The Canterbury Academy is running a pilot project looking at developing talent within sport. The aim of the project is to provide an experience for talented children that will get them thinking, working hard on sports related skills and most importantly having fun in an inspiring environment. The programme is designed to develop the sporting potential of a selected number of young children in the local area. The target age range is for Year 5 pupils (9/10 year olds) and we have selected a group of 28 children to make up the first intake.

The aim is to give these talented 10 year olds an experience that will provide them with some core physical and mental skills that will help them succeed in sport and other walks of life whilst maintaining the fun element that is so important for all of us involved in sport. A key part of the programme will be looking at what it takes to be a winner in sport and to ensure that the children know how to win and lose with dignity. In this day and age of high stakes in sport, some of the traditional values associated with sportsmanship and fair play have become blurred and we will work very hard to have this as a key foundation to the programme.

MF Kent has been selected to provide Martial Arts tuition for the duration of the course to teach the children not only the key physical skills that can be of benefit in all physical activities (balance, flexibility, agility etc) but also the vital mental skills such as self-control, determination, focus & much more.

The Canterbury Academy works with a number of sports clubs, coaches and national governing bodies and this pilot project will aim to bring a whole host of partners together to help inspire some of Canterbury’s future sporting stars.