Are you worried about your kids retreating into cyberspace?  Don’t worry – being involved in a physie club is the perfect solution!

According to Dr Andrew Campbell at Sydney University “A club is a way for parents to engage with their child’s world.  Clubs generate inter-relationships beyond the interest of that club.”  Dr Campbell spoke recently on Radio National about the value of clubs and how he hopes that people see the value of face-to-face clubs rather than on-line clubs, not only for their children but for themselves.

Professor Chris Hickey also thinks clubs are just what communities need. He is Associate Dean for Research in the Faculty of Arts and Education at Deakin University and has researched the role of sporting clubs in communities.  He says that clubs are playing an increasing role in the community and people are going for a range of reasons – an opportunity to meet people, to share interests and socialise as well as for the health benefits of belonging.

He says it’s easy to become isolated in today’s society so the way that clubs bring people together is good for our psyche and our health – it’s actually good for us to be part of something that bigger than ourselves! For people who are isolated, belonging to a club can really transform their life because they can extent their network of people they know and share with, in a real way not a virtual way.

Parents have anxiety about getting their kids away from screens and computers.  Getting them off to activities and sporting clubs is the answer.  There, kids can connect with other kids, role models and teachers and learn social integration which is so important for their development.  Building real life inter-personal relationships rather than living in an on-line environment is what will ultimately help our children grow and prosper in this world.

Enjoy the slideshow of physie kids having a “real-life-face-to-face” good time…