opinions of all you poiple out there

Ok so this might be a bit of a long-winded post, but i would value anyone's opinion if you can be bothered reading on...anyway here goes: Sphism/gigglesmiley

I'm currently working on a research project at a University here in NZ...the project is bascially a intervention study looking at prevention of childhood obesity (which in itself is quite a wonderful cause given the state of obesity in the world today)...

anyway, on of the main aims of the study is to try and increase how physically active children are on a regular basis and to decrease the amount of time they spend watching tv and doing other sedentary activities....
the coordinator of the study (my colleague) knows that im a keen spinner and thinks that poi may be a fun non-sporting activity to get kids involved in, as it would provide an active alternative to tv etc and hopefully promote an increase in physical activity.....so my colleague has asked me whether I would be keen to teach these kids (all 250 or so of them) how to spin...

Ok, so my question to all you poiple out there is, from a spinner's (ethical?) perspective what do you think of teaching alll these kids to spin? Do you think that largely increasing the number of spinners out there, and therefore (dare i say) let it become more 'commercial' will reduce some of it's appeal?

I guess from my perspecitve part of the appeal of spinning is that it is somethin a little different, that not everyone does it......
But is this a slightly selfish outlook?....should i infact be whole-heartidly spreading the joy of spinning to as many people as i can?

phew..ok...so i think thats enough rambling for now....but any opinions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance
inertia

:37

Category: 
Poi Miscellania

Comments

MAR
12
2004
Baphomet

I have found spinning a joy in my life and probably wouldn't have found it if i hadn't been introduced, and considering that we are using forums such as these there is a definately a community that cannot be harmed by more people spinning. Also, in the long run more spinners means more people to learn from. Fom my perspective, it doesn't matter how commercial spinning is its still cool. I don't see how you can ethically justify not teaching them just because it makes our art more widespread, and the fact is you would be encouraging them to excercise, which is obviously a good thing.

However, i personally would find teaching 250 or so kids a living hell and wouldn't do it simply because of that fact. If you think you can hack it, do it.

MAR
12
2004
inertia

thanks baphomet ....totally valid points Sphism/smilesmiley

I hope i didn't come across like i was trying to be too cool or elite or sumthin....in fact thats probably as far from the truth as u could get..i'm really quite a n00b to the spinning world and i guess i really just wanted to know how everyone else around here feels about their art...

and yeh...250 kids is heaps .. .... but this has just been put out there as an idea at this stage...logistics yet to be determined :16

MAR
12
2004
Baphomet

not at all, i totally understand where you're coming from. Sphism/winksmiley

ive found teaching others one of the more rewarding experiences of poi. i seriously recomend it.

MAR
12
2004
Raven7421

I can totally understand where you're coming from asking this (curtesy of several music communities). First off I don't think teaching 250 kids would necessarily make poi 'mainstream.' Second, I like to think it wouldn't bother me much if it did.

Giving a large group lessons isn't necessarily going to expand poi by a large number of people. Some of them will stick with it, some of them won't. At my school, there are only a handful of people who are into poi. I think I'm the only one maintaining an active interest in it. I've seen people try it and eventually lose interest or motivation...It's sad, really.

250 kids? How old are they?

MAR
12
2004
spiralx

I don't like arguments that talk about keeping things "underground", it smacks of elitism to me. I get a lot of that in the techno community as well, and there are poi spinners that've said it as well Sphism/sadsmiley I spin for myself because it's fun and a challenge.

Anyway if you're trying to teach that many kids you'd probably be better off trying to teach staff as well if you can, because some will prefer one or the other and I think you'd get more people interested.

MAR
12
2004
FaerieWithoutWings

I can't help but wonder how many of them would stick with poi. I was made to do PE in high school, and so hate netball, hockey etc. Just wondering if some of them would get frustrated and angry that they can't do it, jealous of the faster learners, etc? I wouldn't like to think of poi being done without desire or enjoyment... read the "What's so great about poi anyway?" thread to see the love and involvement people feel for these little tennis balls on string.

MAR
12
2004
poikid

I am, as you all know, 13 years and have lived with and been around (unfortunately) this age and below people for years. I've seen their habits and lifestyles, and seen them blow up into big fat balloons, and in their exact words "I couldnt live without my tv".... none of them had an active hobby .....NONE. So my opinion on this, is get them up and going. The love of poi will come and stay in those who see it beyond the strings, whether is mainstream or not. Kids now have GOT to have an active thing to do that they will actually enjoy and grow in. So inertia, I think you've been blessed with the opportunity to not only help this young generation to toss aside the crap its adapted to, but also spread the joy , love and art of poi. Go for it Sphism/gigglesmiley
Good idea too, some would definitally enjoy staff more so yah.
Oh and btw, how old ARE these kids?

M-P Kid

P.s. Tv is the worst invention of man that has turned into a curse that hypnotizes innocent victims into its lair of junk food and laziness

MAR
12
2004
duballstar

hey inertia...

a few weeks ago i was spinning in a beach car park in Devon (SW England) with a couple of other poiple i'd bumped into when a lady came by with her grandkids carring some ball and string string type objects.

she stopped to talk to us about how we'd made our poi (all tennis ball chains) because her daughter is a PE teacher who wished to try and teach her kids poi in the hope that it might stimulate them into physical exercise, so i guess you're not the only one to have had this idea!!

they'd been having a problem making enough poi to give to the whole class though so she'd bought the toys she was carrying in the hope they could be used instead!!

i think juggling skills should definatley be a physical education option but i doubt many would have the attention span for it. staff's more likey to appeal to young lads than poi cause most young lads love playing with sticks!! Sphism/gigglesmiley

good luck anyway...

:7

MAR
13
2004
spiralx

[quote="duballstar"]they'd been having a problem making enough poi to give to the whole class though so she'd bought the toys she was carrying in the hope they could be used instead!!

MAR
14
2004
duballstar

quite right spiralx,
that's one of the things we told her but seeing as she'd just bought a load of tennis ball string things i didn't wanna rub it in! Sphism/gigglesmiley

MAR
15
2004
Rev

socks with socks is equally cheaper.. my personaly preference si to go to the bead section of the crafts store and get the uber-tiny beads and fill a sock with small golf ball sized set of beads at the bottom.. this is cheaper then hackey sacks and is already broke in for all intetns an purposes... plus they don't spin as fast nor hit as hard.. they definately are less likely to break anything and the air resistance goes far to buid stamina/endurance that you don't get from string type poi...

but keepin ghtem active with spinnin gwill definately help keep a higher metabolism and thus fight the obesity... I'm more woried about all the kids that get grounded when the poi slips out the hand and breaks something...

MAR
15
2004
poikid

That's so wrong if they get grounded for it. Its not like they purposely did it ya know? Sh!t happens. Fortunately in vegas I never even once broke a neighbors window......though I hit it plenty of times shhhh

-Poikid- :twisted:

MAR
15
2004
Achluophobia

I once broke a bottle of wine playing with my staff thingy. Sphism/sadsmiley

MAR
15
2004
poikid

Aww, bet that was a bit of a shocker Sphism/sadsmiley But hey, gives you something to talk about right?

-Poikid-

MAR
15
2004
Raven7421

I've ruined the basement ceiling in one room. Dents and marks all over. Fortunately my parents don't seem to mind so much. :mrgreen:

MAR
16
2004
poikid

Hehe

MAR
17
2004
Achluophobia

I've dented the tiles in my basement ceiling too, no ones noticed though.
As long as I don't have to put up with pro poi on tv I don't care if it's being taught to the masses.

MAR
17
2004
Raven7421

[quote="Achluophobia"]As long as I don't have to put up with pro poi on tv I don't care if it's being taught to the masses.

MAR
17
2004
poikid

Absolutely

MAR
17
2004
inertia

thanks so much all u lufly poiple out there for taking the time to share your poi opinions and sphercular philosophies with me :46

its wikkid to hear how you all feel bout your art........ and how many roof tiles you've managed to destroy all in the name of spinning Sphism/winksmiley (as of yet i haven't managed to dent my ceiling..hmmm maybe i'm not doin somethin right..hehe)

hehe @ pro poi

MAR
17
2004
Achluophobia

I'm not sure if pro poi or brand name poi would be worse. but one would folow the other...

MAR
18
2004
Rev

nah.. the best poi are homemade poi... always will be.. its kinda like a jedi having to make his own lightsaber :jedi

oh and I can feel you guys on the roof thing.. my place has this crappy spray on ceiling.. I dunno what the hell its called but it leaves all these little white stalagtites all over the ceiling.. so when I spin too high, I get snowed own..

and I ahve the most durable light in the worlds history.. I have clobbered the bejesus out of it.. and it resonates like a well made gong.. not a scratch in it..

fortunately though I decided to opt away from doing throws, in exchange for a way of attaching my handles to my hands so that they cannot slip or be pulled out of my hands..

MAR
18
2004
Raven7421

Heh, there was a time when my family could always tell I was practicing via the thumps, bangs, etc. coming from the basement.

Can't really compare bought poi to homemade, seeing as I've never bought any. Sphism/winksmiley

Brand name poi just scares me. Could you imagine poi with Nike symbols or something on them? And commercials...

Poi...just spin it.

Say, inertia, are you actually going to teach those kids? I'm curious as to what's happening there.

MAR
18
2004
Exodus

brand name poi? lmao!

thatd be somethin else

i think teaching a group to poi is a great idea... the more the merrier(sp?)
itd be nice to know that theres a large enough group of poiple out there that i could go to a hobby store and buy quality poi equipmet... im dying to get my hands on a fire set but the most i can find at the moment is mail order from HOP... i think itd be great to go to a store and pick out all the parts i need and the fuels and all that good stuff...id still spin the homemade poi tho hehe... homemade feels good

anyways, id hate to see the art that is poi fade away, so, bring on the students!

MAR
18
2004
FaerieWithoutWings

Quote:
Brand name poi just scares me. Could you imagine poi with Nike symbols or something on them? And commercials...

If it came to that, I'd probably cry for the destruction of our spherculish world and give up.

MAR
18
2004
matt

Hey hey, then you ain't gonna like the sphercular brand Sphism/winksmiley

then again, maybe we'll do things a little differently.

¦m¦

MAR
19
2004
inertia

sphercular brand aye..... u rekon u'll go the whole hog n hire a few factories full of 3rd world help for like 2 cents a day or summin Sphism/tonguesmiley .. hehe

oh and Raven.....yeh i think i'm gonna have a go at teaching the lil kiddies...altho given that i'm only really quite a n00b myself it'll be interesting no doubt....
but they are all pretty little kids (5-10 years) so hopefully they won't advance past me tooo quikly Sphism/winksmiley

MAR
19
2004
FaerieWithoutWings

I don't mind if it's a subtle brand... for example, loads of people use Beaming poi from HoP. Just if it turns into a consumerist thing.

MAR
19
2004
matt

:evil: CONsumerism :twisted:

It's a big con

¦m¦

MAR
22
2004
FaerieWithoutWings

Tee hee hee.

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