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The Alexandra and Ainsworth
Tenants and Residents Association is launching a judo club this
week after children showed a great response to summer taster sessions.
The Association contacted
the British Judo Association, the National Governing Body of the
Olympic sport in Britain, in June as they looked to deliver an
activity at the Tenants Hall for children on the Alexandra and
Ainsworth Estate.
“We have been trying to
set up initiatives for our children, to make sure that they have
something to do in their free time and stay out of trouble,” said
a spokeswoman for the Tenants Association.
“We have already organised
some activities for a number of age groups, but we were struggling
to find something interesting and safe for the 4-7 and 8-12 age
groups until we thought of judo.”
The British Judo Association’s
London Development Manager, Karen French, organised the club’s
summer taster sessions.
“We ran two taster sessions
and the children really enjoyed their first experience of the
sport,” said French.
“The community has been
very supportive to the sport and our North London Development
Coach Gabor Szanyi-Nagi will initially be delivering one class
a week.”
The Alexandra and Ainsworth
Tenants and Residents Association’s spokeswoman added: “The two
taster classes were extremely well received. The first day there
was a good turnout and the day after numbers had already doubled.
“Both the children and
parents were extremely enthusiastic about Gabor Szanyi-Nagi’s
teaching, and we are sure it won't be long before the word spreads
even more and we get a good number of children which could see
us add an extra class.
“All of those who took
part were new to the sport so to see so many children engaging
in an exciting and rewarding activity was very encouraging.“
British Judo, which has
adopted the motto of ‘judo for all’, recently conducted a survey
which revealed that 99 of the 103 schools questioned believe judo
caters for young people of all ages, abilities and sizes.
The British Judo Association’s
Chief Executive Officer, Scott McCarthy, believes the sport can
engage and benefit any audience.
“With weight categories,
age bands, and clear progression pathways through the grading
system judo is sport that truly caters for everyone – regardless
of shape, size, gender, ethnicity or ability,” he said.
“The sport has something
to offer to anyone who is interested in gaining physical skills,
core stability, confidence, strength and discipline. It is an
educational platform as well as an Olympic sport.”
Classes for children aged
5-12 are held every Thursday at 18:00 – 19:00 in the Tenants Hall
of the Alexandra and Ainsworth Way Estate. For further information
you can visit the TRA website at http://www.alexandraainsworth.org
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