Kids’ sporting competition looks for tomorrow’s athletes

While Monday was a highlight for Standard six students sitting the first part of the P.S.E., a sporting event is targeting younger children in elementary institutions. The Belize Amateur Athletics Association in collaboration with the National Sports Council is conducting a sporting competition in various disciplines among primary schools to identify ten athletes to make up a team that will compete in an upcoming Central American Sports Tournament. The tournament entitled Kids Athletics is scheduled for May of this year. And according to President of the Association, Josephine Flowers, the event will improve the athletic skills of the kids.

Josephine Flowers, President, Belize Amateur Athletics Assn
“We are looking for individual athletes and teams as well as the teams because they are competing in two different areas, individual events as well as team events. This one is a team events so if we find a team that is exceptionally well, we will work with them. The team should be at least ten athletes.”

Duane Moody
“What are the disciplines that these kids will be participating in?”

Josephine Flowers
“We call them activities; we have what we call formula one. They all run in formula run, sprint hurdles, shuttle relay hurdles and it’s jumping, running around obstacles, jumping over obstacles as well as—even when they have to papalik before they start, so it’s a lot of fun things. We have javelin and if you look at it it’s like a foam, teaching them to complete certain skills so that when they get older, they will be able to throw a real javelin. We also have over the head throw, which is throwing a ball over your head, things that, you know the kids will enjoy. We also have other activities which will include pole jumping, where they have to wrap themselves around a pole in order to jump.”

Duane Moody
“Are you guys also targeting primary schools countrywide?”

Josephine Flowers
“Well we have done two set already, we did south side, we did that at the burger field and we had almost like fifty athletes participating. We did also in Orange Walk.”

On Wednesday, kids in the north side of Belize City will be tested to be followed by ten year olds from the remaining districts.