Healthy competition at the Sportreach Tournament in Mbombela
A few hundred children and their teachers enjoyed a day full of rugby and hockey action.
On Saturday June 10, the non-profit organisation, Penreach, hosted its annual Sportreach Tournament.
The day was a mixture of concentration, determination, loads of laughter and of course a good dose of healthy competition!
A few hundred children and their teachers from Bambanani, Letsakutfula, Mhola, Sikhutsele, Zamani and Matsulu primary schools attended.
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Penreach’s Sportreach co-ordinator, Monaheng Sililo, told Lowvelder the day only included boys and girls in the U11 and U13 age groups as it is crucial for their development.
”Firstly, engaging in sporting activities helps children develop physical fitness, co-ordination and overall health,” he said, and added that sports provide a platform for children to learn important values like respect.
The day saw aspiring hockey and rugby players take to the mini Astro and rugby fields at Penryn’s sport grounds. The choice to solely include these sports this year was based upon their popularity, availability of resources and local interest. Sililo said they hope to include more sporting codes in the future in order to not only grow the initiative, but also create a broader range of opportunities for the children.
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The Sportreach programme was implemented to promote school-based sport at under-resourced schools. For this, a further Coach-the-Coach programme was established. The programme allows community schools access to sporting facilities and provides support to coaches. ”Coaches enroll for our Teacher Development Workshops at which they learn more about the theory and practice of various sporting disciplines, in this case rugby and hockey,” Sililo said.
At the moment, 15 male and seven female rugby coaches, along with 17 female and seven male hockey coaches are part of the programme. ”Through the coach-the-coach approach, we do not only empower individuals, but the broader community, too.”
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It was a day full of action, and according to Sililo, a resounding success.
”The excitement and enjoyment expressed by the children was evident in their smiles and singing, and even tears (of joy) at the end of the day when they received their medals and awards. We know for certain the children and coaches will cherish these beautiful memories forever.”
