Dragon Sport is a Sport Wales initiative funded by the National Lottery, designed to offer 7-11 year olds fun and enjoyable sporting opportunities.

Liaising closely with schools and community sports clubs, Dragon Sport is making a dramatic impact on sports participation by encouraging children to become involved in a variety of organised sporting activities.

The scheme broadens the sporting interests of children who already take part in sport and to involve children who currently lack such opportunities outside of their school PE lessons.

Dragon Sport introduces children to coaching, skill development and appropriate competition using versions of the adult game, modified to meet their needs and skill levels.

A portfolio of eight modified sports is used in the scheme. The eight Dragon Sports are:

• Rugby
• Athletics
• Cricket
• Football
• Hockey
• Netball
• Tennis
• Golf

Whilst the primary focus of Dragon Sport is improving sports provision for 7 11 year olds across Wales, Dragon Sport also focuses on recruiting parents and other volunteers as helpers to support the development of after school and community sports clubs.

The programme is supported by a comprehensive range of resource cards and equipment to help deliver Dragon Sport sessions, with further resource materials for the recruitment and training of volunteer parents, teachers and coaches.

The programme concentrates on using these resources to develop opportunities outside the school curriculum and in the community.

All resources are also compatible with the curriculum, so many schools and teachers can choose to use them in PE lessons. Dragon Sport creates links with sports clubs and other community activities by offering children and volunteers opportunities to progress in a wide range of sports.

Local Dragon Sport Co-ordinators provide step-by-step advice and training to help schools, sports clubs and volunteers deliver Dragon Sport. This help is offered to schools and clubs through a rolling programme, agreed in partnership with local authorities, PE advisors, national governing bodies of sport, schools and other local sporting providers.

Dragon Sport may also be delivered by leisure centres, youth groups, voluntary and uniformed organisations.

Dragon Sport;

• has been adapted to suit the players age, size ability, skill level and experience
• uses simple rules, smaller equipment and playing areas, plus fun training and coaching
• prepares players for the adult game
• is safe but still challenging.

While playing Dragon Sport we expect participants to;

• Play by the rules
• Stay calm no matter what
• Play the game for the fun of it
• Accept the decision of officials at all times
• Respond to winning and losing with dignity
• Respect opponents, coach/teacher, officials and team-mates
• Congratulate and thank the opposing team at the end of the game
• Shake hands and be happy whether you win or lose!

FAIR PLAY and INCLUSIVE activities are promoted and constantly reinforced through all materials and training packages associated with Dragon Sport.

Please contact your local Sport Development Team for more information.

Click Here to enter the Dragon Arcade

Making a session run smoothly

Organising a group of children taking part in sport is not always easy but these handy hints should help you to make things run as smoothly as possible.

• Minimise the number of times you stop a session. Only stop when you are in a good position where everyone can see and hear you.
• Encourage focussed activities and only stop if you have something important to contribute.
• Try to assist individuals during an activity rather than interrupting the game or practice.
• Be clear but not over the top. How things are said are as important as what is said.
• Ensure everybody can see and hear any demonstration you are about to give.
• Once you've got the group's attention you need to explain things quickly and clearly.
• Isolate one or two points to be explained. And don't use too many words explaining them. Be clear and concise.
• A demonstration can be worth a 1,000 words.
• Keep the demonstration simple - and repeat it. Check everyone knows what can be achieved before they have a go.
• Ask has anyone got a question about what they are about to do? and feedback any tips.

Managing a training session

  The golden rule for any training session is always to make it fun for the children. Use game-orientated training - kids love to play. You can camouflage drills by using games, but remember the result is not the focus. All sessions need to be planned beforehand so think about the following:

• What are you going to do?
• What do the children need/want to do?
• What is the ability of the children you are planning for?
• Have you chosen appropriate activities?
• Check the playing area to ensure it is safe
• Set up equipment beforehand
• Understand the skills you are about to teach

 

The session

The following will help you to build up a basic plan for an hour's session:

• Always start on time and get things going quickly.
• Go through at least a 5-10 minute warm up.
• Go over a skill that you have previously taught for some positive reinforcement. Give plenty of praise and encouragement.
• Demonstrate new skills - allow around 5-10 minutes for this. Make sure everybody can see. Do it slowly and clearly to start off with.
• Children need to understand where each skill fits with each other so they can relate to using them at the appropriate time. Let everybody have a go at practising the new set of skills.
• Watch what's happening. If you intervene to make corrections try and do it positively. If the skill has proved a bit tricky for the children to grasp, demonstrate it again.
• Leave enough time for some game play - about a quarter-of-an-hour, and keep your instructions to a minimum at this point. Make sure everybody is involved.
• Finish with enough time for a 5-10 minute cool down and include fun games to keep their attention. More on warm downs.
• While kids are warming down keep talking to them. Ask questions about the skill they have learned and give some positive feedback.
  After the session
• Take some time to evaluate what happened. Did everybody have fun? If not, why not?
• Did everybody have a go or were some excluded? What could you do to improve the next session?

 

Mums, dads and teachers have a wealth of skills, and Dragon Sport can offer an opportunity to put these into practice through sport, while having fun with the children.

Rather than just dropping off the children at a sports club, we want parents to roll up their sleeves and have a go at pitching in with activities.

Organising family sport is also a great opportunity to spend valuable, constructive time with the children. Compare an hour of sport with an hour of watching TV - only sport actively improves communication, fitness and health.

No parent would want their child to grow up to be a couch potato - this is a ready-made opportunity for parents to hatch healthy habits in their children from an early age, to make every child in Wales stronger and fitter - What better gift is there than that?

Volunteers

Current Dragon Sport volunteers have commented on the enjoyment and satisfaction they get from seeing children learning new skills and having fun. Many of the volunteers have also become qualified coaches and are making a valuable contribution to sport in their community.

Increasing the number of volunteers in Dragon Sport will enable more children to participate in Dragon Sport Clubs. It will also enable parents, teachers, students and other volunteers to obtain training and make a valuable contribution to sport.

Sport wouldn't happen if parents, teachers and other people didn't give up their time to organise sport for children.

Volunteers are truly the key to developing sport in Wales.

It's not just the team and the children that benefit. Volunteering can be a sociable role where you meet new people and learn new skills.

Most sports clubs are run by volunteers and require all kinds of assistance to keep them running smoothly.

You don't even have to be sporty

Many clubs are eager to recruit volunteers with a range of experience or skills. You may be able to help with:

• Catering - From pouring half-time drinks to preparing cucumber sandwiches for a cricket lunch.
• Maintenance - Whether it's a new lick of paint for the club house or helping to flatten a pitch.
• Transport - Kids need ferrying about. Maybe set-up a transport pool so everybody shares the load.
• Cleaning - It's a dirty job, but somebody's got to do it!
• Assistant coaching - Equipment might need to be set up; coaches always need help to run sessions.
• Administration - Who's available for the next game? You could organise it all by phone or email. Does the team need to register for a league? Maybe you can write the letter.
• Finance - Has the league subscription fee to a league been paid? Does cash need to be put aside for a special trip? Those with number-crunching skills can help.
• Fundraising - Can you organise sponsorship for the team through your work? Can you run events such as sponsored matches or car boot sales? A sports club always needs help with the pennies.

So why don't you volunteer to help out?

Think about what you can do and contact your local Dragon Sport Co-ordinator to see if you can help.

Help your child choose the sport that's right for them. Okay, so they hate racket sports, have no interest in kicking a football around and are always trying to avoid athletics.

So, how about giving rugby a go instead?

Remember lots of sports aren't included in the school curriculum.

A healthy balance

Don't expect too much from your kids. Sport can easily be fitted in around other activities such as playing musical instruments or visiting friends.

"I did it my way"

Let kids get involved in their own time and in their own way.

Get involved

However, you can set an example by getting involved yourself. Sport's a great way to spend time together as a family.

To find out about clubs running in your local authority, please view the 'Find Your Local Coordinator' page

You can make a difference!

Get to grips with your roles and responsibilities and find out how you can make your child's involvement in sport more enjoyable.

Why do kids play sport?

It's obvious isn't it. Kids play because they want to have fun and enjoy themselves. But that is not the only reason.

The confidence trick

Playing sport will give your child bags of confidence. They'll also get a real sense of acheivement. For a lot of kids, sport is their chance to shine but others can get demoralised. So remember to make sure the sport your child plays is the one they're best suited to.

Team Player

Kids like to feel part of a team and with sport they can feed off the energy and enthusiasm of their team-mates. It can really bring them out of their shell.

Winning is not everything

Sport's really exciting. But not all kids are in to win. While some children love to compete, others shy away from it. So don't be pushy! It could scare your child away from sport altogether. If your kids do enjoy winning see if there atr competitions that they can enter where they will compete against youngsters of a similar age.

Rember to find a balance between sport and play.

Tune in

Instead, find out what your child's interested in and opt for some gentle encouragement. Why not try taking them to along to watch a game to start off with? Even if it's just a football friendly at your local park.

Home sweet home

A simple kick about in the back garden is a great way to get into sport. It's a non-threatening environment and it'll give your child confidence.

Lead by example

If you play sport, take your child along with you. Cycle to the shops together instead of getting in the car. Don't watch from the side - get into the swimming pool with them.

Know your stuff

It's a good idea to try and understand the sport your kid plays. Even if it's just getting to grips with the basics of the game, the position they play and the skills they need. That way you won't feel left out when they recount the stunning switch pass and double loop that led to their team's winning try!

Keep the faith

Trust that your kids know what they're doing. Let them make their own decisions and learn from their mistakes.

It's important to be aware of the dangers when you're child is playing sport. Putting your children under too much pressure will do more damage than good. Just because you're paying expensive club fees and driving your child to games, doesn't mean they have to win every single game they play.

Some parents want to fulfil their sporting dreams through their children, but think twice before pushing your kids into it. They may just want to have fun and may excel at a less competitive level. Often they just want to play with their friends.

Your ambitions could make them feel pressured and may cause embarrassment in front of their friends. Don't push your child into becoming a professional footballer when all they want to do is kick a ball around.

It's fine to be ambitious, but it's easy to get carried away.

Remember only a small percentage of kids who start a sport will go on to make a living out of it. Your child's enjoyment, growth and development should be your main priority.

New challenge?

If your child starts to lose interest, find out why and think of ways you can get their interest back. Maybe they need a new challenge. By encouraging your kids to have a go at other sports you'll make them feel in control.

There's loads of sports on offer out there, so if basketball's not their thing, athletics could well be the one.

The whole point of playing sport is having fun, as well as picking up new skills.

Emotional support

The more involved your child gets in sport, the more they'll need your support. If your kids take sport seriously, they'll become stressed at times; this is when they'll need your help.

Sport can provoke extreme emotions, like having to deal with losing, or the adrenalin rush you feel when you win. It may be the first time your child has experienced these feelings, but it won't be the last - sport is a good place to start.

Give them as much support as possible by going to as many of their games and competitions as possible - they'll appreciate you being there.

Be part of the picture

If your child needs your support, make yourself accessible to them. Or better still, get involved by volunteering your services or take up coaching, then you'll be in a much better position to help them out.

Playing the game

Once your children start playing sport, there's the extra stresses to add like preparing for trials, winning and losing, getting on with the coach and other team-mates. Make sure you know what's going on.

Getting picked for the team

This can be a difficult time for kids - and you. If your child starts worrying about what the coach thinks of them, comparing their performance to their team-mates, they can become intimidated.

Remind them to focus on themselves. Set goals for them and talk about the ways to reach them. Remind your kids that if they don't succeed at a particular trial, it doesn't mean they won't succeed at another.

Giving the right message

While nobody likes to lose, children should be reminded it's also how you play that matters. Questions such as did you win? or did you score? can make your kids feel as if they've failed.

Focus on maintaining your child's confidence. Ask them if they enjoyed the game and how they could have done better.

Most importantly, ask your child if they had fun.

Getting on with the team

It may be the first time your child has been part of a team; encourage them to get to know their team-mates. The same goes for your relationship with the coach and other parents.

You all have different goals: you're concerned with your kids' performance, the other parents with theirs and the coach with the team as a whole.

If the coach makes a decision that you're not happy with, try not to cause trouble with them as this will invariably cause more headaches for your child.

Or you could give coaching a shot yourself.

Wimbledon Competition


Click here to enter

 

Ten Year old Harry Hooper from Newbridge on Wye School, Powys was the lucky winner of the recent Dragon Sport 'Ryder Cup' competition.

Harry was randomly selected from a field of over 300 entries that correctly answered 3 questions relating to golf and in particular the 2010 Ryder Cup which was held at the Celtic Manor Resort in October 2010.

Wendy Langford, Dragon Sport Co-ordinator for Powys, can be seen below presenting a junior set of golf clubs and balls to Harry who was delighted with his prize.

The next competition will be launching in January!