PE Games with the HOPSports Training System

The HOPSports Training System is one of the active gaming solutions used in schools to provide children with a more engaging way to exercise and to add some variety to physical education classes.

Interactive games are a rising trend in PE classes as they provide children with a more entertaining and versatile way to exercise and kids tend to enjoy them more than traditional PE games. These games are also an excellent tool to keep kids engaged and motivated to exercise, and to boost their confidence level.

HOPSports, an award-winning production company and educational media network, is one of the many suppliers of fitness gaming solutions designed to address the needs of physical education classes and various before-and-after-school activities, and to provide school-age children with more opportunities to stay physically active throughout the day. The HOPSports Training System was developed to offer children a fun way to stay fit, develop physical skills, and foster a healthy lifestyle in the long run.

The multimedia platform uses digital technology that combines exercise and gaming, learning and entertainment. It offers NASPE-Standard K-12 PE and nutrition content which can be used in gym classes, in the classroom, and in various after-school activities. The lesson plans available with the HOPSports system are suited to a wide range of skill levels, interests and activities, and designed to promote the vital skills necessary for children to stay physically fit and active. The basic system contains more than 300 lessons and comes with 10 mats, a digital HD projector with a remote control, a computer, a Fender portable sound system, an A/V portable cart, five ballast balls, 60 sandbells, 10 T-bows, and 30 HOPSticks.

The content library available with the system contains a number of training modules, including those designed to improve students' sports skills, including soccer, basketball, baseball, football, and rowing. The modules include everything from educational warm-ups, aerobics, dance and yoga to functional training, circuit training, swordfighting and martial arts. The lessons are presented by celebrities – professional athletes from the NBA, NFL and MLB and Olympians among others – who were selected for their ability to engage the pupils' attention.

The versatility and gaming aspects of the HOPSports Training System make it an incredibly effective tool in promoting active lifestyles in children and adolescents. An independent study conducted by the non-profit organization Be Active North Carolina has revealed that the system boosts activity in all students by 55 percent and increases activity levels in overweight and obese children by 23 percent. A particularly high increase in activity levels, 60 percent, was recorded among girls. The results of the research also showed that lessons exceeded the target standard for moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) by up to 20 percent, with values sometimes almost doubling the minimum standards for MVPA.

The study also revealed that an average community could expect to get a return on investment of 38 percent, when comparing the price of the product to the health care costs related to treating the consequences of inactive lifestyles, including type 2 diabetes and obesity.

The HOPSports Training System is used in 842 sites across 44 states. Global sites where the system is used to help kids stay healthy include Germany, China, and India.

To learn more about HOPSports, watch the video.