WSC Supports the East Garfiled Park Sports Association's
First Annual Olympic Youth Sports Festival
By Paul Slomski, WSC Contributor
On Saturday, April 23rd, World Sport Chicago (WSC) capped off a busy week of sports demonstrations and clinics for CPS students on spring break across the city, by supporting the first annual Olympic Youth Sports Festival at Westinghouse High School in the East Garfield Park neighborhood, hosted by Breakthrough Urban Ministries and the newly created East Garfield Park Sports Association.
The activities in East Garfield Park and other neighborhoods throughout the week are part of a collaborative effort between WSC and key lead agencies in four of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation - Chicago's (LISC's) New Communities program. The partnerships aim to help foster youth development programs through sport that are customized for each of the four participating neighborhoods. This pilot endevour includes the following four Chicago communities: Auburn-Gresham, East Garfield Park, Little Village and West Haven/Near West Side.
More than 300 kids took advantage of one of the first great days of spring in Chicago. Member organizations to the East Garfield Park Sports Association include:
Bill Curry, Chief Operating Officer of Breakthrough Urban Ministries, organized the event and kicked off the festivities by welcoming everyone and encouraging the kids to play, learn, participate and most importantly, have fun!
Each youngster got a t-shirt at the door and had the opportunity to participate in 18 different sports demos and a nutrition clinic. The sports included volleyball, dance, rugby, tennis, fencing, long jump, archery, street hockey, baseball, basketball and many more. Chicago Bull Kyle Korver (busy playing in round one of the NBA playoffs that afternoon) and Converse donated athletic sneakers and sports apparel for the kids. If each kid participated in 9 of the 18 different sports demos and the nutrition clinic, they were able to trade in their punched card for the gear.
The Festival, a bright, sunny day, and active kids were the first signs of a highly anticipated spring and summer in Chicago. WSC has a number of upcoming events and programs planned to get youngsters interested, engaged and passionate about sport, visit the World Sport Chicago website to keep posted on new events and programs!
Archery (Conducted by Lives on Target)
Nutrition Workshop
Volleyball
A number of WSC Scholars also spent the day volunteering. Petrina LaFaire, a student at Northside College Prep and volleyball scholar was excited to participate “because I was looking forward to sharing my love for volleyball with the kids. I enjoy it so much and I wanted them to feel the same joy from playing it!”
Rugby
Alyssa Green, a member of the North Shore Women’s Rugby Club was out on Saturday as a volunteer, showing kids how to pass and make a stop. “Rugby (Men’s and Women’s) will be an Olympic Sport for the first time in 2016, we need to start getting kids involved now if we want to be competitive. It’s a great sport that is easy to pick-up and low-cost,” exclaimed Green.