The English Institute of Sport Sheffield played host to the Links School Sports Partnership Change 4 Life event this past Monday, which involved 2 schools (Wybourn and Arbourthorne Community Primary) participating in a wealth of activities to demonstrate the physical and mental health benefits of frequent sporting activity. Using promotion that focuses on healthy eating coupled with frequent movement and physical activity, the students used this event to begin to learn the importance of a healthy lifestyle and why it is pivotal in living a longer and more fruitful life.
With activities involving sports such as hockey, football, tennis and korfball, the event ran for a total time of just under 4 hours, which enabled the organisers and volunteers to organise a day of fun-filled sporting participation for the eager and excitable year 2 students. Each station was carefully planned and prepared to ensure that it would provide the necessary requirements to allow the students to gain both physical and mental health benefits from the sports presented.
After a short warm-up, each of the 4 teams proceeded to their first sport and had 45 minutes to learn the basics of the sport alongside demonstrating any previous knowledge and abilities they have. The event continued to run efficiently until the clock struck 12:30pm and everyone retreated to their lunchboxes until the sports resumed at 1pm.
Following the lunch break, each of the year 2 students from both schools excellently showed how exercise and sport can be a catalyst for a healthier lifestyle by cheering on their teammates and engaging in the fun, creative activities on offer. The schools then departed the English Institute of Sport at 2:30pm with an extra spring in their step and sweat on their brow after a successful event of sporting participation that demonstrates how sport and physical activity can be a key component in leading a healthier, more positive lifestyle both physically and mentally.
We hope the schools had as much fun participating in the event as we did, and we look forward to seeing them evolve into efficient sporting participants as well as healthier and happier members of society.