Follow us
A sports centre on the Isle of Wight is calling on parents to support the legacy of the 2012 Olympics by encouraging their children to take up sport.
Speaking to Isle of Wight Radio, West Wight Sports Centre manager Clare Griffin said youngsters should consider a wide variety of activities.
'You might be rubbish at kicking a football, but you might be able to do something else like kickboxing', she said.
'The confidence people gain from taking part in a sport and excelling at something and enjoying it goes far beyond they can ever learn in an English or Maths lesson.
'Once you've got into the routine of keeping fit and attending regularly, you're more likely to keep that going for the rest of your life.'
Mums and dads are also being urged to get involved themselves, by giving up their time to help run and organise sports.
'It goes beyond packing your child off for a couple of hours badminton coaching and taking advantage of having two hours to yourself', Clare Griffin told us.
'In order for these clubs to succeed and for young people to progress from grass roots, we've got to have commitment from volunteers, from parents.
'There's masses of really well qualified, dedicated coaches in all sorts of sports on the Isle of Wight; it's the support for the coaches that we need.'
Leave a comment!