SCHOOLS GEAR UP FOR COVENTRY & SOLIHULL WARWICKSHIRE “HOOPS 4 HEALTH” FINAL
By Adam Manning
Six primary schools will put their basketball skills to the test at Coventry’s Grace Academy school on Wednesday 30 March to find out who will represent the area at the national finals at the NIA in Birmingham on Saturday 30 April.
Schools Wyken Croft, Good Shepherd, Shrubland Street, Coppice Junior, St John Vianney and Southfields all won their regional tournaments to get into the local final.
The basketball tournaments are the end product of Hoops 4 Health, a healthy living programme that is delivered by Coventry Crusaders players teaching year five and six children about healthy eating, fitness and the dangers of smoking along side four to six weeks of basketball coaching.
Southfields Primary teacher Dave Roach praised the confidence that the initiative gave to his pupils. Talking to Crusaders TV after his side’s progression to the finals, he said: “It’s great for the kids because they’ve worked so hard with the coaches and it’s more than what they could have wished for.”
“They worked together and defended, attacked and talked to each other. They believed in themselves and primarily worked as a team.”
As Hoops 4 Health is expanding outside of Coventry and to over 20 primary schools this year in Solihull and Leamington, Warwick District Council’s sports development officer Devon Ellis was present to watch one of the regional tournaments at North Leamington School, and after experiencing Hoops 4 Health for the first time this year, he was keen to highlight the educational benefits of the programme.
“It brings to the knowledge of kids about a healthy lifestyle, healthy eating and the benefits of sport” said Ellis. “When the Coventry Crusaders players have gone into schools they’ve taken in educational packages about the respiratory system and the downsides to things like smoking and drinking; and the kids have really taken to it.”
Hoops 4 Health is also trying to help tackle Coventry’s high obesity levels amongst year six pupils. The NHS have revealed that 19 per cent of year six children are classed as over weight, and Crusader Foundation director Scott Neely, who manages Crusaders’ community work, believes this latest programme will create better attitudes towards exercising.
“Because we’re engaging a whole year group the idea is to have sustainability of those participating. So we want to give them a fun experience of basketball but also touch on the risks of smoking, nutrition and how the heart functions, so that whether they choose basketball or another sport it encourages them to stay fit as they move on to secondary school when they have more freedom in the choices they make.”
For more information about Hoops 4 Health email Scott Neely on scott@crusaders.co.uk.