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…

Sporting Chance, together with Kenridge Primary hosted the annual Sporting Chance/Kenridge u13 Inter-Schools hockey tournament at the Stellenbosch University hockey complex on Friday 26^th August 2011.

Twenty four teams, involving over 300 boys and girls from primary schools throughout the Northern Suburbs and Helderberg participated in the tournament, which has become a prestigious event on the junior hockey calendar.

The u13 format means it’s full field hockey, with made the Stellenbosch hockey complex abuzz with activity as matches were played on both the grass and astro turf fields. Teams played a series of round robin matches, before the play offs and finals being played under lights in front of hundreds of proud parents and spectators.

The matches were tightly contested from the first ‘hit off’ and it was a superb spectacle of hockey. After a busy afternoon it was Somerset House, Kenridge, Eversdal and Gene Louw in the girls semi finals and Monte Vista, Bastion, Kenridge and Somerset House in the boys. Two of the semi finals went down to ‘one on one’s’ with the keepers, which is a new format introduced to take the place of penalty flicks and provides excellent entertainment.

At the final whistles it was both the Kenridge teams that emerged victorious achieving the much sought after ‘Double’ which made the host school very proud.

The evening was concluded with a prize giving that saw the individual winners and teams honoured with prizes. The winners and runners up received medals and trophies along with prizes from Sportsmans Warehouse.

The individual winners received awesome prizes from TK hockey and respective recipients were as follows:

Sarah Wilmans (Som House) - Girls Player of the Tournament with her new stick from TK

Top goal scorer:

Boys: Christiaan Coetzee (Kenridge)

Girls: Caitlin Butler (Gene Louw)

Best goal keeper

Boys: Keiron-Bruce Robertshaw (Monte Vista)

Girls: Julia Masureik (Kenridge)

Player of the tournament:

Boys: Jason Vermaak (Kenridge)

Girls: Sarah Wilmans (Somerset House)

A welcome addition to the prize winners was the sportsmanship award which rewards a member from each team that is nominated by their coach. No players

Jason Vermaak (Kenridge) - Boys Player of the Tournament with his prizes

went home empty handed as with the support of sponsors Flip File and BIC Sporting Chance gave each participant some products to take with them.

It was a wonderful occasion filled with fun competitive matches and was an excellent showpiece for Western Province schools hockey. Well done and thank you to the Kenridge staff for their outstanding organization and thanks to all the sponsors and spectators that supported the event.

The weather has been sublime and we couldn’t be more grateful to have had a warm week in the middle of July. Not sure if it’s climate change or just pure luck with the timing, but it certainly made the clinics run well with everyone enjoying the winter sunshine.

The Constantia venue has again proved popular with both the rugby and soccer clinics being well attended. Of particular interest was the amount of players that come from the traditional Southern Schools that enjoy soccer and would like to see the sport being introduced into their school sports structure… we will have to watch that space.

Bellville and Somerset West venues have been busy with the three sports codes producing good results. Kelvin Grove was buzzing with activity as the soccer and rugby boys and girls were put through their paces.

The highlight of the week must be the awesome vibe and amazing performance of the close on 100 juniors and seniors at the WPCC astro hockey clinic. The coaching team was phenomenal featuring a group of provincial and top level club players and SA women’s hockey player, Cindy Brown and SA u21 representative, Taylor Dart. To have a coaching team with such experience and hockey pedigree is fantastic and the skills certainly rubbed off on the eager participants.

SA cricket icon Herschelle Gibbs was once again passing on his expertise and incredible skills. His presence was well received by the young Sporting Chancers and their parents alike.

Many thanks to our Sporting Chance team of coaches and our sponsors Flip File, Sportsmans Warehouse, Second Skins, GM, BIC, TK hockey and SuperSport Let’s Play for their continued support.

With five venues operating simultaneously with three major sports codes being played, it’s been an action packed time for the Sporting Chance team.

With the Stormers doing battle on Saturday in the Super 15 semi final, the rugby clinics have been well supported with all the kids emulating their idols as the target tackle bags and execute slick passes. Still in the hype of 2010 and Bafana Bafana’s rise to glory, the soccer clinic numbers have grown and it’s fantastic to see the young Tshabalala’s, Rooney’s and Ferdinand’s showing their skills. The hockey clinics have continued to be popular and it has been great to have SA U21 player Taylor Dart be part of the Sporting Chance coaches on the astro in Bellville as he imparts his valuable advice to the admiring players.

All the Sporting Chancers were in for a treat when SA cricket icon Herschelle Gibbs joined them on the field and spent time doing fitness shuttles and skill sessions, as well as passing on his work ethic philosophy that got him to record breaking status. He may be exceptional with the cricket bat, but give him a rugby or soccer ball and he could still challenge the best. His quick footwork and inspiring co-ordination had all the Sporting Chancers gasping in amazement and his message was simple “Work hard to achieve your dreams.”

 Tomorrow we bring to an end the first week of coaching clinics and we say thank you to all the young Sporting Chancers and our team of dedicated coaches for a wonderful time. Thanks too to our Sporting Chance sponsors: Flip File, Sportsmans Warehouse, GM, Second Skins, BIC, TK hockey and SuperSport Let’s Play for their continued support. We look forward to seeing you in week 3 (Monday 11^th to Friday 15^th July 2011)…

Each of the five KIA Street Soccer regions were represented by their top two teams. Teams were divided into two pools with a series of round robin matches. Passionate soccer was watched by crowds of supporters who lined New Brighton’s Mbenge Street. Pleased to have the finals on home tar, the New Brighton community came out in full force to encourage their representatives.

Both pools were tightly contested from the start and as the ball rebounded off the pavement, walls and barbed wire fences some outstanding skills were on display. At the conclusion of the pool matches one team from four of the communities, namely Motherwell, New Brighton, Uitenhage and Veeplaas qualified for the semi finals.

The semi finals provided end-to-end action and the players extreme determination could only be admired. After full time in both semis the scores were tied, and so the adjacent street pitches were prepared for penalty shoot outs.

The epitome of nail biting… as three strikers and one keeper from each team were selected to step up to the mark. The pin point accuracy of the penalty kicks and the agility of the goalkeepers was phenomenal and both shoot outs had to go to sudden death to decide the winners.

In the end, it was the teams from Motherwell and Uitenhage that handled the pressure and snatched victory.  This laid a platform for an invigorating final in which Uitenhage showed the superior class despite Motherwell’s tenacity to score three unanswered goals.

Uitenhage were crowned victors, taking the inaugural Eastern Cape KIA Street Soccer Trophy home to their community just outside Port Elizabeth.

After three months and three phases – the Health Educational road show, coaches training and KIA Street Soccer league, the  provincial final was a fitting climax to wrap up a successful launch of the programme into the Eastern Cape.

Special thanks to title sponsors KIA Motors, associate sponsors Food Zone, logistical partner Dawn Wing, media partner SuperSport Let’s Play and Football partner Bay United for their support in the Eastern Cape.

The Cape Town provincial final will take place in Grassy Park next month after it has been postponed this week due to inclement weather.

For more information contact Natalie Pollock at Sporting Chance on 021 683 7299, log onto www.sportingchance.co.za, or join facebook.com/sportingchance for regular updates.

Two hundred u12 boys and girls from 16 primary schools throughout greater Cape Town participated in the round robin tournament, with the highlight of the day’s event being the play offs and finals which were played under lights in front of hundreds of proud parents and spectators.

The matches were tightly contested throughout the day and it was a wonderful spectacle of junior hockey. The semi finalists were the expectant power houses of Southern Suburbs hockey with the top four girls teams being: Rustenburg, Mickelfield, Springfield and Herschel while the boys were WPPS, SACS, Bishops and Rondebosch. Defending champions Herschel and Bishops were on track to put up a stern defense of their titles, however it was not be for Herschel on the night, as old rivals Springfield eliminated them to the 3^rd/4^th play off and headed onto the final to take on a resurgent Mickelfield. Bishops however triumphed over WPPS to set up a popular duel with hockey nemesis Rondebosch.

The lights were on, the SuperSport Let’s Play camera was rolling and the stage was set for two much anticipated finals. The action on the astro didn’t disappoint the crowds of cheering supporters with both matches providing end-to-end, riveting entertainment.

Springfield scored against Micklefield and after full time they were victorious which allowed them to reclaim the trophy they have won several times in the past. The boys final was not as straight forward and couldn’t produce a winner in full time and ‘golden goal’ extra time and so it came down to the new format ‘one-on-one’s’ against the keeper. In the closest final for years it was a difficult way to decide the winners, but in the end it was Rondebosch that edged ahead to take the coveted title.

The evening was concluded with a wonderful prize giving that saw former SA cricket icon Herschelle Gibbs revisit his Alma Marta to hand out the prizes on this auspicious occasion. The winners and runners up received medals and trophies along with generous vouchers from Sportsmans Warehouse. The ‘top strikers’ were hounored with Kirsty Orton (Springfield) and Josh Scheepers (Sweet Valley) taking the individual prizes, which were sponsored by SuperSport Let’s Play and TK hockey.

It was an occasion of fun, camaraderie and a showpiece for Western Province schools hockey. Well done to Bishops Prep on their outstanding organization and thanks to all the sponsors and spectators that supported the event.

The first week of the popular Sporting Chance holiday coaching clinics ran from the 29^th June to the 3^rd July. The weather was perfect with the sun shining for all five days! The kids had a fantastic time, learning sport specific skills, being educated about nutrition and goal setting and also making new friends. See below what a few parents had to say:

“Just a quick ‘thank you’ to all at Sporting Chance.  Nicholas loved every minute of this weeks Astro Hockey. He was so excited to go back each day and as this was his introduction to hockey, he is a firm convert. I was particularly impressed with the quality of coaching. Great long warm up/stretch sessions soon got rid of the first day’s stiffness and plenty of exercise during the day ensured he was asleep early each night.”

“Loved it – thank you. Should have done this years ago with my other boys!!”

“It was a brilliant clinic and he learnt a lot. Look forward to the next one.”

Be sure not to miss the next clinic running from the 13^th – 7^th July.

Please visit our Website to see photos from each clinic

This is the first time the Oxygen Health of the Nation 50-Hour Sports Challenge has taken place in Johannesburg. The 2008 campaign kicked off in Cape Town last month where over 3000 children took part.

Brad Bing of Sporting Chance, the youth sports development agency that conceived and co-ordinates the Challenge, said sports will include cricket, tennis, hockey (indoor and outdoor), table tennis, badminton, netball, basketball, soccer (indoor and outdoor), handball, squash and touch rugby.  The event was born as a direct response to the results of the Health of the Nation research findings on the physical fitness levels of South African children. The research project was analysed by the University of Cape Town/MRC Research Unit for Exercise Science at the Sports Science Institute of South Africa and featured in the South African Medical Journal.

The study of 10 500 schoolchildren from a broad spectrum of backgrounds across the country, revealed trends of obesity similar to those in developed countries more than ten years ago. The need for intervention strategies to combat an increasingly sedentary lifestyle was further highlighted by the fact that 14% of boys and 18% of girls were overweight, and that more than 3% of boys and nearly 5% of girls were obese.

The findings also indicated that children develop habits for life by the age of 12, which means that inactive children will most likely not develop an active and healthy lifestyle as adults.

“It was obvious that South Africa faced a serious task in getting the nation to keep active and participate in physical activity to create a healthy lifestyle,” says Bing. Primary objectives, in the light of the study and a decreased emphasis on physical education in schools, are to show the importance and positive effects of physical activity and sport, and to encourage as many children as possible to participate.

“Sporting Chance’s approach is twofold,” says Bing, “and includes sport-coaching and holiday clinics at schools, together with the organisation of national youth sport events, such as the Oxygen 50-Hour Sports Challenge project. As thousands of children, primarily from disadvantaged communities across the country are involved, we are largely reliant upon the funding and support of corporate South Africa.  The recognition by Oxygen Medical Scheme and Virgin Active, of the importance of events such as this, is a key factor in ensuring a healthy lifestyle is within the reach of all our country’s youth. ” 

For the third year running, Oxygen Medical Scheme from Old Mutual is the main sponsor of this event, and commenting on their continued sponsorship, Oxygen’s chief executive and principal officer James van Vught says: “Sports and exercise play a positive role in a child’s life and if participation is made possible from a young age, they will reap the benefits in later years, of a healthy, well-balanced lifestyle, with all the opportunities that will present.  It’s quite simply the best investment we can make in our nation’s health.”

Kim Webster CSR Manager for co-sponsor Virgin Active adds, “Virgin Active believes that creating an environment that makes it easier to adopt a healthy lifestyle is the ideal way to introduce children to wellness.  We therefore believe that the Health of the Nation event offers children the opportunity to learn about staying healthy the fun way through the games they play,”

Many accomplished sportsmen have benefited from Brad Bing as a coach and the Sporting Chance coaching programmes and events. These include Protea cricketers, Herschelle Gibbs and Jacques Kallis; former rugby Springbok, Neil de Kock; and current Lions lock, Anton van Zyl as well as Beijing Olympians, Andrew Cronje and Austin Smith. However, creating international sporting stars is not Sporting Chance’s primary aim and all its projects include a life-skills education component, focusing on nutrition, personal goal setting and the dangers of substance abuse, delivered to the youngsters in a fun and easy-to-understand manner.

“Team sports are a great way of teaching children essential life skills that can be applied throughout their lives. Sport shows us the beauty of friendship, camaraderie and team spirit and it helps us to deal with the hardships of failure, frustration and disappointment,” says Bing.

This leg of the Oxygen Health of the Nation 50-Hour Sports Challenge, which hosted 3000 kids in Cape Town last month, is endorsed by the national and Gauteng Department of Health, the Heart and Stroke Foundation of South Africa and the City of Johannesburg.

The Johannesburg Oxygen Health of the Nation 50-Hour Sports Challenge is on from 14h00 on Friday 17^th October to Sunday 19^th October at the Southern Suburbs Sports Complex in Rosetenville. Members of the public are encouraged to come and support the youngsters’ efforts. Schools or individuals wishing to participate can contact Natalie at Sporting Chance in Cape Town on (021) 683 7299.  Details also available at www.sportingchance.co.za.