- author, Catriona Aitken
- role, BBC Wales
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A teenager who campaigned for skateboarding to be included in school qualifications is proud that it has been added to the list of approved GCSE sports in Wales.
Ossian George, 15, said he missed out on the extra training but was “so glad” others could benefit from it.
The skateboarder, from Crosshands, Carmarthenshire, took up the sport aged just five and now competes regularly, coming second at the Urban Games in Cardiff last year.
Wales this week added 13 new sports, including skateboarding, to the approved list for physical education at GCSE level.
Other newly permitted sports include BMX, shooting, kickboxing and wakeboarding.
In June 2023, the independent qualifications regulator published new Made for Wales GCSE acceptance criteria in Physical Education and Health. This certification standard will be available for initial teaching from September 2026.
Since then, we have worked with a range of stakeholders, including teachers, coaches and the WJEC exam board, to co-create a list of approved sports for learners to choose from when completing their non-exam assessment.
“I'm really happy that they're allowing it, because I think it's going to give a lot of opportunities to young skateboarders,” Ossian said.
“I'm really happy to have played a part in making this happen. I'm a little disappointed that I didn't have this opportunity, but now at least other young people will.”
The changes will make Wales the second country in the UK to introduce skateboarding, after Northern Ireland.
Sam Holler, Skateboard GB's operations director at the Welsh hub, said the inclusion of skateboarding was “long overdue”.
“I'm really excited about this news because it's a huge recognition of the fact that there's demand not just for skateboarding, but for other sports as well,” he said.
“I think this is a fantastic opportunity for people, health, wellbeing and communities, and it will make doing your GCSEs an even more enjoyable experience.”
He said his job involves “developing young, promising talent” in the sport and he hoped the announcement would lead to further growth in the sport.
“The Olympics are already having that effect, we've seen a significant increase in young people getting involved in skateboarding, and we hope this will extend that impact even further,” he added.
“Skateboarders are resilient and we are determined. It's great to hear that young people have helped make this happen.”
Mr Ossian explained that having the option of skateboarding at GCSE level would give young skateboarders more time and resources to develop their skills, while also improving their academic performance given the hard work they have already put in. Did.
“Given that soccer and tennis were already included, people who were into those sports had that opportunity, but people like me didn't have that opportunity,” he says. .
“I think people who were into skateboarding no longer needed to do PE at school, but now they’re more likely to take GCSEs.
“It helps them in school too, so they become more interested in it and it helps them get better at it.”
He added that the sport promotes not only the physical health but also the mental health of participants.
Ms Ossian said she would like to see more skateparks opened to support new learners.
“There aren't that many skateparks, especially in Wales,” he says.
“For people to progress, we need more skateparks, and now that we have school studies for physical education, I think it is essential to have more skateparks.
“I like seeing new people come to skateboarding, and if there's someone new, I always try to help. We all started somewhere, and we're all beginners. did.”
Kerry Jones, senior qualifications manager at Qualification Wales, said it was important for the organization to make the updated list “as attractive and inclusive as possible”.
“We thought these are exactly the sports and physical activities that young people currently enjoy and take part in, and by adding these to the approved list, more young people will be able to take this new GCSE. We hope you will be encouraged to get involved.”
