SASSOT Annual Report 2008 - 2009 - Sport Across Staffordshire

CASE STUDY
Sporting Champions
01
LEIGH MORTON | Admin Officer
tel 01785 619 349
email lmorton@staffordbc.gov.uk
We are the Champions….yes 2008/09 saw SASSOT as the top performing
CSP nationally with regards to the number of Sporting Champion visits
across the Partnership.
A total of 37 Sporting Champions visited events, festivals, leadership and volunteering
academies and opened new facilities during the course of the year,
bringing world-class athletes face-to-face with young people to inspire and
motivate them to participate in sport. provide motivational talks, question
and answer sessions, workshops, demonstrations and coaching sessions.
The young people and parents were thrilled to meet the athletes, see their
skills in action and actually touch an Olympic medal commenting: “To see a
top athlete who as won a medal made the young people listen and try that bit
more. Young people need good role models and in sport you couldn’t ask for
better CHAMPIONS. !!!! Excellent.”
MINI EVENT RUNS RINGS ROUND
THE OLYMPICS (17 JULY 2008)
The Beijing Olympics may not have been underway
but a slice of the Olympiad came to
Burntwood. Chase Terrace Technology College
hosted a mini Olympics for the local primary
schools, ahead of the actual games
which started on August 4.
Moving forward over the next two years, Sport England’s Sporting Champions
scheme will focus on the 5-hour offer and support Sport Unlimited programmes.
By working in partnership with our strong sub-regional network
of school sport partnerships, national governing bodies and local authority
sports development officers we hope to continue to benefit from even more
Sporting Champion visits.
02
The college was awash with red, white and
blue as pupils were divided into two camps:
Great Britain and USA.
The day started with the traditional opening
ceremony with a performance by dancers and
singers. Then, just like the real Olympic
Games, the children went on procession - with
the ‘Olympic’ torch - around the field, turning it
into a see of starts, stripes and Union Jacks.
Sporting Champion, James Hillier, 2002 Commonwealth
Games Silver Medallist 4 x 400m
was delighted to be there on the day leading
the procession, providing an inspirational talk
and even allowing the young athletes to touch
his silver medal.
The event was organised by Chase Terrace
Technology College pupil Hannah Corbett who
is Young Ambassador for sport in the area.
Hannah said: “Although the events were different
to a normal Olympics, it allowed each
child to excel, enjoy and be a winner in sport.”
01 Flying the flag: British on the march in the
procession of countries
02 Sporting Champion James Hillier pictured
with event organiser Hannah Corbett (17)
www.sportacrossstaffordshire.co.uk 17