Member Article

Get fit at the festival of sport

Secondary school age children from across Tyne and Wear are preparing to get fit - and have fun - at Tyne and Wear Sport’s Festival of Sport, which takes place on Thursday (15 May).

This year’s Tyne and Wear Sport’s Festival of Sport is bringing new and emerging sports to over 400 children who may otherwise not experience them. Fresh on the agenda are Street Cheer, Urban Funk and Ultimate Frisbee, all of which have been designed to be enjoyed in indoor as well as open or countryside spaces, so no-one misses out.

The overall objective of the Festival of Sport is to help raise awareness and encourage participation in sport with able-bodied and disabled children aged between 13 and 16 throughout Tyne and Wear.

Marc Steutel, former basketball professional and coach for the day, said: “The Festival of Sport is such a popular event in the local sporting calendar. It’s fantastic to be involved at the grassroots, being in a position to teach children about basketball often when they have never been exposed to it before.

“Since making the transition from playing professionally to coaching, I’ve been lucky enough to find a hugely rewarding and constantly challenging career. For me, the outreach work I do in the East End of Newcastle for the Newcastle Eagles Community Foundation - helping to tackle the obesity issue as part of a trial program in ten primary schools, is an important step in helping to nurture another generation of basketball players and general sports fanatics. This is essential for the future of all sports, which is why the Festival of Sport is so worthwhile, and why coaching in Tyne and Wear is fundamental to young people’s sporting development.”

This year’s Festival of Sport is being held at Temple Park Leisure Centre in South Tyneside, between 9:30am and 2:30pm. Further information on Tyne and Wear Sport, the Festival of Sport, and details of sports clubs and teams in your local area can all be obtained via www.tynewearsport.org.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .