Sports philosophy
The sporting year at Dublin Oak Academy is broken into three clinic terms of roughly 11 weeks each. Each boy chooses two sports to do each clinic term. At the beginning of each new term, the boy has the opportunity to change clinics.
Dublin Oak believes deeply in the importance of athletics as an integral part of the total education of mind and body. We want to ensure that sports clinics are recreational and formative.
In addition to developing a child’s body, well-monitored sports increase a boy’s self-confidence, his ability to work as a member of a team, his willingness to accept and meet challenges, and his desire for constant improvement: all essential elements in a man of character.
We commit considerable resources in time, effort and money to delivering the best sporting experience to our students that we can and we are always striving to improve this aspect of the academy.
Physical Education is a subject which encourages learning in a play or physical setting. The aim of Physical Education is to teach students the importance of living a healthy lifestyle and to promote life-long participation in sport.
The year programme is broken into 6 strands: Games (football, rugby, cricket, futsal, basketball etc.), Swimming, Outdoor Pursuits, Dance, Gymnastics, and Athletics. These 6 strands will challenge the boys physically, mentally, socially, and emotionally. The student will also be challenged intellectually and will learn about the following topics during the course of the year: Diet, Muscular System, The Skeletal System, The Circulatory System, and First Aid.
Physical Education is not only a great way to learn new sports and to have a look at the science of sport but it is a great opportunity for the student to truly understand where they stand in terms of their sporting ability. It will also give the student the chance to find the sport which he excels at and therefore encourage the student to continue this sport after the academy.
The student will be fitness tested on many occasions (each term). The student will be tested in their endurance, speed, agility, and their strength. The student can then watch their progression throughout the year. The student will be graded on their efforts in the fitness tests and also in a written exam based on the above topics mentioned earlier.
Physical Education offers many things and it is always a huge success with all the boys in the academy.
All Clinics are offered at beginner and advanced level.
Basketball
This clinic is focused on teaching basic Basketball skills. Dublin Oak staff place special emphasis on ball control, shooting, proper passing and defensive fundamentals. We try to develop self-confidence and teamwork in game settings. In 2002-2003 we became the Dublin Schools’ Division “C” basketball champions at 1st year (7th in Dublin Oak) and 2nd year (8th in Dublin Oak) levels and we hope to keep up with these achievements in the years to come.
Martian Arts
Martial Arts are recognized worldwide for improving the overall levels of fitness. It strengthens every part of the body and increases speed, power, and physical agility. It also develops self-discipline, control, and self-confidence in teenage boys. These activities are closely monitored as they do not involve full contact and do not carry any greater risk of injury. We have developed our own our own short course set-up at the academy for this clinic’s porpoise.
Rugby
Rugby is a new sport for most of our students yet we are amazed every year at how quickly they learn the many skills, techniques, and rules of the game. Rugby is a tremendous team sport and is great for building up strength, speed, and agility.
Safety is of utmost importance so players are taught step by step how to tackle, scrum and use their bodies in a safe manner
Cross Country
One of the main objectives of cross county running is to educate the students regarding fitness. We teach the boys that fitness does not have to be expensive and can be done by simply just walking out the front door. This clinic also seeks to educate in diet, and pre-exercise routines, race preparation as well as stretching. Dublin Oak provides the opportunity for those who wish to compete with other Irish schools.
Futsal
It is a variant of association football (soccer) that is played on a smaller pitch and mainly played indoors. There are many benefits to futsal for youth development. Players are placed in demanding gameplay situations requiring quick thinking, ball control, precise passing, and creative maneuvers. Futsal is fast and exciting, providing an action-packed game that keeps players physically active while having fun.
Football (Soccer)
This clinic offers the students an opportunity to experience European-style football through top professional European coaching methods. Our coaches all have UEFA coaching badges and have experience coaching professional clubs in Ireland and abroad. We aim for the students to have fun, to increase their confidence, to gain motivation, to improve and partake in the sport to develop their skills to an optimum level. We encourage all the boys in this clinic to represent the academy in matches against Irish schools.
Tennis
Our main objective is to produce competitors who have positive experiences of tennis during this formative year and who will return to their countries at a higher level. Each year there’s an extensive programme of tennis matches against Irish Schools both in friendly and competitive fixtures. The record of Dublin Oak Academy in the Leinster Boy’s Schools tennis tournaments has been very good and we hope to maintain it every year.
Horse Riding
In this clinic, our aim is to achieve individual goals and develop decision making in a safe environment. The horse is a humble animal that teaches us self-control and empathy which are important values when riding as only when we develop a relationship of kindness and mutual understanding with the horse we achieve the highest standards. The syllabus for equestrian includes; principals of riding, Balance, and control, jumping and cross country, flat work dressage, the competitive edge, horse care and management.
Golf
This clinic strives to develop all the necessary skills to become a proficient golfer, such as proper grip, stance, alignment, set-up, and swing. Throughout the clinic we practice driving, chipping, accuracy and putting. This clinic is taught by a qualified P.G.A instructor. Our students play against some of the finest young players in Ireland. We also have a programme designed especially to teach beginners and players with limited golfing experience in a fun and structured way.
OAKLYMPICS & FAMILY DAY
Athletics, Basketball, Tennis, & Horse Riding
The Oaklympics are run as trials in athletics, basketball, tennis and horse riding. These qualify boys for the finals of their respective events, which take place in front of parents at the Family Day at the end of the year.
Boys not represented in the finals take part in games and exhibitions.
We hope to continue this tradition this year.
Physical Education (P.E.)
PHYSICAL EDUCATION (PE) PE is a subject designed to teach students a different range of sports in order to develop motor skills, cardiovascular fitness, muscular strength, flexibility, agility, and speed. These components of fitness are put to the test during the year and students can monitor their progression. We test these components using fitness testing system such as Cooper Test, 60m Spirit Test (speed) and others.
Dublin Oak’s P.E. programme seeks to promote a healthy lifestyle and achievement of physical goals among the students through: