Premier Announces Sport Futures Leadership Funding
HEALTH PROMOTION--Premier Announces Sport Futures Leadership Funding
Children in Nova Scotia have more chances to participate in quality sport programs. Premier John Hamm today, May 25, announced 11 sports that will be funded in phase three of Sport Nova Scotia's Sport Futures Leadership Program.
The province had committed $425,000 towards the $1-million, three-year Sport Futures Leadership program. Other funding partners include the federal government, Medical Society of Nova Scotia, Sport Nova Scotia and participating provincial sport organizations. Sport Futures Leadership helps provincial sport organizations provide fun, safe and inclusive sport activities for children and youth.
"We continue to take action to increase the physical activity levels of our young people," said Premier Hamm at a special demonstration of one funded activity today at West Pictou High School. "Sport Futures helps this cause by providing the resources to create fun, exciting and, most importantly, quality sport opportunities for our children."
Funding helps increase the competency levels of sport leaders, increase the number of coaches and leaders in different sports, improve the connection between school and non-school sports, and increase the number of recreational sport opportunities in the province. Ultimately, the program's goal is to increase overall sport membership numbers.
As part of the Office of Health Promotion's Active Kids, Healthy Kids physical activity strategy, the Sport Futures Leadership Program will help children adopt sport at a young age. This develops habits for a healthy lifestyle and generates long-term benefits for the overall health of Nova Scotians.
Today, grades 7 and 8 students participated in a demonstration of one of these new programs -- Bikercise -- created by Bicycle Nova Scotia. The program, which received $8,000 in funding for 2004, is designed to teach technical riding skills, increase the number of certified coaches and promote bike riding as a fun physical activity. Sport Futures leader Andrew Parsons led the students through a mountain bike lesson and obstacle course with 29 new mountain bikes.
Funding totaling $272,000 will also support softball, baseball, tennis, soccer, rope skip, flag football, mini volleyball, coresport (gymnastics), triathlon and canoe/kayak. Additional sports will be awarded funding in September.