Following the highly successful inaugural event last year, involving 403 000 learners across 473 primary schools, SuperSport is re-launching the Let’s Play Physical Education Challenge on the 1st February.
The Challenge is a nationwide event targeted at Grade 4’s from among South Africa’s 18 000 primary schools.
The primary objective of the Challenge is to reinforce the instruction of curriculum-oriented physical education and to promote physical activity in all schools.
Let’s Play coaching teams will target various schools each day to run the Physical Education Challenge. The fittest Grade 4 learners per school will compete, after which the top three schools per province will qualify for the provincial semifinal, leading to an overall provincial winner.
The final will take place at the end of October.
The obstacle course challenge is designed to accommodate both boys and girls and will be standardised at every competing school. It includes football slalom dribble, catch and throw, mini hurdles, rope pull and an agility drill; all of which are completed in a matter of minutes.
“School sport is the bedrock of sports in the country and the Department of Basic Education has taken a conscious decision to encourage learners to participate in a variety of sport activities”, said Dr Granville Whittle, Deputy Director-General for Care and Support.
While activity is the central focus of the Challenge, it will also draw attention to a major social issue among youngsters: bullying. UFC athlete and Let’s Play ambassador, Garreth ‘Soldierboy’ McLellan, as well as leading sports personalities, will make appearances at schools to address the issue.
“We believe that this is a meaningful way to get schools involved in physical activity, particularly as government has highlighted the need for children to become more active,” said Vaughn Bishop, head of Let’s Play. “Kids needn’t be superstars; the challenge is designed to accommodate everyone at primary school level.”
The fittest primary school per province will compete for the title with the grand prize a R1.3-million all-purpose, all-weather multi-use sport court to be built at the winning school, sponsored by the Sports Trust.
“Congratulations to Riverview Primary School for winning the 2015 overall competition, we are sure that the children will enjoy playing 5 codes of sport on this state of the art, world class multipurpose sport court. Being able to participate in sport, provide sustainable programs in our schools and nurturing young talent is key to the future of South African sport in our country. We are proud to continue supporting this program by sponsoring yet another sport court for the 2016 competition, and enhancing education through sport”, says Anita Mathews, Executive Director of The Sports Trust.
Steers, South Africa’s leading burger brand are in full support of the initiative. Famous Brands Marketing Executive Adolf Fourie said, “It is truly an honor to be involved with such an initiative that seeks to grow and build our country through educating children about the importance of being active and healthy. At Steers we recognise that this is an incredible opportunity to give children the necessary tools to play and exercise, after all a healthy body builds a health mind.”
“We are very proud to be associated with the Let’s Play initiative and we are confident that we will continue to support the infrastructure development at schools in South Africa”, said Allen Brinkley, President of Hitachi Construction Machinery Southern Africa.
Winners of the 2015 Let’s Play Physical Education Challenge, Riverview Primary from Worcester in the Western Cape, were presented with their fully installed sports court today, by the Honorable Minister of Sport, Fikile Mbalula.
The Let’s Play Physical Education Challenge is endorsed by the Department of Basic Education, the Department of Sport and Recreation, the Sports Trust, the Physical Education Institute of SA, Unicef and MultiChoice.
Schools are invited to enter by calling one of the following two numbers: 011 849 7411 or 079 529 8862 (all hours).
Schools may also email physedchallenge@activeeducation.co.za
More sport news at: www.supersport.com
NOTE:
The Sports Trust is an independent organisation jointly established in 1994 by the private and public sectors focusing on sport development in rural communities. The Sports Trust is a non-government entity, and acts as an implementation partner working for larger organisations or donors, by helping them to carry out their sports corporate social initiatives.
The Sports Trust is a registered Public Benefit Organisation, NPO and Trust and is able to issue Section 18A Tax Certificates. Their focus is to Enhance Education through Sport, by providing sporting kit, equipment and building facilities in disadvantaged communities, working together with their stakeholders and donors.
Visit www.thesportstrust.co.za for more information.
Let’s Play offers sustainable sport development activity in primary schools and communities in South Africa, Nigeria and, more recently, Kenya. The programme aims to get children involved in and uplift them through sport.
