Ever fancied being the next Michael Owen, Sebastian Keep - or Kelly Holmes? Well in Hastings & St Leonards, you probably can, thanks to a whole series of sporting opportunities taking place across the town.
Lots of projects are taking place which offer kids the chance to try out new sports and learn new skills. So far, the choice includes BMXing, basketball, hockey, athletics, dance, football, netball and badminton.
Under the banners of Positive Futures and Sport 4U programmes, kids aged between 10 and 16 are given the opportunity to try out these sports for free – and close to their homes.
A football street league has proved massively successful, with sessions taking place on weekdays in Farley Bank, Warrior Square, Hollington, The Fellowship of St Nicholas in London Road, Broomgrove, Robsack and Linley Drive.
Twenty girls enjoyed ten weeks of basketball, coached by the town’s top sports coaches, as part of the Active Sports programme.
The girls, who are under 14 and from four of the local secondary schools were coached by Jane Dallaway, Jo Draper (ex England), Tiff Algar and Kate Butters (current England Team Captain). During their 10 week block the girls played a ‘3 on 3’ with Hailsham, winning 11 of the 15 games played.
The girls will be invited to join the newly formed Hastings Arrows Junior Club, which will be taking on girls from 9 through to seniors. More opportunities for local girls include next year’s Sussex Youth Games which take place in Horsham.
Active Sports is a new programme funded by Hastings Borough Council, Sport England and the Sussex Sports Partnership. As well as training young people in the sport, the programme also focuses on training local club coaches. Over 150 coaches from Hastings have accessed free coaching workshops since September, covering topics such as Child Protection, Disability Sport Awareness and First Aid.
These local courses have been co-ordinated through a partnership between Hastings Borough Council and William Parker Sports College. Congratulations to Hastings and Bexhill Rugby Club who now have more qualified Active Sport Coaches than any other sports club in the county.
For more information on the different sports happening around the town, contact the Sports Development team on 781122 or email sportsdevelopment@hastings.gov.uk
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This page last updated: 04/04/2003