- Sports Slam aims to get kids moving with Sports Direct promising free equipment and resources to schools across the country
- In cooperation with the national children’s charity Youth Sport Trust, Sports Slam is moderated by sports stars James Haskell, Natasha Jonas, Lina Nielsen and Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake
- The Sports Slam takes place during the charity’s National School Sports Week and kicks off in schools across the country from Monday 19th to Friday 23rd June
- Teachers and schools across the UK can take part in the Sports Slam by registering for free Sports Slam website.
Sports retailer Sports Direct has announced the return of Sportslam – the brand’s children’s initiative, which encourages 7-11 year olds to be active or play sports for at least 60 minutes a day.
Sports Slam is part of Sports Direct’s three-year partnership with the Youth Sports TrustThe aim is to change societal attitudes towards the importance of children’s sport and also to join forces with the UK Government to set a national target to tackle inactivity and get every young person active for 60 minutes a day. The initiative is part of a broader commitment to equality between sport and sport for children.
It will feature a week-long program of fun activities and challenges designed to encourage children to get active while helping them develop skills that go beyond the pitch and athletics.
With 1 in 3 children in the UK
Now I have less than 30 active minutes a day and 70% of children drop out of organized sport by the age of 13As part of the campaign, children are encouraged to play “Play For Fun, Play For 60” and recommend at least 60 active minutes per day. Sports Direct is supporting the campaign by providing free sports equipment, downloadable resources and teacher tools open to all primary schools in the UK and Ireland.
Led by sports stars including the current three-time light middleweight boxing champion Natascha Jonas, former English rugby player James HaskellEuropean Athletics Champion Lina Nielsen and Junior European Champion in Sprint
Nethaneel Mitchell BlakeThe Sports Slam kicks off in schools across the country from Monday 19th to Friday 23rd June during the Youth Sport Trust’s National School Sports Week.
Sports Slam’s program of fun activities and challenges is designed to empower kids and improve their self-development skills – such as confidence, courage and teamwork – through speed dating in a variety of sports, from basketball to boxing. After the summer break, the students not only become active, but also discover new sports. They return to the classroom and are empowered through the development of personal skills such as confidence, teamwork and mental well-being.
Beckie Stanion, Chief Marketing Officer at Sports Direct, said: “With Sports Slam we are at the beginning of a journey aimed at transforming our relationship with sport. By speaking the universal languages of fun, freedom and inclusivity, our holistic approach to physical education in schools will help inspire children to keep exercising during the summer holidays. In the longer term, we will work with the Youth Sport Trust to lobby the government to protect sport by ending the annual investment cuts that have harmed a generation of children in our country. By doing our work today, we secure the sport of tomorrow.”
Ali Oliver MBE, Managing Director of the Youth Sport Trust said: “The guidelines from the Chief Medical Officers for England state that children must be active for 60 minutes every day. However, our research shows that public awareness of this goal of supporting children’s health and happiness is worryingly low. While 86% of parents believe that sport and play are important parts of every young person’s education and development, only 43% are aware that children should be active an average of 60 minutes a day over the course of a week. Almost half of all parents (48%) believe that children aged 5 to 18 should only be active for 30 minutes or less a day. That’s why we’re partnering with Sports Direct and Sports Slam this summer for National School Sports Week to raise awareness of leadership and help busy families find fun ways to be active together. We are taking urgent action to support more young people, schools and families to play for fun and play at 60.”
Teachers and schools across the UK can take part in the Sports Slam by registering for free Sports Slam website.
