A2 PE
The beginning
Unit G453
• This unit is worth 70% of your A2 mark. It consists of a 2 ½
hour exam
• Section A- Answer 1 question on either:
• Historical Studies
• Comparative Studies
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Section B- Answer 2 questions on either
Sports Psychology
Biomechanics
Exercise and sports physiology
HISTORICAL
STUDIES
A2 Unit G453
Historical Studies
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Are you a historian? Putting
your historical studies into
context.
In your envelopes you have a list of dates and description. You
have to pair the era with the description and put them in
chronological order.
iPads
Back ground information
The Past
• How do we know what sport was like in the past?
• What evidence is there to help us?
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Pictures
Diaries
Accounts
Video footage
Drawings
Equipment
Word of mouth
Reports
• Using the pictures and the video we have just watched, what
do you think sport was like in 18th Century ?
• What do you think some of the characteristics of sport in the
18th Century are?
Development of popular recreation
in the UK
• Pre industrial popular recreation reflected the society, life and time
in which it existed.
• Activities were often supported by a strict class system and different
classes sometimes shared activities e.g. cock fighting or took part in
different activities e.g. peasants mob football and tennis for the
upper class.
• The role and attitude of the church had a big impact on the
development of sport. Puritanism
• Life as an 18th C peasant was tough and sport and past times echoed
this harshness e.g. baiting and blood sports.
• The pub was central to village life and was the focus for leisure
activities e.g. dog fighting. Landlords often provided prizes for
sporting matches and primitive equipment for ball games in order to
simulate interest and more importantly to boost profit.
Characteristics and cultural
influences
Wagering
A chance to go from
rags to riches (for
poor) or to show off
(for rich)
Occupational
Work often became
the basic of sport
Rural
Before the Industrial
Revolution, Britain was
agricultural and rural
Natural/simple
Lack of technology,
purpose built
facilities and money
for the masses
Characteristics of PR
Cultural factors that
influenced their
development
Courtly/popular
Pre-industrial Britain
was predominantly a 2
class society, based on
the feudal system.
Local
Limited transport
and
communications
Simple, unwritten rules
Illiteracy, no NGBs, only
played locally
Cruel/violent
Reflecting the
harshness of
eighteenth-century
rural life
Occasional
Free time for recreation on
Holy days and annual
holidays e.g. shrove
Tuesday
• In the 18thC , life was cheap, mortality rates were high and
public hangings a spectator attraction, so displays of merciless
cruelty in the name of entertainment and sport were
common.
• How can we link these characteristics to the 5 case studies?
Linking to the case studies
• Bathing and swimming
• In the middle ages towns were built at defensive sites and rive
crossing points.
• Bathing for pleasure was common especially on hot summer
days.
• As well as somewhere to bath the river provided a supply of
food, a means of transport and somewhere to wash.
• The English aristocracy of the middle ages considered the
ability to swim as part of their chivalric code. They would
sometimes sponsor outstanding lower class swimmer to
represent them in wager races (Patron).
• Athletics
• Games were held at fairs and village wakes during annual holidays such as
the Cotswold games and the Much Wenlock Olympian Games.
• A traditional wake was a great social occasion bringing all parts of the
community together.
• These events included drinking, blood sports and men had the
opportunities to test their strength and prove their speed and virility in
events such as stick fighting, wrestling and running.
• Pedestrianism- was seen as a way of enhancing a gentleman’s social
status. A few professional athletes in the sport which were promoted by
the gentry patron. This usually attracted large crowds.
• Robert Barclay Allardice walked 1000miles in 1000 hours
• Football- mob games
• These were often lively, rowdy, violent and occasionally
encountered between neighbouring villages, mob football is
without doubt the best example of pop rec.
• Early mob football was played in restricted city streets as well
as in the country side.
• Shrove Tuesday became a traditional day for mob games and
an opportunity for fun and excitement before the serious of
Lent.
• Mob games had a lack of:
• Rules
• Positions
• Pitch
• Referee
• Skilfulness
• Cricket
• From the early 18th C village cricket was played.
• The social classes played together reflecting the feudal or class
structure of the village.
• Early club emerged from these rural village sides.
• Interest and patronage by the gentry led to the early
standardisation of rules which was different to other games
around at that time.
• Its rules could be locally adapted.
• The game was developed from 1750 in the pub called “The
Bat and Ball Inn”.
• It attracted widespread wagering
• It was played by both males and females
• It was predominantly rural
• Tennis
• It originated in France and became popular during the 14th C.
• It was an exclusive game for kings, nobles and merchants who
played on purpose built high sophisticated courts.
• It had complex rules and required high levels of skill.
• The lower class also had their versions of tennis known as
handball , fives and racquets which were often played against
church or pub walls.
• Lawn tennis had not been invented yet.
POPULAR RECREATION- IT’S
EFFECTS ON SKILL AND HEALTH
Factors affecting participation in
Participation affected
by ………
Class
Opportunity
Gender
Provision
Esteem
Gender
• In pre-industrial Britain, upper-class women were free to pursue
certain elitist pastimes such as hawking.
• Similarly, lower class women were free to be physical, but in less
sophisticated activities such as smock races.
• The Victorian era brought new attitudes, especially for middle class
women for whom physical activity was thought to be unsuitable,
undignified and even dangerous.
• 19th C women were constrained by lack of opportunity and
provision.
Class
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Pre-industrial Britain was mainly a two class society.
Upper class- gentry or aristocracy.
Lower class- peasant
The upper class had opportunity, provision and esteem.
(Money, time and social status)
• Task- read the italicised quote on page 11. What are the
differences in sports that the classes participated in? Why do
you think they participated in different sports?
Activities of the upper class were
often………
Activities of the lower class were
often………
Sophisticated and expensive e.g. real Simple, accessible and inexpensive
tennis
e.g. mob football
Rule based with a dress code and
etiquette
Simple unwritten rules and often
violent
Linked with patronage or acting as
an agent e.g. pedestrianism
Linked with occupation or doing it
for a job e.g. pedestrianism
Distant due to opportunity to travel
Local due to lack of opportunity to
travel
The impact of popular recreations of the physical competence
and health of participants
Upper Class
Lower Class
Bathing and
swimming
Likely to increase skill and health
As for upper class however key
functional role was hygiene
Athletics
Pedestrianism required skill and would need
an increase in physical fitness
Pedestrianism- as for upper class;
rural sports-predominantly for
recreation
Football
Involvement was unlikely so had no impact
Mob football was forceful rather than
skilful; could be harmful with severe
injuries and even fatalities.
Cricket
Outside and active during summer months, so As for upper class
a skilful game with potential to improve health
Real Tennis
A skilful, potentially health-enhancing game
for the elite
Not available for lower class. Played
simple hand and ball games for
recreation.
Direct or indirect (developmental) links from
popular recreation to today.
• A direct link is something such as a pre-industrial festival that
still occurs today e.g. Ashbourne Games
• Indirect (developmental) link has come via a previous stagewe will look at this when we focus on rational recreation.
• Task- copy table 4 on page 12 focusing on direct links from
popular recreation to today.