The Guy Butler Theatre at the 1820 Settlers Monument was filled to the brim and buzzing with excited
school children during an interactive workshop entitled “The Science of Sport” on Wednesday.
The workshop, which looked at the physics behind sports, formed part of the first day’s activities of Scifest Africa.
The Guy Butler Theatre at the 1820 Settlers Monument was filled to the brim and buzzing with excited
school children during an interactive workshop entitled “The Science of Sport” on Wednesday.
The workshop, which looked at the physics behind sports, formed part of the first day’s activities of Scifest Africa.
Presenters Becky Davies and Helen Helen Lloyd, from Science Made Simple in the UK, kept the children on their toes through the skillfill use of audience participation.
They took the children on a scientific journey through the realms of force, friction, energy and balance – ultimately equipping them with the knowledge to better their own sporting performances.
Children were straining to keep their hands raised when volunteers were being chosen for the various demonstrations.
The audience gasped in wonder when Davies managed to get a cork tobalance on a volunteers nose by plugging two silver forks into either end of it.
The entire audience had their hands ready to catch a polystyrene ball which was flung into the air from a sand-paper lined piece of plastic guttering. This was done to demonstrate the effect that friction has on a soccer ball.
It causes the ball to spin, thereby coating the ball in a layer of air which enables it to form a curve at the last minute.
Known as the banana kick, this move is employed by famous British footballer David Beckham when he shoots for a goal.
They also demonstrated the effects of friction using a basketball to show how rubbing two different surfaces together generates friction and causes the ball to spin.
Davies and Lloyd used numerous props to demonstrate to the audience the effect that balance has on ones sporting abilities.
Using a golf club to show how to find the center of balance, Lloyd was quick to point out that balance is a crucial element in all sports, not just gymnastics and dancing.
The workshop ended with a teacher being asked to come onto the stage and sit on a seat of nails. The audience were biting their own nails in anticipaction as the teacher gingerly lowered himself onto the seat.
Huge sighs of relief were heard from the viewers when the teacher gave the audience a huge thumbs up. The exercise was to demonstrate the audience the notion of mass distribution how sitting on a seat of nails will not be painful due to the fact that your weight is evenly distributed.
The audience left with a keen interest in science and sport, and the knowledge to help them in their own sporting careers be it running, soccer, cricket, basketball or even wrestling.
