Dragon Sport exceeding all expectations
Dragon Sport
More than 800 youngsters, including groups from four Vale of
Glamorgan primary schools, have enjoyed a host of sporting
activities.
The children were attending an inaugural Dragon Sport
Extravaganza at the National Indoor Athletics Centre in
Cardiff - the imposing £7.1m athletics arena which is the
training HQ of sprint stars such as Christian Malcolm and John
McFall.
The event allowed youngsters to indulge in 10 sporting
activities, including golf, hockey and cricket, and aimed to entice
them away from simply watching our elite sportsmen and women on
television and, instead, emulating their achievements.
The Lottery-funded Dragon Sport scheme - Wales’ biggest
campaign to get primary schoolchildren hooked on
out-of-school-hours sport - is helping draw more children into
sport and increase activity levels.
Launched in 2000, the Sports Council for Wales’s brainchild was
billed as the biggest ever recruitment drive in Welsh sport, and,
seven years from inception, has continued to exceed all
expectations.
Latest figures show that 92% of primary schools in Wales are now
actively involved in the scheme and, over the last year alone, more
than 100,000 participants have been recruited and over 1,500 adults
- other than teachers - are helping run after school Dragon Sport
clubs.
Vale Council Cabinet Member for Tourism and Leisure Cllr Gwyn
John, who attended the event along with Operational Manager
(Leisure and Tourism) Dave Knevett, was soon wrapped up in the
festivities. He said: "Dragon Sport has made a very significant
contribution towards physical activity in primary schools.
Participation in the programme has also helped schools to offer a
wider range of activities."
Welsh Assembly Sports Minister Alun Pugh said: "Dragon Sport
introduces children to sport at a basic fun and enjoyment level and
works at broadening their sporting interest, which is one of the
key aims of Climbing Higher, the Assembly Government sport and
physical activity strategy which is going from strength to
strength.”
The participating Vale schools were Barry Island, Jenner Park
and Ysgol Sant Baruc in Barry and St Joseph's RC, Penarth.
For more information on Dragon Sports in the Vale, contact
Rachel McGuinness or Pete Hardwick on (01446) 704681 or visit
www.valeofglamorgan.gov.uk/sportsdevelopment for
details.
Caption: Youngsters from Jenner Park Primary
School, Barry, were joined by Vale Council Cabinet Member for
Tourism and Leisure Cllr Gwyn John, Dragon Sport mascot Ddraig the
Dragon and athlete Jamie Thie, the British 1,500m champion, who
represented Wales in the Commonwealth Games and Britain in the
recent European Indoor Championships.