Teens active for 40 minutes daily, but spend three hours on screens

TRADITIONAL sports are being revamped as part of a $6 million program to lure teenagers away from their phones and back to physical activity.

TRADITIONAL sports are being revamped as part of a $6 million program to lure teenagers away from their phones and back to physical activity.

AFL, skateboarding, touch football, hockey and triathlon are among the 19 sports that will be tweaked to be more accessible, social and focused on fun, with the aim of getting 60,000 teens engaged in sport throughout the next three years.

It follows research from VicHealth that shows teenagers spent almost five times as long on their phones than being physically active, with most active for less than an hour a day.

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Further research released on Tuesday from a US study of about 25,000 teenagers, has found a link between texting, video chat and social media use to self-reported symptoms of ADHD.

Kira Burdack, Chelsi Mills-Warthold, Casey Treloar, Ruby Newton and Asha Burdack participate in She Rolls, which is part of a new $6 million VicHealth program. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

VicHealth chief Jerril Rechter said their research had found that while teenagers wanted to play sport to make friends, get fit, learn new skills and de-stress, participation halved during adolescence. Teens report they are put off because of the pressure to perform, the emphasis on winning and being time poor.

“We are really worried that young children will be the first generation to have a shorter life expectancy than their parents. Low levels of physical activity is that key factor,” Ms Rechter said.

“They want to get active and improve fitness, they just don’t want to do it in the ways many of us did it when we grew up. And that’s OK.

“We need to listen and change things up.”

A seven-week festival that combines food trucks, live music and modified, non-competitive touch football will headline the state government-funded initiative being launched on Wednesday.

VicHealth chief Jerril Rechter said their research had found that while teenagers wanted to play sport to make friends, get fit, learn new skills and de-stress, participation halved during adolescence.

Teenage girls can also learn about nutrition, mental health and rollerskating through the She Rolls program, while Golf Victoria’s Freestyle Golf will teach the basics at local parks.

TRI2gether will focus on helping teenagers cross the finish line of a triathlon, Cycling Victoria’s Let’s Ride program will teach young people road rules and skills across 10 weeks, and Double Dot will offer sociable and quick squash activities.

Other sports offering modified activities throughout the three-year Growing Participation in Sport program will be tennis, surfing, AFL, sailing, blind sports, bowling, soccer, gymnastics, hockey, lacrosse, lifesaving, netball and skateboarding.

vichealth.vic.gov.au/funding/growing-participation-in-sport-program

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