Celebrate sporting tradition
Time to rediscover some forgotten sports heroes and be inspired to try new activities this summer.
National Sporting Heritage Day will take place on 30 September to show how inspiring and empowering playing sport can be. This year’s theme is “Celebrating diversity in sport”. The annual event was started in 2014 by Sporting Heritage, an organisation that marks sporting traditions with photographs, memories and objects connected to sport. These help to show off sports men and women whose stories might otherwise be forgotten.
Leading up to the day, there will be lots of events and exhibitions all over the country. Sporting Heritage is asking more schools to get involved by hosting events and activities to celebrate diversity in sport. This year’s theme has been chosen to celebrate sporting communities who don’t get much attention, such as young people, disabled people, people of colour and LGBT people (people attracted to others of the same gender and people who are a different gender to the one they were thought to be at birth).
Ex-footballer and Sporting Heritage ambassador Joanie Evans thinks it’s important that people from all kinds of backgrounds try new sports. She says that when she was growing up she didn’t see many black women or people from the LGBT community, like her, playing football. “Learning from and celebrating the history of sport is important for us to understand where we’ve come from and inspire us to see what we can achieve in the future,” Evans says.
There are lots of ways to get involved at home, at school or with your sports club. You could dig out your sporting memorabilia and create your own exhibition; host a tournament for your favourite sport; deliver a project that celebrates diversity in sport; or write about a sports person who inspires you. Ask your teacher or sports club leader to download the free resource pack at sportingheritage.org.uk for more details on how to get involved.