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 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…

The Sporting Chance Calypso Cricket Festival, in association with Virgin Active, I&J and Supersport Let”s Play was started by Brad Bing of youth sports development agency Sporting Chance in 1990, and is an annual highlight for thousands of children who are bussed in from their communities to the beach to pit their cricketing skills against one another.

Aside from a trip to the beach for many children who would otherwise not have this kind of opportunity, the festival highlights Bing”s determination to encourage sport as a fixture in all children”s lives irrespective of race, gender or social class and to create an uplifting environment to bring various communities together.

Over the past 20 years the festival has also been recognised as a vehicle for identifying young sporting talent, for fostering a love of cricket and sport in general, and as an opportunity to provide a large number of children with a fun-filled holiday activity.

Thami Tsolekile, former Proteas wicketkeeper and current Lions” player was one of the first participants of the Calypso Cricket festival. Since then, the Calypso Cricket Festival has continued to identify natural talent and has facilitated the opportunity for 43 learners to go onto play provincial cricket at school level.

The Festival is a unique and fun adaptation of the conventional game. Employing most of the rules of cricket, Calypso Cricket is played on the beach with two teams of ten players each. This spirited game originated in the West Indies where it is played between different villages that gather in their hundreds for the event.

“Calypso Cricket is a unique approach to cricket coaching and one that has proven to be an exciting way of introducing young children, particularly from our emerging communities, to the game whilst providing them with a fun-filled holiday activity,” adds Bing. “It”s about hitting the ball hard – fielding in ankle-deep water and bowling with vigour – while dodging waves and making new friends in the process. ”

Participation in the programme is from the age of eight to 15, offering learners the opportunity to engage in a healthy and fun-filled lifestyle throughout those critical, formative years. The communities and clubs are therefore an integral part of the programme.

According Kim Webster CSR Manager for Virgin Active, Getting kids engaged in sports is a key way to get them excited about being active. “They have fun while gaining access to great coaching skills, which develop them as cricketers and ultimately encourages them to develop active lifestyles,” says Webster.

“We are over the moon to be celebrating 20 years of Calypso Cricket,” says Bing. “Every year we introduce new children to the programme and their participation and excitement is gratifying as Calypso Cricket continues to be a highlight in their lives. ”

Ron Fasol, CEO of I&J, adds. “Calypso Cricket provides children with a healthy and positive alternative to a sedentary and disruptive lifestyle. I&J is proud to be associated with the Calypso Cricket project that has a tremendous track record in assisting to improve the lives of thousands of South Africa”s children.

“The Calypso Cricket Festival is one of the many vehicles Sporting Chance employs throughout the year to give all children an equal opportunity to participate in team sports that teach essential 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 and it is for these reasons that I&J support this project,” concludes Fasol.

The Calypso Cricket Festival takes place on the following dates :

* Monday 13 December: Main beach, Strand (children from Khayelitsha, Nomzano, Lwandle)

* Tuesday 14 December: Sunrise beach, Muizenberg (Langa, Elsies River)

* Wednesday 15 December: Sunrise beach, Muizenberg (Gugulethu, Mitchell”s Plain, Macassar)

* Thursday 16 December: Long beach, Kommetjie (Manenberg, Masiphumelele, Ocean View)

* Friday 17 December: Sunrise beach, Muizenberg (Nyanga and Kwezi)

For more information on the matches contact Natalie Pollock on 021 683 7299 or http://www.sportingchance.co.za

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.