Castle Rushen High School’s newest students left their books closed when they took part in a day designed to encourage them to take part in sport and stay fit and healthy.
 
Coaches from six community sports clubs in the south of the Island delivered sessions for the entire Year 7 intake of 110 students.
 
Students enjoyed fun, 45-minute taster sessions in each of the sports, in rotation. Included in the programme were:
 
• Athletics (Southern Athletics Club)
• Badminton (Rushen Hot Shots Badminton Club)
• Rugby (Southern Nomads Rugby Club)
• Netball (Simcocks Eagles and Fencibles Netball Clubs)
• Hockey (Saracens and Castletown Hockey Clubs) 
• Cricket (Castletown Cricket Club).
 
Gianni Epifani, Senior Sport Development Officer with the Department of Education and Children, hopes the day, held at the school, will encourage the students to take up new sports.
 
He said: ‘The clubs involved are keen for more members to boost their numbers. This initiative provided students with the chance to meet coaches and try out the sports. Students who have lacked the confidence to join a club in the past will hopefully have enjoyed working with the coaches during the taster day and may now have the confidence to take that important step into joining a community club.’
 
Keith Winstanley, Headteacher at Castle Rushen High School, said: ‘It was wonderful to see Year 7 students so enthused by this initiative. We had a number of our staff involved, not just PE teachers, and it was a great way for us to get to know, and settle in, our youngest students.
 
‘Students have taken away useful information on the many sporting opportunities offered in the south. It has significantly raised the profile of clubs and students are much more likely to want to get involved as a result. I would like to thank the coaches who gave up their time to make the event a success.’
 
If you would like information on joining sports clubs in the south, contact Gianni on 688556 or email gianni.epifani@gov.im.