This year, in addition to all the fun and games of this annual sporting extravaganza, the schoolchildren also took part in a serious fact-finding study, a 10-year follow-up to the original ground-breaking Health of the Nation study, which first revealed the magnitude of obesity in South African children. The resulting information and statistics will assist health and education policy makers to gauge where we are, so that they can continue steering SA youth towards healthier lifestyles.   The Kellogg’s Health of the Nation 50-Hour Sports Challenge is supported by the national Department of Health Promotion, Western Cape Department of Health, Education, Cultural Affairs and Sport.

Thanks to our sponsors Kellogg’s in association with Virgin Active, KIA Motors, SuperSport Let’s and Good Hope fm for making the project possible. and to the Sporting Chance team of coaches for all their hard work.

The interactive format of the road show sessions have been well received by the participants and the messaging focussing on physical
activity, nutrition, health awareness and general fitness has been absorbed by the eager children.

The Sporting Chance team together with Kellogg’s dieticians have visited the communities of Ocean View, Elsies River, Gugulethu, Langa, Manenberg, Masiphumelele , Mitchell’s Plain, Grassy Park and will finish off in Macassar this afternoon.

The 2011 Kellogg’s Health of the Nation project in association with SuperSport Let’s Play, Virgin Active and KIA Motors with radio partners Good Hope fm, is a Four Phase programme that highlights the importance of physical activity and leading a healthy lifestyle.

Phase 1: the Health Education road show has ensured the children are well prepared to take part in Phase 2: the Kellogg’s Health of the Nation: 50 hour sports challenge and Phase 3: the Research Testing (Phase 3) this coming weekend at WPCC Sports Centre.

Look forward to seeing you there…

KELLOGG’S HEALTH OF THE NATION: 50 HOUR SPORTS CHALLENGE

14h00, Friday 16^th to 16h00, Sunday 18^th September 2011

WPCC Sports Centre, Rondebosch

In fine form and on the back of his 102 not out against the Dolphins, Gibbs will be advising, coaching and mentoring keen cricketers from selected impoverished communities in the build up to the regional finals on 20^th November 2009.

The sixth annual Sporting Chance Street Cricket League, in association with Disney Enterprises, the City of Cape Town, various private donors and with media partners, Good Hope fm and Lets Play commenced on Friday 16th October 2009 and has so far seen over 3 000 participants competing in the 12 regional championship areas after four weeks of competitive street cricket.

What makes the Sporting Chance Street Cricket League so exciting is that despite the obstacles of houses, washing lines and vehicles, the game still goes on. “It’s amazing to see how unique and different all the regions are for instance in Manenberg and Elsies River matches are played in the flat courtyards and balls rebound against the high walls while in Khayelitsha shacks and corrugated iron line the sides of the playing area creating interesting fielders” said Natalie Pollock, Project manager for the Sporting Chance Street Cricket League.

Whilst every participant is rewarded with a certificate of participation, the regional winners will receive a trophy with winner’s medals, and the Western Cape Street Cricket champions will receive the converted trophy, winner’s medals and a brand new pair of trainers.

Managing Director of Sporting Chance, Brad Bing who started the first Street Cricket League in 2003, says the initiative has enjoyed unprecedented success since its humble beginnings as a pilot project in Langa. “We have had a huge response from our communities who have made the Sporting Chance Street Cricket League part of their weekly diaries and with high profiled players like Herschelle Gibbs attending, this will only add flair to both players and spectators alike” said Bing.

After Elsies I headed to the township of Nyanga where the talent was in abundance as their coaches have insisted on extra training for their teams once a week. Nyanga Street Cricket is coordinated by the passionate Mxo Tywaku who has organized a fantastic league with they help from his dedicated coaches. Nyanga are playing hard to keep the Street Cricket Trophy which they won convincingly last year. With new young talent that is coming through I reckon they will field a great team in the finals in Langa.

I have received great feedback from all coordinators in each region. Cyril Pelston the coordinator in Manenberg informed me” After three weeks of street cricket matches, there is so much excitement in the Manenberg community. Street cricket has become part of the culture of our community and helps to add value and growth in communities”.

I wish all the teams luck for the upcoming week and look forward to some more Street Cricket this Friday.

Each league has 250 participants and coaches and will involve boys and girls under the age of 11. It runs for 7 weeks and encourages kids to get involved in sport as an alternative to getting involved with gangs and drugs which plague many of these communities especially between the dangerous hours of 14h00 till 18h00. 

A big thank you must go to our loyal sponsors Disney Enterprises, City of Cape Town, our numerous private donors with media partners Good Hope FM and Super Sport Lets Play also getting involved in the action. The support from the sponsors allows the league to happen each year and for Sporting Chance to employ a league co-ordinator and 20 coaches in each region.

The Street Cricket league regional finals will take place on Friday 20^th November in the various regions to find the regional finalist who will join the other regional finalists at the annual Street Cricket final in Langa on Thursday 26^th November – the home of Street Cricket.

For more information about the league details, please contact Sporting Chance on 021 683 7299

Friday 6^th February, 150 young and enthusiastic cricketers had an active and exciting start to their weekend, when they got the opportunity to participate in a cricket clinic hosted by Solstice Foundation together with Sporting Chance at the Avonwood Sports Complex in Elsies River.

The cricket skills of the children varied considerably and all benefited from the specialised coaching received from the Sporting Chance coaching team. The participants were divided into groups to ensure they received individual attention to work on their skills.

The day was a great success and thoroughly enjoyed by all involved. To end the day the participants received a well deserved cool drink and snack and went home with a lot more knowledge of the game of cricket and additional life skills.

Special thanks to the Solstice Foundation for making these clinics possible and for assisting us to develop the young cricketers in this disadvantaged community.