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Five more Premier League
clubs launched their Premier League 4Sport programme, hosting
launch days where young people from the local area had the opportunity
to try judo, along with the three other Olympic sports.
Tottenham Hotspurs opened
its doors once again last week, after officially launching the
programme back in January. British Judo returned to the South,
this time with cadet judo star Joseph Wathan and Enfield Judo
Club, who recently received ClubMark status.
Head Coach of Enfield
Judo Club, George Heslop, gave four local schools a taste of what
judo could offer them. Through the Premier League 4Sport programme,
Enfield has linked with two secondary schools and two junior schools,
and already has a waiting list to join the new sessions.
Freestyle Footballer
Billy Wingrove gave an exciting demonstration of tricks which
showed what practice and determination could result in.
At the Middlesbrough
Football Club launch Eric Salway from Redcar Judo Club welcomed
Beijing Olympian and European silver medallist Sarah Clark and
BJA Technical Officer Chloe Cowen to the mat.
The presence of an elite
player inspired the local school girls from Byedales School and
the two football stars David Wheater and Sean St.Ledger were keen
to have a go at throwing Sarah and Chloe themselves as they took
to the mat.
Commenting on the afternoon
Wheater said: “I got into football when I was about six or seven
years of age and I think the earlier you start the better.
“Not everyone can be
a footballer; it is just great to get the kids involved in something
different”.
Newcastle United Football
Club also held their launch last week. Newburn Judo Club Head
Coach Joe Laws has been a real driving force for judo in the local
area, with four secondary school links established through the
programme already.
Sarah Clark once again
worked with the children trying out judo for the first time alongside
footballers Steven Taylor and Shola Ameobi. The two footballers
talked to the children about trying out new sports and took to
the mat to learn some new skills.
Fully behind the programme,
Clark said: “The programme is a fantastic way of promoting judo.
I think allowing kids to get involved in it and with the football
clubs promoting it like this, it works well.
“I think with the 20
football clubs involved throughout the country, we will have real
backing from the clubs for these sports and kids will get the
chance to try judo which is a fantastic sport for kids to do.
This promoted in each Area, and attracting press it will help
spread the word for judo”.
Also launching the programme
in the North-West recently were Wigan Athletic and Blackburn Rovers.
Working in partnership
with Wigan Athletic is Rakukan Judo Club and Head Coach Kerry
Clayton, who introduced judo to 14-16 year-olds from local schools.
Rakukan has been working
with British Judo’s Technical Officer Kerry Finney to set up a
new ten week judo programme.
A visit from footballer
Oliver Capo lifted the spirits of the children, who also had Amy
Livesey and Daniel Lyon at hand to demonstrate judo moves and
talk to them about competing at an elite level.
Shadsworth and Mill
Hill Judo Clubs are affiliated to Blackburn Rovers, and Head Coach
Joe Burns used the launch day to showcase judo to the schools.
With new members from his club present, the children saw the types
of skills they would learn during their first few judo sessions.
The initiative will
help the Government’s ambition to offer young people five hours
of sport a week, as part of its 2012 legacy plans. It also aims
to address the drop-off in sports participation when young people
leave secondary school and encourage participation in community
clubs.
Report by Nicola Turner
Middlesborough's
David Wheater gets to grips with
judo's Sarah Clark
For further information:
Dan Griffin
British Judo’s Premier League Manager
(t) 07817 995093
(e) daniel.griffin@britishjudo.org.uk
Press Contact:
James Sills
(t) 07967957873
(e) james.sills@britishjudo.org.uk
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