field" surrounded by colorful cones on the lawn outside the school, the children first power through a few rounds of classic tag. Then there is a magical twist: the next catcher is a magician who petrifies prisoners. But of course there is also a fairy godmother, unknown to the wizard, who can free the petrified children. Who will win? After a short break for drinks, the children start the third and final game of tag under supervision: "Tom and Jerry", which is played in pairs. Towards the end, the steps become slower, the catching rounds shorter and the sitting breaks longer. You can tell that the children are exhausted - no wonder, after so much excitement and eager running around. So now it's time to see you next week.

This article appeared in the university magazine publik 2023/4. Text: Lisa-Maxine Klein