Over 300 students tried soft archery for the first time at the South Yorkshire School Games.
On Thursday 14 March, the Sheffield Institute of Sport played host to the annual South Yorkshire School Games. Over 300 children aged 7-8 came along to take part. They spent the day going around in their classes and having a go at each of the sports on offer, including: archery, dance, table tennis, karate, and more. Even Fletch the lion, Archery GB's mascot, made an appearance!
Kim Horton, School Games organiser for All Saints Catholic High School in Sheffield and Development Manager Link School Sport Partnership, talked to us about the importance of the School Games:
"I wanted to ensure that there was something for everyone because it’s not always one size fits all when it comes to children and sports. I definitely wanted the alternative, non-traditional activities that they wouldn’t do in P.E. I also wanted to make sure there was a strong club or NGB presence so that should a child come here today and love something, they would then have information to take away to be able to progress in that sport if they choose to."
The School Games aims to introduce new, non-curricular sports to young people who may be less inclined to take part in sports compared to their peers. The hope is that they come away from the day having found a love and enjoyment for something they never would’ve considered before.
Kim added: "We pride ourselves on creating the right environment for the right children. Giving them the chance to represent their school, represent themselves, and let them have as much fun as possible so that they want to keep coming back."
With the support of Archery GB and eight volunteer coaches, students from around 30 different South Yorkshire schools were able to try Arrows soft archery, and the reception they received from the children was electric!
Yvonne Stead, Archery GB's Regional Development Officer for NCAS, said: "The importance of events like this cannot be underestimated, not just for archery but also for the children and inspiring them to try something new! Thank you to Yorkshire Sport for the invitation to attend and also to the coaches who worked tirelessly during the day promoting our sport."
Many thanks to: Yvonne Stead, Peter Jeffrey, Mary Skeet, Andy Shaw, Len Dunn, Emily Burton, Clive Morley, Christopher Rose, and Graham Pearson.
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