The Healthy Active Kids South Africa report card produced by the Sports Science Institute of South Africa shows that overall the score for South African children slid from a C- to a D. One of the extracts in this report card reads as follows “Physical education might be one of the ‘best investments’ for physical activity, but our children are not getting the benefits.”
In addition an extract from WC Education Dept. Curriculum Perspective: Promotion of a Healthy Lifestyle reads as follows: “Participation in PE will nurture positive attitudes and values that will assist learners to be physically fit, mentally alert, emotionally balanced and socially well adjusted.”
The Sporting Chance Foundation School Programme implements a critical and much needed physical education and sport intervention in our under resourced schools.
We place a trained sports coach to implement the Physical Education component of Life Skills (Grades R – 6) and Life Orientation (Grade 7) in community primary schools. In addition we structure the intramural and extramural sports programmes to ensure that community children have the opportunity to be exposed to regular physical activity.
Our School programme currently operates in schools in the Cape Town communities of Khayelitsha, Langa, Steenberg, Masiphumelele, Mitchell’s Plain and rural Constantia. This programme is facilitated by extremely positive and passionate coaches who have come through the Sporting Chance system. We have also formed a collaborative partnership with African Impact, an international volunteer agency whose volunteers assist with creative innovations and extra man power.
We would like to expand this programme beyond its current reach and make an impact in the lives of thousands of children on a daily basis by instilling a healthy lifestyle and passion for regular exercise from an early age. On a minimal budget each coach has the potential to reach 1000 children on a weekly basis.