Revista PODIUM, January-April 2019; 14(1): 93-106

Translated from the original in spanish

The lesson of Physical Education, a way to learn about local sports history

La clase de Educación Física una vía para el conocimiento de la historia deportiva local

Bárbara Aleida Lam Peralta¹, Osmani González Hernández¹, María Hildelisa Gourguet Carbonell¹

¹Centro Universitario Municipal Guane. Universidad de Pinar del Río «Hermanos Saíz Montes de Oca». Pinar del Río, Cuba. E-mail: aleida3010@upr.edu.cu ; osmaniud@upr.edu.cu ; hildelisa.gourguet@upr.edu.cu

Received: July 21^th, 2018.
Accepted: January 11^th, 2019.

ABSTRACT

The present research was developed in Guane town, a province of Pinar del Río, Cuba, aimed at offering a tool to transmit the knowledge of the local sports history from a developing conception in students through the teaching-learning process of Physical Education based on the teacher's guidance. It is supported on a diagnosis in which insufficiencies lead to a poor treatment of the sport identity from the Physical Education lesson, not taking advantage of the potential that the content that this subject provides, in the framework of the educational teaching process, to provide knowledge to the students on Local History, particularly sports. As research scientific methods were used at the theoretical and empirical level: conducting a thorough review and analysis of all those elements related to the subject in question, including publications, archival documents, unpublished materials, manuscripts, articles of magazines and newspapers, available in the province, besides the observation and interviews applied to professors and methodologists of the municipality. As a result, a historical review is presented where the most significant events and elements related to sports development in Guane municipality, which include: main sports results, practiced sporting events, facilities, the most relevant sports personalities, among other elements of interest. The work as a whole contributes to the knowledge of the Local History of the municipality, it is moreover, a useful tool for the teacher in the integral formation of the students.

Keywords: Physical Education lesson; knowledge; students; local history; teacher of Physical Education.

RESUMEN

La presente investigación se desarrolló en la localidad de Guane, provincia de Pinar del Río, Cuba, teniendo como objetivo ofrecer una herramienta para trasmitir el conocimiento de la historia deportiva local desde una concepción desarrolladora en los alumnos a través del proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje de la Educación Física con la guía del profesor. Se parte de un diagnostico donde se evidencian insuficiencias que apuntan a un pobre tratamiento de la identidad deportiva desde la clase de Educación Física, no aprovechándose las potencialidades que brinda el contenido de esta, en el marco del proceso docente educativo, para brindar conocimientos a los estudiantes sobre la Historia Local, en particular la deportiva. En la investigación, se utilizaron métodos científicos del nivel teórico y empírico, realizándose una profunda revisión y análisis de todos aquellos elementos relacionados con el tema en cuestión, abarcando publicaciones, documentos de archivo, materiales inéditos, manuscritos, artículos de revistas y periódicos, disponibles en la provincia, además de la observación y entrevistas efectuadas a profesores y metodólogos del municipio. Como resultado se presenta una reseña histórica donde se plasman los acontecimientos y elementos más significativos relacionados con el desarrollo deportivo en el municipio Guane, la que comprende principales resultados deportivos, manifestaciones deportivas practicadas, instalaciones, las figuras deportivas más relevantes, entre otros elementos de interés. El trabajo en su conjunto contribuye al conocimiento de la Historia Local del municipio, además de constituir una herramienta de utilidad para el profesor en la formación integral de los estudiantes.

Palabras clave: clase de Educación Física; conocimiento; estudiantes; historia local; profesor de Educación Física.

INTRODUCTION

The Cuban State gives high priority and attention to Physical Education and Sport as essential elements in the formation and multilateral development of its citizens from childhood, following the line of thought of the historical leader of the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro Ruz, when in the speech delivered at the inauguration of the International School of Physical Education and Sport in 2001 he said:

"To speak of Physical Education and sport is not to speak of Olympic and world champions, it is to speak of fullness of health, of study and work capacity, it is a universal experience. It is the antithesis of drugs, of alcoholism, it is the preventive remedy of many diseases that kill. It is to speak of quality of life. Cornejo López, J. and others, (2011).

According to Ariel Ruiz: (...)

"the concept of physical education constitutes the pedagogical process that is carried out in schools, aimed at the development of the physical performance capacities of the individual, on the basis of the morphological and functional improvement of the organism, the formation and improvement of his motor skills, the acquisition of knowledge and the development of his convictions in such a way that he is able to fulfill the tasks that society points out to him from the labor, military and social points of view. Physical education is physiological by the nature of its exercises, biological by its effects, pedagogical by its methods and social by its organization and action in which man is at the center. Ruíz; López and Dorta, (1986).

Alejandro López, meanwhile, defines it as:

"a particular dimension of the educational process, conformed by a semantic unit composed of the noun Education and the adjective physical qualifier. It constitutes, therefore, an expression not univocally understood, with very different meanings depending on the historical moment, the tradition and the socio-cultural context, but which scope is not reduced to a simple education of the physical".

Adding later:

"Physical education today, given its development in the field of the sciences of human movement and especially in the field of educational sciences, is revealed to us as an ideal space to generate lasting learning for life, to educate social and ethical-moral values and to develop a sense of cooperation, friendship, solidarity, where physical exercise, more than an end in itself becomes a means to achieve, through movement, a more educational and integral effect on the people who practice it". López, (2006).

One of the main general purposes of physical education is to achieve in those who practice the habit, the acquisition of an active and healthy lifestyle. The World Health Organization, in the "Ottawa Charter" WHO, (1986), considers healthy lifestyles as important components of intervention to promote health in the framework of everyday life, in schools, work and recreation centers.

The Physical Education includes the set of forms of practice of the physical exercises with an educational purpose, it is part of the physical culture. As Cornejo, y otros., (2011), express, school Physical Education forms part of the sports participation regime, being decisive in these achievements when developing physical abilities, correct sports motor skills, increasing work capacity for the benefit of the work developed by men, improving health, including as prevention of diseases (asthma, heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and others), but also as the most effective way to detect sports talents, which could be selected and incorporated into the corresponding areas and integrated into the different sports competitions in the different categories. The result that can be achieved in the highest level competitions in which Cuba participates depends to a great extent on the work that is developed in the base.

For all these reasons, when developing physical education classes, the maximum possible motivation must be achieved, encouraging the interest of the students in terms of their integral formation, as well as the development of capacities and skills.

In keeping with the foregoing, the knowledge, mastery and use of universal and national thought, through the interrelation of Local History with the History of Cuba, makes it possible to strengthen the moral and human values of today's men, having as a reference the values demonstrated by important historical personalities of the past. Sport as a socio-cultural phenomenon of the Cuban nation allows us to inquire, study and show the achievements made by those men who knew how to raise the glory of Cuba in different international events. Lóriga Socorro, J. and others, (2018).

Local history not only aims to transmit information, but also to contribute to humanist formation, that is, to the development of knowledge and human values that enrich spirituality, on the basis of the relationship between knowledge and feelings. For this, in addition to the continuous improvement of the teaching content of the subject, it is necessary to transform the educational act into a process where communication and protagonism are the cornerstone of learning, which is manifested in his personality when he acts consciously on reality with a sense of transformation and alive, feels and thinks systematically from this general and particular social context. Sánchez, L. J., (2015).

In this context, the history of sport in each nation or locality plays a fundamental role in solidifying the foundations of the history of the sports movement from ancient times to the present day, which allows the knowledge of the most relevant events that have taken place in the world of sport since its emergence to be raised. The history of sport as part of the so-called social history, not only provides us with knowledge of the locality, seen from a sporting point of view, the historical analysis feeds us with the completeness of the history itself, when sport is added to it. Sport is the historical fruit of our revolutionary process and everything that has taken place within its radius of action forms an indissoluble part of our history. History is a valuable testimony, within which sport would be an essential complement and within it the knowledge of the history of sportsmen and women as its indisputable protagonists. Lóriga Socorro, J. and others, (2018).

Montero Quesada, (2007), defines a historic sporting event:

“the social and historical phenomenon structured from temporality and spatiality, where the complexes of successive and tendential relations of the subjects participating in sports activity and their similars take place, framed in the mental limits in which the consciousness and theportive culture are concretized through the historical course of humanity; fact that is registered, evaluated, constructed and reconstructed, conditioned by the influences that emerge from the different contexts, circumstances and scenarios in which the different world, national, regional and local sports systems develop".

For their part, Silva; Bacallao and González (2013), refer to the understanding of sports identity as a historical-cultural process, governed by an image of sport itself, which based on facts and personalities that are distinguished on an international, national and local scale, lead to a transformation in the way the individual acts in society.

Identity processes, particularly those referring to sporting identity that materialize from the teaching-learning process of Physical Education, are shared representations around the traditions, history, common roots, ways of life, motivations, values, customs, attitudes and characteristic traits of sport, which are precisely those that allow the student through the class to identify with the main sporting events.

There are various works that refer to different experiences related to the subject matter being addressed:

On the international level we find the example of the educational project designed by the Andalusian Olympic Foundation called "Olympism at school", implemented in 55 Andalusian schools during the academic year 2011-2012, through which it was possible to inculcate in students the true values of sport as personal effort, self-esteem, respect for the adversary, among other achievements. Baeza and Orgaz, (2015).

In Cuba, according to Bernal y Díaz (2015), a survey answered by 278 higher education students in Pinar del Río, Cuba, shows a notable interest in sports (65.82 %) followed by humour (62.94 %), cultural affairs (58.63 %) and science (56.83 %); the least motivating information being that of an economic nature (13.66 %).

The knowledge and deepening of the sports history of a territory, and within it the exploits achieved by sportsmen and women, as well as the most important facts related to this event are subjects of the preference of the people, and therefore these events are being revived that almost passed into oblivion.

In the Sports Complex reside most of the sporting glories, former athletes, personalities and sports facilities that for many years have left a mark on history and a teaching worthy of recognition in the present and future, which will allow planning with greater certainty the recognition of achievements and values that need to be strengthened to achieve excellent results in any instance.

The history of sport reflects in its historical development the greater scope of achievements, since it is an important source for developing educational values and political-ideological thinking in the students, through creative action between the teacher and the student. For these reasons, it is necessary for teachers and professors to develop methodological activities to develop in students habits, skills and value judgments, about personalities and other historical events. In order to achieve this objective, it is not enough to know the history, but to establish ways to teach it and to promote the interest in the students or young sportsmen, in addition, to inculcate in them feelings like the love to the homeland, the pride of being Cuban and the respect to the heroes or to other outstanding figures. Figueredo E., (2011).

The purpose of the Physical Education teacher, like that of other subjects, is to teach the content corresponding to each level with the maximum quality, but together with this mission it is also his duty to contribute to the formation of the new generations from a multifaceted point of view, and in this case the history of the locality is taken as a reference, specifically everything related to the roots of the sports movement in the municipality.

The Physical Education class has been through history an effective means to contribute to a better quality of life, taking into account the particularities of each grade, and sport that is worked, but independently that within the general preparation of the teacher is that of working on topics of reflection and debate, as well as contributing to the strengthening of values, among other topics of a general nature, it has been observed that they are not systematized, not even allusion is made to the antecedents that originate the sports history of the territories.

Starting from the importance of what has been discussed, it is decided to develop the present work, which objective is: to offer a tool to transmit the knowledge of the local sports history from a developing conception in the students through the teaching-learning process of Physical Education with the guide of the teacher.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The research was carried out in the town of Guane, municipality of the same name, in the province of Pinar del Río, focusing on the 35 teachers who attend primary school there.
Scientific methods of theoretical and empirical levels were used as the Historical, Logical, Synthesis, Analysis, document review, observation and interview.

An in-depth review and análisis of all those elements related to the subject was carried out, including publications, archive documents, unpublished materials, manuscripts, articles from magazines and newspapers, available in the province, which allowed for a review of the local sports history of Guane.

Four observations were also made to the Physical Education classes of the primary school, in this way we wanted to know if the teachers at any time in the class disclosed events related to the historical sports work of our municipality.

In addition, interviews were carried out that included the two methodologists of the municipality and the 35 primary school teachers, with the objective of knowing if they master and work on this topic in the methodological preparations and in the classes themselves.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The following data were obtained as part of the initial diagnosis:

With respect to the four classes of Physical Education observed in primary education, it was found that teachers do not link this subject with other subjects or topics of a general nature. In the class, 3 moments are worked that are structured following the regulations of the current study plans; in each one of these parts (initial, main and final) multiple activities are carried out to develop capacities and skills, also the games of motivation are carried out, general and specific warm-up, recovery, constituting a propitious frame to give exit to everything related to the local history and in particular the sport event in Guane, elements that are not exploited conveniently in function of values formation and the general knowledge of the students.

In primary school, children between the ages of 6 and 12 are very restless and playful, being this class the most liked and preferred by all, and for this reason it is feasible to work from the elements of the sports history of the territory, in a planned and systematic way. That´s why, it is important the knowledge and initiatives of the professors. For example: when football is being played, the name of not only Yonbel Aguado is brought to light, but also of others such as Omar Hernández Castro and Julián Roque Lima who, in addition to being outstanding, are workers of the current team and coaches of some of them. Another example is that when you do arm strength exercises, you can relate that thanks to the excellent preparation and strength of the upper limbs is that our boxers won so many medals in national and international championships, it is then that mention is made of athletes such as: Ariel Hernandez, Frank Izquierdo, Juan Hernandez Sierra and others that have given glory to the municipality, the province and the country. These examples can be illustrated through personal photos; newspaper clippings; anecdotes, and even inviting the figures to the class, among other actions.

In the interviews applied to physical education teachers, in general, they admit that nobody better than them to combine, link and relate theory with practice, that is, the local sports history with the realization of physical exercises and sports or pre-sports games. However, 100% of the interviewees say they do not have all the adequate knowledge on this subject.
Taking into account the above inadequacies, a set of actions are proposed below aimed at disseminating and recapitulating the antecedents of the sports movement in Guane, starting with the primary school teachers, but taking it later to the other teachings levels, as well as to all the sports, physical culture and recreation workers, in short, this preparation is extended to all those who directly and indirectly work with the different age groups.

Actions

To work on the methodological preparations and sessions with the didactic-educational material that registers the calendar of the sports movement in Guane and the historical review of the sports movement in Guane that is explained below.

• To update the data that appear in the material with the collaboration of all the teachers and people who are fond of the sports world.
• To make a selection of what is most appropriate for each school year, taking into account the sport to be worked on in each grade.
• To create an illustrated media system to support the material.

Historical synthesis of the sports movement in Guane

The following is a summary of the most relevant elements related to the history of the sports movement in Guane which can be a tool for the physical education teachers of the municipality when developing their classes:

The municipality of Guane is located in the southwest zone of the Province of Pinar del Río, bordered to the north by the municipalities of Mantua and Minas de Matahambres, to the southeast by San Juan and Martínez, to the southwest by the municipality of Sandino and to the south by the Caribbean Sea.

The predominant relief is undulating, where 45 % of the territory is composed of heights and mountains, occupying 55 % of the plains, located in the belt near the coast.

It has 22 settlements with a population of more than 200 inhabitants and 11 with less than 200 inhabitants. The territory has 8 popular councils and 68 districts. The Turkish plan covers an area of 181.9 km2 divided into two popular councils. ONEI, (2016).

In the stage between 1900 and 1959, the jai-alai was practiced that since 1902 was a practice promoted by Ivan Montes, who formed a team called the Pitirres, later in 1912 he built a court or fronton with the collaboration of Joaquin Pelaez for his children to play, preparing all the equipment necessary for it. This fronton was created in the Martinas, being practiced until 1940 in an individual way and from there the Society Union Club is created in the urban territory of Guane. For the decade of the 50's the Arguelles family financed a competition known as the "Costa Ponta" and the first players of the municipality were hired, such as: Mario Viejo, Ernesto Blanco, Alberto Zamora and others.

During this period other sports were practiced such as fencing, horseback riding, boxing and games such as rooster fights and horse races. These were developed in sentry boxes and fences in which the people had no participation. The practice of boxing was done as a way of making a living.

With the revolutionary triumph of 1959, the jai-alai continues to be a favorite of the guaneros and in 1970 a fronton was built on Bailén beach. In 1992 they participate in the provincial and national championships obtaining the 2nd place.

Another deeply rooted sport has been baseball, practiced at first in the bateyes and neighborhoods of the territory as an entertainment, when it is declared as the right of all the people begin to create facilities in different areas of the area, as in the Martinas, Manuel Lazo, Punta de la Sierra, Sábalo, La Grifa, were rustic lands, which had a space to run and bat, but later these areas were remodeled and then arise the current stadiums.

Softball, athletics, boxing, soccer, judo and chess are other sports traditionally highlighted in the municipality.

Chronological synthesis of the most significant sporting events and facts that occurred in the municipality

• 1961: April 18 falls fighting in Playa girón Pedro Antonio Quintana, name that was later given to the stadium of Guane by our Commander in Chief.
• 1964: The stellar of the mound Jesús Guerra Hernández begins in his native Punta de la Sierra at the age of 15.

Jesús Guerra integrates the selection of Vegueros under the direction of Ricardo López.
Pedro A. Quintana stadium is officially inaugurated by the commander in chief during a visit to the territory.

• 1974: Jesús Guerra joins the national baseball team for the first time, making tops with a Peruvian team under the age of 23.

The brave runner Fidel Corrales Ayala obtains the first provincial place in motorcycling.

• 1977: Jesús Guerra Hernández joins the national team and participates in tops with Panama, Mexico and Venezuela.
• 1978: The basketball court of Guane is created, in areas adjacent to the baseball field of Pedro A. Quintana.
• 1979--- Jesus Guerra participates in the Pan American Games of Puerto Rico obtaining the victory in the decisive game.
• 1981: The boxing gym of the municipality is inaugurated.

The outstanding pitcher Jesus Guerra Hernandez retires from active sport on April 19, after having played in 12 national series and 7 selective.

• 1985: The outstanding sportswoman Haydee Hernández Castro participates in the national softball championship, obtaining the silver medal, likewise she obtains that award in the championship of Handball.
• 1986: Haydee Hernández Castro, integrates 2 national teams (softball and handball), participating in their respective international competitions.
• 1987: On July 5, Juan Hernández Sierra is declared youth champion in Havana. On December 12, this boxer obtains the gold medal in the 6th top Cuba-United States.
• Haydee Hernandez Castro reaches 4th place in Softball at the Pan American Games in Indianapolis.
• 1988: Alberto Juantorena, as vice president of Inder, participates in the activities for the birthday of Isabel Rubio Diaz.

Ariel Hernández Azcuy obtains, in boxing, the gold medal in the school games, the silver medal in the tournament Friendship with Bulgaria and the gold medal in the youth tournament in Santi Spíritus.

• In July Ariel Hernández Azcuy is declared world youth boxing champion in Puerto Rico and obtains gold medal in the youth games of friendship in Camagüey.
• 1991: Juan Hernández Sierra obtains gold medals in the Playa Girón championship held in Camagüey, in El Cardín, in the King's Cup of Thailand, in the world championship held in Australia, in the top against the United States and in the national team tournament held in Santi Spíritus.
• 1992: On January 28th at the national tournament in Playa Girón, boxers Ariel Hernández Azcuy and Juan Hernández Sierra won the gold medal.

In the Strandzhata Cup of Boxing (Bulgaria), Ariel Hernández won the gold medal.
Boxer Juan Hernández Sierra obtains a silver medal in the Chemical Cup in Halle.

• It was created within the perimeter of the municipal stadium an area for the practice of Badminton.
• 1994: The Hernandez family is declared the most sportive family in the territory because it has 83 members who practiced and still practice sports.
• 1997: The judoca Maidalys Leal Valdés obtains gold medal in the Pan-American championship celebrated in Venezuela.
• 1999: The soccer player Yonbel Aguado travels with the national team and participates in a friendly cap with Germany.
• 2000: Athletes Osmín Hernández Hernández and Yonbel Aguado make up the national team and participate in the Caribbean Nations Cup.

Xiomara Rivero is part of the Cuban delegation to the Olympic Games in Sydney.
José Barrientos, national boxing commissioner, visited our municipality in April.

Glories of sport in Guane:

Carsio Cronino Márquez (model airplane)

• Jesús Guerra Hernández (baseball).
• Haydee Hernández Castro (softball and handball).
• Juan Hernández Sierra (boxing)
• Ariel Hernández Azcuy (boxing).
• Figures highlighted by sports:
• Adult baseball: Jesús Pérez lazo; Jesús Guerra Hernández; Bonifacio Hernández Quian; Yariel Valdés Martín.
• Boxing: Frank Izquierdo Hernandez; Jose Luis Hernandez Hernandez; Juan Hernandez Sierra; Ariel Hernandez Azcuy.
• Football: Yonbel Aguado Crucellas; Osmín Hernández Hernández; Osniel Silveira Castro.
• Athletics: Rosnay Ramos Díaz; Xiomara Rivero Azcuy, Jeike Cabrera Díaz.
• Chess: Ramón Caro González: Manuel Rojas Iglesia; Pedro Humberto González Gonzáles.
• Softball: Haydee Hernández Castro.

In conclusion, "The treatment of the local sports history in the Physical Education classes", in the exploitation of the potentialities offered by the contents of it, contributes to the formation of the sports identity from a developing conception in the students through the teaching-learning process of Physical Education with the guide of the teacher, promoting that these students reach knowledge about the sport history, recognize the facts and personalities at local, national and international level, improve the ways of behavior, expressions, attitudes and habits, educate a spirit of reciprocal understanding, of friendship, elevate the humanism and the sensibility, in ways of its multilateral formation.

BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES

Baeza, M. A., & Orgaz, P. S. (2015). El Movimiento Olímpico en el entorno escolar: valoración de un proyecto educativo. Citius, Altius, Fortius, 7(2).

Bernal-Castellanos, R., Díaz-Ramos J. (2015). Incidencia del deporte en la formación y desarrollo de la. Identidad nacional. PODIUM, vol.10 no.30.

Cornejo López, J; Manteiga Lema, L.; Blanco Pérez, J.; Cornejo Montes de Oca, J.; Campuzano López, A. (2011). La Educación Física en la Escuela Cubana Contemporánea. Sello Editor Educación Cubana. Ministerio de Educación, La Habana, Cuba.

Figueredo E. (2011). Historia del deporte en la localidad. Modelo teórico metodológico para su tratamiento. EFDeportes.com, Revista Digital. Buenos Aires, Año 15, Nº 154. Recuperado de: http://www.efdeportes.com/

López Rodríguez, Alejandro (2006). La educación Física, más educación que física. Editorial Pueblo y Educación.

Lóriga Socorro, J. J., Hourruitiner Font, O., y Utrera Alonso, M. (2018). La historia del deporte de vela. Un aporte his­tórico deportivo de Cienfuegos. Universidad y Sociedad, 10(3), 226-234. Recuperado de http://rus.ucf.edu.cu/index.php/rus

Montero Quesada, J. G. (2009). Enfoque para el estudio del hecho histórico deportivo, con énfasis en los deportes de combate. (Tesis presentada en opción al Título Académico de Máster). Universidad de Ciencias de la Cultura Física y el Deporte «Manuel Fajardo» Centro de Estudios Nacional de Deportes de Combate, Holguín.

OMS (1986). Carta de Ottawa. Congreso de la Organización Mundial de la Salud, Brasil.

ONEI (2016). Anuario Estadístico de Pinar del Río 2015: Guane. Oficina Nacional de Estadística e Información.

Ruíz Aguilera, A.; López Rodríguez, A. y DortaSasco, Fernando (1986). Metodología de la enseñanza de la educación física. Editorial Pueblo y Educación.

Sánchez, L. J. (2015). Historia Local y Educación Ciencia-Tecnología-Sociedad (Cts). Apuntes para un Debate. Amauta, 13(26), 87-98.

Silva, J.; Bacallao, C. y González, E. (2013). La formación de la identidad deportiva desde el proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje de la Educación Física en la Escuela Secundaria Básica. EFDeportes.com, Revista Digital. Buenos Aires - Año 18 - Nº 182 - Julio de 2013. Recuperado de: http://www.efdeportes.com/

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International license
Copyright (c) 2019 Bárbara Aleida Lam Peralta, Osmani González Hernández, María Hildelisa Gourguet Carbonel