Learning outcomes

The course intends to provide adequate knowledge of sports and motor activities that can be carried out in a natural environment and will have the main purpose of finalizing these activities to aspects such as: improving the fitness of the person; opportunities to improve individual athletic performance; improvement of teamwork; improving the quality of life of the person; education and motor development. Some practical activities in the natural environment will be treated both theoretically and practically.
A further objective of the course is to provide basic knowledge in order to manage, organize, promote activities in a natural environment, seeking to fully exploit the knowledge and skills of a graduate in motor science through practical application.
In particular, reference will be made to user targets such as elderly people and people with disabilities.

The specific objectives of the course are the presentation and analysis of the different aspects of the following activities:

• Trekking, winter hiking with snowshoes, Nordic walking and other modes of movement that can be carried out in a natural environment.
• Hebertism and the "natural method": from the foundations of physical education to a new way of carrying out motor activity.
• Orientation, topography and knowledge of resources and limitations of the natural environment
• Climbing, a complete sport that requires motor, psychological and emotional skills.
• Adventure as the main tool of human training, from outdoor-education to outdoor training.

For each field of sport / motor sport presented, the course intends to provide to each trainer, skills related to:
• promotion and organization of the activity
• design and choice of appropriate activities according to the target user target
• management and management of group activity
In addition, the following aspects will be developed in some cases:
• motion analysis and correct teaching
• Teamwork
• Identifying and managing emotional states of the person

Program

During the course, each specific topic (activities listed above) will be treated both in practical and theoretical aspects.
The course will be organized in 8 hours of classroom lesson and 5 6-hour meetings for the practical part. Each practical meeting will take place in a natural environment and will cover a specific discipline (for the climbing and adventure part, there may be a need for an Alpine guide to support the teacher, depending on the number of members course).
 
Theoretical lessons will cover the following topics:
1. Walking: the value of the journey as a physical activity with a brief presentation of metabolic and biomechanical aspects. Hiking, hiking with snowshoes, Nordic Walking and various walking techniques, presentation of the technical aspects and materials to use.
2. Hebert's theory and practice and natural gymnastics. The value of sports and sport activities carried out in nature, the effects on the body and on the person.
3. Preparation of motor activity in a natural environment. The use of design cards, situation analysis and verification. The equipment according to the different types of proposals.
4. Work with other professionals working in the natural environment, materials and equipment.
 
In Practical Tutorials:
 
• Winter trekking with snowshoes: how to prepare and manage walking activities in a natural environment, diversifying the proposals according to objectives.
• Hebertism and natural gymnastics: how to interpret the natural environment according to a proposal of differentiated physical activity, from outdoor gymnastics to Hebert paths in nature; from working with the elderly to the possible use of the natural environment for athletic training.
• Topography, orientation: use of orientation instruments on the territory, through an orienteering path.
• Climbing presentation and experimentation of a complete sports discipline on the level of physical, emotional and psychological involvement.
• Adventure: the natural environment as a context for experiencing adventurous motor sports and sports activities aimed at education, personal growth, teamwork.
 
During the activity, the theoretical elements above will be introduced, through an active method of comparison. Students will be given a dispensation and after each meeting students will be required to produce a written work, develop different aspects for each activity, according to the instructions that will be provided by the teacher.
 
 
Suggested texts
* MASSA R. “Linee di fuga. L’avventura nella formazione umana”, Nuova Italia, Firenze 1989
* GIANOTTI L. “L’arte di camminare” Edicicloeditore, 2011
* DEMETRIO D. “Filosofia del camminare” Raffaello Cortina Editore 2005
* ROTONDI M. “formazione outdoor: apprendere dall’esperienza”, Franco Angeli, Milano 2004
* MORTARI L., ZERBATO R. “Avventure in natura” Edizioni Junior, 2007
* EDLINGER P. “arrampicare”
* AUTORI VARI “La didattica delle guide alpine: teoria e prassi”

Examination Methods

The course exam will take into account the different written reports that each student will elaborate after each of the experiences they make and end with a final synthesis interview of the entire program being conducted.