This is a letter written to the Sporting Chance staff from a wonderful person who volunteered to be a part of this past weekend’s Kellogg’s Health of the Nation: 50 hour sports challenge… thanks Lynn 

Dear Sporting Chance and Sponsors

I got home on Sunday the 18.09.2011, round about 16h30, I was cold and wet, it had been raining that day, the wind was blowing, but I was content. It was the final day of the 50 Hour Healthof the Nation.

My story starts like this:

Thursday morning driving in our tedious traffic to work and listening to Cape Talk Radio Station, I caught the end of an interview between Cape Talk and Brad….. about a
50 Hour Health of the Nation, all I heard was, that there would be hundreds of kids….oh WOW I thought, I wonder if they would need my help, probably not, however I thought….Lynn do not procrastinate again, I thought, send an email offer my help and then at least you know in your heart – you were willing. So my friend “Google” helped me and I sent an e-mail to Sporting Chance.

So off I went, after work to meet Tracey, she briefed me on the weekend’s events and so I agreed to work in what ever role she would require me to fulfil.

Up early Saturday morning, so excited, but also nervous, maybe I am not going to fulfil “their” requirements, maybe they are going to say, “thanks for Saturday” but you don’t have to come back Sunday. Oh well I have committed – no turning back now.

Saturday 17.09.2011

On arriving, I could not believe the amount of people involved, I was given a t-shirt, which I wore, for some strange reason, with so much pride, as I still was not sure what was in line for me the weekend, but proud I was !

I have never seen so many kids in one given space at any one given time – They were all seated in rows in their different schools. “We” started with early morning dancing, just to get the kids “on a high” well they were. I was coordinating the body measurements – being their weight, height, waist and hips measurements, in addition to the sit and reach.

There was not one child who did not want to participate, they would line up with such excitement, just to do the next exercise. I had the most awesome group of students, they were all so dedicated to what they were doing, it was really unbelievable – well 18h00 arrived – too soon for me – and that was the end of day 1.

The kids lined up again in their different schools, and the music starting playing, You just had to be there to experience the enthusiasm from the kids, they danced, we danced – Words cannot describe what I saw with my own two eyes – the only way are by the photos that were taken – and then maybe you will understand.

I left on such a high note, and could not wait for Sunday.

Sunday 18.09.2011

Cold…raining and water logged fields with gusty winds….but that never stopped the enthusiasm from either Coaches or children. My station was still outside, but we had some cover. The students carried on showing their love and dedication towards the kids as if it was a hot summer’s day. There was such an aura about Sunday, I am still struggling to explain to myself how to describe the aura, but believe me it was an aura of joy, and that nobody gave up, just because the weather did not play its role, but as I have learnt in life everything happens for a reason and only time will tell.

Unfortunately we could not get to measure all of the kids, but that was a sign for me that the kids that were not measured will come back into my life sometime soon. All the kids lined again in their different schools inside the hall, we all danced and danced – till it was time to part.

On each day each child was given a “goodie” bag and something to eat, as they left to board their various busses.

I had the privilege of meeting the Kellogg’s team, but could not even say “Thank you”, the lump in my throat was too great.

In my heart I refused to say good bye to anyone, the kids, the students, the coaches, or even management for that matter, because I knew somewhere, sometime or someplace our paths will cross again.

With Love and Gratitude for allowing me this privilege of participating

Lynn Sevenster

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

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.

The Ocean View community are participating in the Kellogg’s Health of the Nation for the first time, which meant they were all eager to be a part of the action. Phase 1: The Health Education road show takes the format of engaged learning, with the participants being divided into sub groups and spending 15-20 minutes at four activity zones as follows:

1. PHYSICAL ACTIVITY: This zone highlights the importance of physical activity through a series of fun exercises & drills including shuttles runs, sit  ups, push ups and hand-eye coordination exercises. Variations of the conventional drills focus on emphasising the enjoyment of physical activity with the participants competing in: Sack Races – increase lower body strength; Ball and spoon races – increase hand eye co-ordination; Wheel barrow races – increase upper body strength; Sprint races – increase in speed off the mark; Shuttle races – increase in endurance

2. NUTRITION: This zone is facilitated by Kellogg’s dieticians and highlights the importance of eating a balanced diet & making healthy food choices. The activity includes a workshop focusing on food groups and the benefits attached.

3. HEALTH EDUCATION: This zone focussed on personal hygiene and the importance of washing hands, brushing teeth, keeping your body clean with emphasis on its relation to preventing TB etc. When? Why? and How? we should we carry out this daily routine.

4. FITNESS SPECIFIC: This zone focuses on specialised activities that advise participants on specific exercises to improve their sporting abilities. Through this participants are introduced to the scientific research testing that will take place at the Kellogg’s Health of the Nation: 50 hour sports challenge.

The session concluded with a group ‘Question and Answer’ session to illustrate the life skills discussed before all participants were part of a vibe dance in preparation for their participation in Phase 2: Kellogg’s Health of the Nation 50 hour sports challenge next week.

Day 2 of the road show saw the team visit Gugulethu where the participants from the schools excitedly gathered at NY49 to be a part of the Kellogg’s Health of the Nation project.

Look forward to sharing the rest of the week’s activities…

With these findings in mind and to highlight the importance of physical activity, Sporting Chance initiated the Kellogg’s Health of the Nation 50-hour Sports Challenge in 2006. During the Challenge, children participating in the event keep a ball in motion for an uninterrupted 50 hours, to highlight the importance of physical activity in children’s lives.

Now, Six years on, the programme has grown exponentially and we are excited to confirm that we will reintroduce some of the initial research testing into this year’s project. The project is four phases:

Phase 1: In the build up to the 50 hour sports Challenge, Sporting Chance, in association with the National Department of Health and Kellogg’s dieticians, host health educational road shows in selected communities. These sessions address specific social concerns within communities including nutrition, how to lead an active life, prevent obesity and principles of personal hygiene.

Phase 2: Using the basis of the original Health of the Nation research tests conducted, Sporting Chance together with a team of exercise scientists will test all the challenge participants and in this way gather a database in order to compare the results collected over seven years ago. The tests will also look at BMI and cardio vascular risk.

Phase 3: The sixth Kellogg’s Health of the Nation 50-hour Sports Challenge, in association with Sporting Chance, Virgin Active, Kia Charity and Care and Supersport Lets Play, kicks off in Cape Town in mid September before heading to Johannesburg to coincide with National Nutrition Week in October. Good Hope fm will be the radio partner in Cape Town with SAfm in Johannesburg.

Phase 4: The long term goal of the project is to implement school intervention programmes focused on the importance of physical activity and to show government the value of physical education in the school curriculum.

The 2011 Kellogg’s Health of the Nation 50-hour Sports Challenge has the support of the provincial and municipal Departments of Health, Basic Education and Sport & Recreation, in addition to celebrity health ambassadors, who will promote the project and further encourage healthy and active lifestyles among South Africa’s youth.

Kellogg’s Health of the Nation 50 hour sports challenge:

Cape Town: Fri 14^th to Sun 16^th September 2011 – WPCC Sports Centre, Rondebosch

Johannesburg: October 2011

The Grassy Park community came out in their numbers and hosted the finals in supreme style. The Metro Police were sideline to ensure everyone was well looked after, while the large group of media buzzed around catching all of the action.

Before proceedings, special honour was paid to two significant women who recently passed away. Aunty Shirley from Manenberg was a long serving member of the Sporting Chance team, and Mrs Abrahams who lived in the street which plays host to KIA Street Soccer in Grassy Park. They will long be missed and we thank them for their contribution to Sporting Chance and to the children of their community.

The twenty teams were divided into four pools of five, the format was demanding with only the top team in each pool progressing to the semi finals. The competitive spirit was evident from the first kick off and the each region was well represented by their boys and girls.

The matches were tightly contested throughout the afternoon with the players putting on a wonderful spectacle of this specially adapted version of the beautiful game. An esteemed line up of special guests made time in their busy schedules to offer their support, including MEC for Sport and Cultural Affairs in the Western Cape, Dr Ivan Meyer; Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services, Councillor Tandeka Gqada; SA cricket icon Herschelle Gibbs and former Bafana Bafana star, Thabo Mngomeni.

After tough round robin matches it was an all ‘township’ affair in the semi finals as Langa, Nyanga and both teams from Khayelitsha finished top of their respective pools. In hard fought semis with hundreds of supporters lining the pavements it was ‘team South Africa’ from Khayelitsha and ‘team Zimasa’ from Langa that emerged victorious and moved onto the final.

The stage was set… the lines were redrawn on the tar pitch, a new ball was supplied and the teams lined up opposite each other to shake hands.It was end-to-end action for the twenty minutes and after a skilled battle it was Khayelitsha that won the dual claiming with it the 2011 Western Cape KIA Street Soccer trophy.

A fitting ceremony concluded the day with thank yous to the sponsors, and prizes from AJAX Cape Town and Sporting Chance been awarded to the winners. No participant however went home empty handed, as each player was delighted to receive a food pack and Let’s Play soccer ball.

The Western Cape finals brought to a close the 2011 KIA Street Soccer programme which has seen Sporting Chance, with the support of title sponsor KIA Motors and associate sponsors Foodzone, Dawn Wing and media partners Supersport Let’s Play and Good Hope fm roll out a neighbourhood street soccer programme in streets in and around Durban, Johannesburg, Tshwane, Cape Town and Port Elizabeth as part of FIFA’s Ticket Fund legacy. The KIA Street Soccer League was created as one of the tiers of the Ticket Fund initiative as a means of adding sustainability to the programme which has involved 4 500 boys and girls under the age of 13 and provided contractual employment for 800 coaches.

The Sporting Chance team look forward to evaluating the 2011 programme and planning the road ahead with sponsors for KIA Street Soccer in the future. Keep watching this space!

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.

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

The Kelloggs Health of the Nation initiative aims to educate children about the importance of keeping physically active, eating healthy, drinking clean water as well as the benefit of good personal hygiene practices.  At the event, children were also treated to a hilarious educative industrial theatre piece before healthy lunch. They were also given t-shirts & drawstring-bags to commemorate their participation in this great event.

Promoting our key healthy living messages and delivering words of encouragement- sporting legend, Paul Adams as well as celebrity Good Hope FM DJ, Suga and MEC for Education, Western Cape were in attendance with Mr. Donald Grant, officially opening the challenge at 14h00 on Friday afternoon. Showing off their ball skills, Mr. Grant and Paul Adams rolled-up their sleeves and played interactive games with the participants too!

All the sponsors, including Kellogg’s^® and associate sponsors Virgin Active and the Kia Charity and Care program were all present to support the kids throughout the weekend, while media partners SuperSport Let’s Play & Good Hope FM added to the buzzing atmosphere as  live broadcasts and interviews were transmitted.

The event ended at 16h00 on Sunday 20^th September, with the Sporting Chance team inspired and rearing to roll-out the Johannesburg leg of the campaign. The Johannesburg event takes place at the Southern Suburbs Sports Complex, Rosettenville from Friday 9 October to Sunday 11 October 2009. Members of the public are welcome to come along and support the children during the 50 hours. Contact Natalie at Sporting Chance on 021 683 7299/082 722 9653 or visit www.sportingchance.co.za for more information.

 

Since the kick off teams from 15 regions have been playing weekly, and after some fierce competition will be playing against one another in regional finals this week on 14^th November at 15h00. The top team from each league will then participate in the Street Cricket finals in Langa from 15h00 to 19h00 on Friday 21^st November, competing for the coveted Pinnacle Point Street Cricket Champions’ Trophy.

The initiative, which is in its fifth successful season, has introduced children from Gugulethu, Khayelitsha, Kwezi, Nyanga, Langa, Elsies River, Manenberg, Mitchells Plain, Ocean View and  Masipumelele in Cape Town, Lwandle in Strand, Atlantis, and Kwa Nonqaba, D’almeida and Civic Park in Mossel Bay, to the game of cricket over a gruelling six-week period.

Brad Bing, MD of youth sports development agency Sporting Chance – 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.

“This year we’ve included four new areas in the Western Cape taking the total number of regions up to 15. The emerging communities are filled with sport mad children and the street cricket league allows them to be actively involved in cricket and the enjoyment that goes with it in their very own neighbourhoods”, says Bing.

Regional cricket clubs and sports organisations in association with Sporting Chance organise children under 11 years old into street teams of ten. At least two members of each team must be girls and all the children must have attended school throughout the year and belong to a sport organisation or club prior to the start of the tournament – all part of Sporting Chance’s philosophy of getting as many children irrespective of race, gender or social class, off the streets, educated and into a sporting environment.

Streets in the various communities serve as the pitches, and are closed off for the matches once a week (Friday afternoon in Cape Town and Sunday afternoon in Mossel Bay), spectators are welcome.

The initiative enjoys the backing of the National Department of Health, the Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport, Education and Community Safety, and associate sponsors include Disney, Absa, the City of Cape Town, Lets Play and Good Hope fm.

For more information on the matches contact Brad Bing on 021 683 7299 or brad@sportingchance.co.za or visit www.sportingchance.co.za.