Children encouraged to have a go
SOME of tomorrow’s greatest athletes may well have been at the Edgar Centre yesterday, participating in Sport Otago’s Summer Sports Have A Go Day.
Sport Otago fundamental skills adviser Kerri Maclennan said it was the first of a series of Have A Go days which give Dunedin year 3 and 4 school pupils an opportunity to try new sports.
‘‘The sports are touch, cricket, softball, tennis, athletics and football.
‘‘It’s a really good age to intro duce them to these sports.
‘‘The idea is we have it before the season, to introduce those kids to the different sports available during the summer season.
‘‘They just get a taster of these sports.’’
Mrs Maclennan said the ultimate aim was for the children to find a sport they liked, that they could ‘‘pick up and run with’’ and become New Zealand’s next great sporting talent.
Have A Go Days would also be held at the Edgar Centre on August 16, 22, 27 and September 7.
More than 750 children from different schools had registered to participate in the days.
‘‘The response this year to our Have A Go Days has been overwhelming and it is fantastic to see they are proving popular.’’
Further days would be held next year, focusing on winter sports, she said.
‘‘The aim of the days is for children to build on their fundamental skills while being introduced to sports, that if they are interested, they can then carry on with.’’