Sports festival aimed at teens
A sports festival with a difference took place in IT Sligo recently and the theme wasn’t about competing, instead it was all about enjoying sport.
More than 160 young women from across Co Sligo celebrated getting active at the annual Girls Active Activity Festival recently.
The festival was organised by Sligo Sport and Recreation Partnership in conjunction with the HSE.
Its objective was to offer girls an opportunity to try a variety of non- competitive activities including, Yoga, Zumba, Badminton, Tennis, Circuits, Gym, Spinning, Boxercise and Martial Arts.
The festival, which took place at the Knocknarea Arena is the culmination of a year’s involvement for the girls participating in the Girls Active extra- curricular programme.
This programme is currently running in 11 secondary schools and training centres throughout Co Sligo.
Its aim is to increase the number of teenage girls involved in long- term regular physical activity through the provision of non- competitive extra- curricular activities.
The initiative is also developing more supportive environments in schools.
The programme takes the emphasis off competition in sport, which can sometimes be off putting for girls, and places a greater emphasis on the social and health benefits of being physically active.
It also gives opportunities to try out different ways to be active such as yoga, dance, boxercise for example.
A lot of the success of the programme comes down to the Girls Active Co- ordinating teacher based in each school.
They volunteer their time to organise programmes and encourage the girls to participate each week.
Girls Active is in its fifteenth year in Sligo and each year offers over 300 girls an opportunity to participate in fun social extra- curricular physical activity programmes throughout the school year.
The programme has received a lot of positive feedback from participants.
One girl said: “I liked it because I got to try a lot of sports which I have never tried. I liked that you didn’t need to be good at sport.”
The event organisers would like to thank Eimear Donlon of IT Sligo and her third year Health Science students for their assistance at the Girls Active Activity Festival.
They volunteer each year to help deliver activities and to be group leaders, making the day an enjoyable experience for all those attending. If you would like any information on the programme contact Theresa Kilgannon at Sligo Sport and Recreation Partnership at 0719161511 Email: theresa@ sligosportandrecreation. ie or check out www. sligosportandrecreation. ie.