Mar 29, 2012 - $492,540.000 in the project, which has seen 17,212 children from 93 schools across Hutt Valley and. Porir
KIDS JUMP AT GET SET GO OPPORTUNITY On Thursday 29th March nearly 700 excitable primary school children from around the Wellington region got their first taste of the KiwiSport funded programme ‘Get Set Go’. The hugely successful event was held at Wellington’s new ASB Indoor Sports Centre in association with Sport Wellington, Athletics New Zealand and NZ Post. The programme has been created by Athletics NZ to help teach and encourage young primary school children vital fundamental movement skills, enabling them with the foundation skills and confidence to try their hand at many different sports. The Fundamental Movement Skills Project, lead by Leisure Active, with funding from Sport Wellington; aims to increase the skill level of school‐aged children so they can effectively participate in sport. Over the last 18 months KiwiSport has invested $492,540.000 in the project, which has seen 17,212 children from 93 schools across Hutt Valley and Porirua receive at least one block of eight fundamental movement lessons. KiwiSport Manager, Peter Woodman‐Aldridge said ‘we are thrilled with how the day went. It was very well organised given the number of children and everyone went away with a smile on their face! This was a great way to launch the programme and give the schools a small taster of the Get Set Go programme which will be on offer through our Fundamental Movement Skill Project. The programme closely follows one of KiwiSport’s key aims, which is to support children in developing skills that will enable them to participate effectively in sport and so we are delighted to be working alongside Athletics NZ to achieve this. Wellington City Councillor John Morrison, Portfolio Leader for Sports and Events, said ‘the launch of Get Set Go is a great opportunity to showcase the ASB Sports Centre. It is really pleasing to see the youngsters coming through and learning the basics of movement skills required for sports and an active lifestyle’. Karen Laurie, Get Set Go Manager said ‘the feedback from teachers and coaches in schools and clubs using the programme has been extremely positive. A key theme emerging from this feedback is how the programme has given them the knowledge base and tools they need to teach the basic skill elements in children; but uses a fun play based approach that children really respond to ‐ certainly the smiles and delighted faces of all the children who have been involved so far have highlighted the success of the programme’. Nicola Airey, Head of Sponsorship for NZ Post, primary sponsor of Get Set Go, said, ‘we’re on our way to reaching 200,000 children in over 800 schools throughout New Zealand. If we can instil in just a fraction of those children, a lifelong interest in sport, then we will have done something very worthwhile’. For more information on Get Set Go and the other Fundamental Movement Skills programmes please go to sportwellington.org.nz/kiwisport ‐‐‐ENDS‐‐‐ If you would like further information or photos on the event or to arrange an interview please call Elle Isaac on 021 119 6145 or
[email protected] 