Try All Sorts Of Sports

Illawarra Mercury

Tuesday December 9, 2008

MICHELLE WEBSTER

Playing basketball and netball every week is great fun, but sometimes it can be nice to try something a little different.

Corrimal East Public School's alternative sports program provides students with the opportunity to take part in an activity they may never have tried before.

Sports co-ordinator Hedley Privett said every student could pick the sport that most interested them, regardless of age, gender or skill level.

"The alternative sports program involves all the kids in the school, from Kindergarten to Year 6, allowing them to participate in one of 10 sports each week for five weeks," he said.

"It could be swimming, bike riding, bushwalking, fishing, indoor sports, tenpin bowling, jazz dance, beach sports, and one group stop at school and do team sports.

"They love it, they can't wait for it to come around each year."

Mr Privett said it was important for children to try different activities, allowing them to discover new talents and skills outside of team situations.

"All year we're doing soccer, netball, just the basic team sports, this gets them away from the team thing," he said.

"It's an individual thing that they can be engaged in and it's something they can do for themselves."

Having previously tried indoor and water sports, Year 6 student Joshua Krkovski, chose fishing as his alternative sport for 2008.

"We go behind the place called the Lagoon," he said.

"It's a good place to fish and we usually get a few good bites. I think it's fun because it's exciting to catch a fish and it's fun when you get bites."

Mr Privett said the alternative sports program produced many interesting talking points among students and staff.

"We've caught a couple of fish at the lagoon there at Stuart Park," he said.

"In tenpin bowling we've had quite a few strikes, so we're starting to improve from using the ramps with the bumpers still up.

"During bushwalking last week we had some leeches, the kids said that was a real bushwalk."

But it's not all fun and games, with students also stepping out of their social circles and learning valuable lessons about responsibility and helping others.

"With the bike riding, the big ones will be at the front and the little ones in the middle and older ones again at the back," Mr Privett said.

"So it's a social thing as well where they get to help the little kids out and look after them."

While most children jump at the chance to try something a little different, Mr Privett said those who prefer playing team sports don't miss out either.

"The kids that don't want to do any of the other activities can stay here at school and do team sports," he said.

"They've played European handball, which is obviously a bit different to the handball we do on the playground. They've also played softball, cricket and soccer."

Mr Privett said he hoped students would continue to be active.

"With the little Kindies, walking down to the beach and playing beach games we hope might encourage them to get involved in nippers," he said.

"The kids that don't get to do dancing on the weekends, they get to do it here at school and they might really enjoy it and pick it up in their own time.

"So it gives them an outlook on something that's different and it's not a team thing it's individual where they're doing their own thing,"

Did you know?

Dirt bike champions, brothers Jay and Ryan Marmont, are former Corrimal East Public School students.

Corrimal East Public School

Established: 1952.

Address: Duff Parade, East Corrimal.

Phone: (02) 4284 4582.

Fax: (02) 4285 2715.

Email: corrimale-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au.

Principal: David Schofield.

Assistant principals: Kim Pepper, Natasha Gonzaga, Brad Chapman.

Number of students: 306.

Number of teachers: 20.

Number of front office staff: Three.

Motto: Ever onward.

© 2008 Illawarra Mercury

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