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Sports Coaching Weekend 2024
Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th April 2024
Our next Sports Coaching Weekend will be on 06 and 07 April 2024. Make a note of those dates and watch this space for further details.
and this is what we did in 2023 |
Sports Coaching Weekend
Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd April 2023
Our Sports Coaching Weekend is over for another year.
Nearly 380 children took part and to see the smiles on their faces when they finished their sessions made all the months of hard work worthwhile.
Here are just a few of the comments we have received:
"Hi, My son Henry took part in the trampolining on 1/2 Apr. Henry has autism and ADHD and doesn’t do a lot of extra-curricular activities outside of school.
He really enjoyed it. It was a really inclusive activity and the instruction was engaging, well paced and enjoyable.
This is the first time that Henry has done one of these activities, and we’ll definitely be signing him up again. In terms of suggestions for any new sports, we would like to try and find some team sports for Henry to take part in such as football.
Thank you for organising, it really makes a difference."
"Hi, My son has just been to the Archery and really enjoyed it.
The location, booking in was faultless.
Many thanks for everything you do."
"Thank you for organising another great Lions weekend. Our daughter had a fantastic morning."
"I wanted to drop you a line to say thank you for providing the wonderful sporting opportunities this weekend. My son Milton and my daughter Violet both participated in Canoeing at Dauntsey's and they both enjoyed the experience and have picked up new skills.
Please send our grateful thanks to the coaches, registrars and all involved to make this happen. My children have been doing this for several years and I overheard a Lion saying his son did it too and he is now 50! Long may this continue.
Best Regards"
"Hi,
Just a quick note to thank you for hosting fantastic canoeing sessions last week. Our daughter, Suki, had a wonderful time and really wants to get into the sport further. She was very lucky to be given such an incredible opportunity, thanks to the work you do."
On Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd April 2023 Devizes Lions will be holding their popular Sports Coaching Weekend where, for just £10, children in school year groups 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 can try one of up to 16 different sports that they might not otherwise have the opportunity to experience, with tuition provided by qualified coaches. |
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You can download a copy of the poster here that you can print and pin on your wall: 2023 Sports Coaching poster.
Sports:
Our aim is to offer “taster sessions” in sports that children may not have tried before. We will have qualified, insured and DBS checked coaches for all of the activities.
This year we will be offering 15 different sports for you to choose from. These are:
Adventurous Activities … Archery … Artistic Swimming … Athletics … Badminton … Canoeing … Golf … Gymnastics … Judo … Poolside Diving … Skateboarding … Sword Fencing … Table Tennis …Trampolining … Volleyball.
Click on the individual links to find out more or simply scroll through the Activities.
What happens next?
A Devizes Lion will be coming to your school between 9th and 20th January to make a presentation to the children about the weekend.
We are asking for a standard contribution of £10 per child with each application form. There will be two ways of paying: cash through the school or online using TicketSource. All information is contained in the application form.
Parents can either return their printed copy with cash in a sealed envelope to schools as in previous years or they can pay using TicketSource and email the form to Devizes Lions directly. The strict deadline for both will be 8th February.
Lions will collect envelopes from schools as usual on the 9th or 10th February and notify the children of the activity they have been offered by post by the 15th March.
If you miss the presentation, you can download a copy of the PowerPoint presentation from here to view at home:
APPLICATION FORMS will be available from your school after we have made our presentation in January or can be dowloaded.
Devizes Lions reserve the right to cancel any sport due to insufficient numbers or other unforeseen circumstances.
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Head over to our Projects Page to find out what we did in previous years.
And here are a few pictures
Some of the archery children with their medals presented by the Devizes Bowmen at the end of their session. All of the children at Braeside Education Centre were able to face the challenge of the thirty-foot climbing wall. |
The high ropes at Braeside Education Centre were probably the most adventurous of the Adventurous Activities. |
Lions have been running these events for over thirty years, and they have always been popular. In some cases this year the children's parents had themselves enjoyed Lions Sports Coaching sessions when young. Often children have gone on to develop a long-lasting love of their new sports, sometimes competing at county and national level, and in at least one case at the Paralympics.
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Devizes Canoe Club introduced children to a range of different craft at their base in Devizes. |

She really did, as you can see from the photograph. Thank you again."



(The activities that are greyed out will not be available this year)
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Adventurous Activities at Braeside for those who enjoy an adrenaline rush. The low ropes course involves climbing around a ship-like course without falling 'overboard'. High ropes involve wearing safety harnesses as it's all pretty high, but can you think, communicate and remain coordinated at that level? Have you the courage to jump for the trapeze bar? (Challenge by choice - no one is forced to).
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Archery is a great sport and can be enjoyed by everyone regardless of age, gender, ability or disability. Being able to accurately and safely shoot a bow is a skill that requires discipline, high levels of concentration and self-confidence. Experience the thrill of drawing a bow, aiming and hitting your target with coaching from Devizes Bowmen.
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Athletics gives you a chance to try all athletics disciplines: hammer, javelin, discus, hurdles, jumps, sprints, long distance and relay. Learning the basic techniques required with an emphasis on fun.
Badminton is the fastest racket sport in the world, with the shuttle (the bit you bash) travelling faster than a Formula 1 racing car! It is one of the most popular sports in the world with over 250 million people playing. It's an indoor sport that's fun, sociable and keeps you very fit!
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Basketball is a fast moving game and one of the most popular sports in the world. It is a great workout that is good for health, stimulates the brain, allows you to make new friends and to have fun while being active. It can be played year-round.
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Canoeing. Have a taster and learn the basics of canoeing. Going forwards, backwards, sideways, around corners, emergency stops, staying afloat etc. and also have some fun playing games using the strokes learned. The coach has been a BCU Canoeing Instructor for 30+ years and has run various courses, including for the Lions, for over 11 years. You can then join a local canoe club!
Clay Shooting. is a safe sport in the right environment with qualified instructors. You will be taught how to shoot the gun safely, you will then be able to have a go at shooting the clays which are discs made from clay and not live birds or animals. You will need stout shoes or boots and warm clothes (waterproof jacket if wet). All other equipment will be supplied.
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Frisbee. "Ultimate" frisbee is a fast-moving team sport enjoyed by millions of players the world over. It’s played with a flying disc. Anyone can take part. Beginners find the game easy to learn and fun to play. "Ultimate" players require skill, agility and endurance….. Grab a disc and get out there!
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Golf is a sport where you don’t have to be big, strong or fast to be successful. The traits of successful players are: patience, persistence, skilled practice and focused ability. It promotes a spirit of friendly competition and relies on honesty and courtesy. Overall, golf is a game in which to make friends and is one to be enjoyed for a lifetime.
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Tracey sent us this fabulous photo and said,
"Thank you so much for the coaching weekend, my daughter had a wonderful time at the gymnastics.
She really did, as you can see from the photograph. Thank you again." |
Gymnastics is a safe, enjoyable and challenging sport that offers opportunities for people of all ages and abilities. It has something for everyone, providing a wide range of movement experiences for participants and spectators while providing the opportunity to focus on fun, fitness, friendship and fundamentals.
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Hockey. The Olympic Gold winning sport from Rio 2016, is a fast, fun team game, where you use sticks and a plastic ball to score goals. It is played on artificial pitches, making it faster and exciting! Come and learn the skills you need! Your local Club is Devizes, with a thriving Junior section.
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Judo is one of the world's most widely practised Olympic and Paralympic sports and showcases breath-taking throws and ground fighting techniques as competitors illustrate why they are among the best conditioned athletes in the world. Our qualified coaches will teach you coordination, balance and agility, and if you want to be the best we will show you how.
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Mountain Biking. There is truly nothing like mountain biking: feeling the earth underneath your tyres and the wind around your head. It connects us to nature, keeps us fit and always puts a smile on our faces. Those are some simple reasons why the sport is great. Bring your mountain bike for training on Saturday, followed by cross-country on Sunday: it’s a great way to start.
Pool Activities
Poolside Diving
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Poolside Diving is offered to children who can swim at least 25 metres and who are confident in deep water. They will be introduced through progressive water and poolside exercises to jump and dive into the water. They will learn straight, tucked, piked, somersaulting and twisting positions in the water to gain confidence to enjoy diving.
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Artistic Swimming. Girls and boys who can swim 100 metres plus will learn how to put basic sculls, strokes and moves together to form a routine. Synchronised swimming is a very strenuous and skilful sport because competitors need strength and flexibility to perform the routines, as well as rhythm and flair to synchronise and interpret the music.
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Riding. The one hour session at the Children’s Riding School is aimed for beginners. They will be meet some of our wonderful native pony breeds and gain a little understanding of a pony. They will be able to borrow riding helmets of the correct standard and will be introduced to handling the ponies and to mounting and riding in the outdoor schools.
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Squash can be played all year round. It's a great workout and teaches hand-eye coordination as well as stamina. It's a game of not only fitness but of strategy, and it doesn’t require a whole team of people to play. It's fun!
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Skateboarding These taster sessions are great fun and really engage and inspire young people - leading to healthier active lifestyles and positive mental attitudes. Our coaches bring all the equipment needed, so that everyone will be all kitted out properly with safety gear to tackle the exciting challenges ahead.
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Sword Fencing is the fastest growing sport in the UK. In the age of chivalry, duelling was favoured as a method of settling matters of honour, because of its grace and simplicity. These remain the most attractive aspects of the sport today, developing all round fitness, flexibility of movement, stamina, mental agility, co-ordination, balance and self-confidence. It’s great fun learning to duel.
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Table Tennis is an Olympic sport, and one of the world’s fastest games. It is a “Sport for Life” and played and enjoyed by people of all ages. Come along and try it, with the help of our experienced table tennis coach.
Tae Kwon-Do encourages interest in martial arts in a nonthreatening way. It also improves flexibility and fitness, develops pride, focus, and self-discipline. Tae kwon-do increases attention span, promotes concentration, and positively impacts other school activities. It is an excellent supplement to other sports. Students learn respect for themselves and others.
Target Shooting. An Olympic sport since the first modern games, shooting suits all ages. It helps develop strength, stamina, hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills. During Sports Coaching you will learn to fire an air rifle at a fixed target on a modern 25 yard range, and you will enjoy seeing your ability increasing.
Tennis. You can play tennis whatever your age. There are many places to play across the country. It's a great way to get fit and can be a great way to make friends. It's easy to get started and we provide the equipment, so come and have a go.
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Trampolining. Want to try something different and stand out from the crowd? While anyone can begin and jump on a trampoline, high level trampolining requires strength, stamina and skill. It is a fantastic sport for keeping fit and good for posture and balance and is a really fun way of exercising. It is also an Olympic sport.
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Volleyball is a great sport that can be enjoyed by people of all ages and skill levels. It can be played year round both indoors and outdoors and has many benefits: it burns calories and improves muscle strength and tone, hand-eye coordination, reflexes, and balance. Last but not least, volleyball teaches teamwork and communication and is a great social activity.
Devizes Lions reserve the right to cancel any sport due to insufficient numbers or other unforeseen circumstances.