Try Tennis For Free This National Great British Tennis Weekend 22-23 July

Wimbledon may be over but there's no chance of rain stopping play now that Caitlin and Ieuan have found a sport they can actually play together.

Image credit: Pixabay

Ieuan's never been keen on taking up ballet and Caitlin is too worried about the possibility of being hit during Tae Kwon-do but, they have recent discovered tennis and have been playing out in the garden in relative harmony.

Those of us parents facing 6 weeks of full-scale sibling rivalry when school ends this Friday are very appreciative of the prospect of some peace, I can tell you.

And there are some pretty good reasons to encourage our youngsters to take up the sport, not least because we Brits are very proud of our tennis champions and we all know the importance of starting kids young.

Look at that concentration - and yes, that court is a bit, um, overgrown

Here's ten very good reasons to play tennis, courtesy of Tennis Wales who are organising the Welsh version of the National #GoHitIt campaign to encourage as many of us as possible to pick up a racquet and practise our serve.

1. Tennis may help you to live a longer life - scientists and doctors say tennis is one of the healthiest activities that you can participate in.  The overall physical, mental and emotional gains it delivers could add years to your life.

2. It can make you happier - tennis engages the mind and body at the same time. Tennis players are more confident, healthier, less stressed and more socially interactive.

3. You'll make friends.  Tennis encourages interaction and communication.  Especially if you're playing doubles with a partner.

4. The whole family can join in - no matter what your age, ability or fitness level, tennis is great for bringing the family together. Few other sports can offer the opportunities for families that tennis can.

I'm not going to tell her that's backwards as I'll stand more chance of winning.

5. Tennis teaches life lessons - players, particularly youngsters, develop a work ethic, learn sportsmanship, how to manage mistakes, enhance their discipline, learn to compete and learn teamwork.

6. Tennis can be anything you want it to be - competition, social play, a good workout or time with family or friends.

7. Tennis is fun - whether at entry level, for the under 10s or the senior leagues all players have fun while getting a workout at the same time.

8. It develops your mind.  Tennis requires alertness, tactical thinking and problem solving.  Evidence suggests it may generate new connections between nerves, promoting a lifetime of continued development of the brain.

Not totally sure about Ieuan's co-ordination to be honest ...

9. It builds fitness - the constant movement and action in tennis will burn calories, build muscle, increase bone strength, improve flexibility, fine-tune coordination and enhance overall health and fitness.

10.  Tennis is a sport you can play your whole life - you can play throughout your lifetime from the earliest ages to your later years.

And from the point of view of teaching our kids sportsmanship, then tennis is a great way to teach them both competitiveness AND how to deal with defeat graciously (NOT McEnroe style).

If you want to join in with #GoHitIt, you can find your nearest participating court at https://www.lta.org.uk/go-hit-it.

And this weekend (22 - 23 July) is the perfect opportunity to hit your local tennis court (or playing field or garden!) because it's the National Great British Tennis Weekend where selected venues will be offering free tennis for everyone, regardless of age, ability or fitness level.

To find your nearest participating court visit https://clubspark.lta.org.uk/OpenDays.

That's more like it.

Tennis Wales are also hosting Tennis Tuesdays to encourage more female tennis players back into the game.  The sessions as specifically geared towards women who used to play and want to return to the game.  There is also a Nike rewards programme attached to session attendance.

Find your nearest participating court at https://clubspark.lta.org.uk/TennisTuesdays.

If you are looking for a local league to get involved with to hone your competitive streak and make some new friends, then go to https://localtennisleagues.com.

Enjoy your tennis!

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Work Off That Chocolate Overload With Some Footie Fun

I read, last year, that over Easter each child in the UK will consume around 8 Easter eggs each which is a staggering amount. And I have to confess that our two have had their fair share - which we are rationing and 'helping them out with' to lessen the load a little.

So, despite the ravages of Storm Katie and the infrequent bouts of sunshine, we have taken every excuse to get out of doors this Easter school holiday for some exercise and, having watched Wales draw 1-1 with Northern Ireland last weekend, we are all cautiously optimistic for the approaching UEFA Euro 2016 ™ matches.

We are blessed, in Dinas Powys, with a large expanse of open green known locally as "The Common" and it is the site of many a football and rugby match along with the lovely sight of horses cantering around the perimeter.

It is a great place to take the kids so they can run about and let off some steam.

What could be easier than taking a ball and having a kick about for an hour? 

It makes such a welcome change from the usual activities of iPad, TV and DVD and gives everyone the chance to clear their head. 

Football is great exercise because:-

- it increases cardiovascular health and increases aerobic capacity
- lowers body fat and improves muscle tone
- builds strength, flexibility and endurance
- increases muscle and bone strength

and

- improves overall health because of the shifting between walking, running and sprinting.

Five very good reasons why adults should get out of their chairs and join their kids on the pitch!

"As a kid, you obviously dream of being a professional footballer. I would watch players like Ronaldo of Brazil and pretend to be him in the playground. But I don't think about trying to become one of the best in the world or anything like that. I just play football."

Gareth Bale

Then there are other benefits such as:-

- you learn teamwork
- you learn to literally "think on the run"
- it teaches you persistence and self-discipline
- it helps to increase your confidence and self esteem

and, as we all know, exercise of any kind is a brilliant way to deal with our anxieties and the stresses of daily life.

I think children also benefit from admiring their football heroes because they can teach children to model positive behaviours like co-operation and looking out for one another.  Everyone needs something positive to aspire to.

So, as the opening game of the UEFA Euro 2016™ championship approaches, we are all honing our football skills.

Wales face England in the second game of the group stage on 16 June in Lens. They play Slovakia in the opening game on 11 June and Russia the final match of Group B on 20 June.

Sporting legend Ian Rush has told BBC Wales Sport that 'I've got a strong feeling that we won't lose to England, even though they've had a good result against Germany,"  Fingers crossed!

And of course there is still the fabulous opportunity for kids to win the opportunity to be a Player Ambassador at one of three UEFA EURO 2016™ matches taking place in June or July 2016 and the chance to win one of a hundred footballs in McDonald's fabulous competition.

How to enter

To take part all you have to do is to upload a photo of your child here by 10th April 2016 showing their passion for football: cheering on their country, celebrating a goal, or supporting their favourite team via the entry form.

Here's that link again. www.mcdonalds.co.uk/ukhome/Sport/Football/LetsPlay/EURO-2016.html

The Prizes 

McDonald's are offering some amazing prizes. Not only does your child get to walk out on the pitch but McDonald's are throwing in (see what I did there?), travel and accommodation for the three day trip to attend each respective match. This is for one parent / guardian (who must be over 18) and the winning child.

These are the matches the Player Ambassadors will be attending.

England vs Wales (England Player Escort) Match 16, Lens, 16th June 2016 (4 prizes)
England vs Wales (Wales Player Escort) Match 16, Lens, 16th June 2016 (3 prizes)
Northern Ireland vs Germany (Northern Ireland Player Escort) Match 30, Paris, 21st June 2016 (1 prize)
The Final, (Player Escort may walk out with either team) Match 51, Saint-Denis, Paris, 11th July 2016 (1 prize)
1 of 100 footballs

Conditions

Your child must be between 6 and 10 years old (inclusive) on 10th June 2016. Entries are limited to one per eligible child. No purchase is necessary to enter.

You'll have to hurry though, the competition closes on 10th April 2016, so there are only a few days left to get photographing.

In the meantime, let's hope the weather holds so we can all get out for a bit of footie fun.

And don't forget to submit your entry to this amazing competition!

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Win The Chance For Your Child To Be A Player Ambassador At UEFA Euro 2016™

My own sporting prowess, as readers of this blog know, is rather limited so it is great to see that my children take after their father and not me.

Now that the weather is improving, Ieuan is spending every waking minute when not in the classroom kicking a ball around which is a refreshing change from his previous unswerving allegiance to all things i(Pad).

Caitlin's ballet phase is in full swing and I am fully expecting it to morph into an obsession with ponies very shortly.

Either way, we are enjoying the rush of activity and the chance to spend time in the sunshine and fresh air.

And, of course, the sporting season is upon us with the UEFA Euro 2016™ football championship rapidly approaching.

On March 24th Wales will be playing Northern Ireland in a friendly and we are hoping our boys will do us proud.  It will be a great opportunity for all the family to get together and cheer Wales on.

Then, there's the brilliant chance for kids to win the opportunity to be a Player Ambassador at at one of three UEFA EURO 2016™ matches taking place in June or July 2016 and the chance to win one of a hundred footballs in McDonald's fabulous competition.

Ieuan is so excited at the prospect of walking out on to the pitch for Wales with his football heroes. Gareth Bale, Wales’ youngest ever scorer and the man who contributed 7 out of 11 goals in Wales' qualifying match, is definitely his number one. The fact that there would be thousands of people watching Ieuan, does not daunt him in the slightest!

It would be a dream experience for any young football fan so we have explained that he might be up against a bit of competition!

How to enter

To take part all you have to do is to upload a photo of your child showing their passion for football: cheering on their country, celebrating a goal, or supporting their favourite team via the entry form.

Here's that link again.  www.mcdonalds.co.uk/ukhome/Sport/Football/LetsPlay/EURO-2016.html.

The Prizes

McDonald's are offering some amazing prizes.

Not only does your child get to walk out on the pitch but McDonald's are throwing in (see what I did there?), travel and accommodation for the three day trip to attend each respective match.

This is for one parent / guardian (who must be over 18) and the winning child.

These are the matches the Player Ambassadors will be attending.

England vs Wales (England Player Escort) Match 16, Lens, 16th June 2016 (4 prizes)

England vs Wales (Wales Player Escort) Match 16, Lens, 16th June 2016 (3 prizes)

Northern Ireland vs Germany (Northern Ireland Player Escort) Match 30, Paris, 21st June 2016 (1 prize)

The Final, (Player Escort may walk out with either team) Match 51, Saint-Denis, Paris, 11th July 2016 (1 prize)

1 of 100 footballs

Conditions

Your child must be between 6 and 10 years old (inclusive) on 10th June 2016.  Entries are limited to one per eligible child. No purchase is necessary to enter.

You'll have to hurry though, the competition closes on 10th April 2016, just a few short weeks away so get photographing.

We've got our entry in and Ieuan has already requested a French phrase book and some new footie boots.

Good luck!

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How Everyone's United By Football - Making The Most of Family Time During UEFA Euro 2016™

These days it's all about the screen time.  We are a nation obsessed with all things 'i' and android.  We experience huge swathes of our life online and converse in emoticons (as Facebook's new 'like' icons attest).

We parents can be as guilty of this as our kids.  At the end of a long day, it is just so easy to pick up a tablet and switch on and check out.

So it's a refreshing (and much needed) change to find an event that brings families together and generates an energy that doesn't come from a charger.

Now readers of this blog know that I am not the most sporty of women. I make no secret of the fact that I used to wear the Left Back bib in hockey because I used to be Linda Brooks and I liked wearing my initials.

But when you have kids, you quickly realise that an event like the forthcoming UEFA Euro 2016™ football championship is too good an opportunity to pass by when it comes to spending some quality time with the family.

We've got the kids enthused about the Six Nations Rugby Tournament and we watched last year 's Rugby World Cup together - except that the kids were really upset when Wales were knocked out (we were robbed).

The concept of national pride is very topical these days and, even though I moved to Wales in 1969 when I was 5, I consider myself to be Welsh.  The Husband was born in Cardiff and both my children were born in the Heath Hospital so their nationality is definitely Welsh!

There is something very emotional about supporting your own country's sporting efforts.

I think it's good for kids to see their parents cheering and shouting encouragement at the TV.  Caitlin and Ieuan's expressions when the Husband shouts for Wales to "come on!" is a sight to behold.  I don't think they realised he was capable of that volume of noise.

And then there's the subject competition.  I think kids need to learn that a game has winners and losers and that there is no shame in losing if you gave it your all.

As my mother always says "it's the taking part that counts" - not that I've ever seen her on a football pitch.

Kids need to see that achievement can be physical and not just academic. Watching a team sport is a great way to truly understand team work.  To see a team sprinting down a pitch like a well oiled machine is a noble thing.  To watch team players listen to the ref (without referring him to Specsavers) shows that rules are there to be followed.

Pulling together, 'having someone's back' - these concepts are made much easier to understand when watching a game.  We can use sporting analogies to help kids solve problems and get them to relate to the concept of achieving a goal.

Sport is also a great way to demonstrate that everyone has different physical strengths and that a team is a combination of different strengths arranged in an effective way.

Cue the role of the coach.

As kids develop and grow at different rates and as they discover their bodies have different builds, sport is a great way to teach them acceptance.

And when our kids enter the working world, being a team player is a vital skill in career success and overall happiness.

This year sees the UEFA Euro 2016™  European Championship, which will be held in France from 10 June to 10 July. Spain are two-time defending champions.

24 teams will compete in a new format and the matches will be played in ten cities -  Bordeaux, Lens, Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Nice, Paris, Saint-Denis, Saint-Étienne, and Toulouse.

The French team have won the UEFA Euro 2016™ twice: in 1984 and 2000 and the winning team earns the right to compete at the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup hosted by Russia.

We will obviously be supporting Wales who are in a group with England, Slovakia and Russia and our first match will be on the 11th June against Slovakia in Bordeaux.

Prior to qualifying for UEFA Euro 2016™, the team had only qualified for a major international tournament once in their history, when they reached the quarter-finals of the 1958 FIFA World Cup.

And since Wales knocked England out of the 2015 Rugby World Cup, our expectations for our footie team are, shall we say, pretty big.

I'm sure there will be a real party atmosphere here in Cardiff, perhaps even with a French flavour!

Of course we will be watching the game and perhaps adding a French flavour with hamburgers et des frites (chips!) and un peu du vin for the parents.

The Husband will no doubt expound on the rules of the game (don't ask me about the offside rule) and the kids will get to know the Welsh team members.

It will be a chance for us to all sit down together and cheer Wales on.

And how about this for a fabulous opportunity for your football mad youngsters?

Your child has the opportunity to be a Player Escort at one of three UEFA Euro 2016™ matches taking place in June or July 2016 by entering a competition run by McDonald's.

We would be thrilled if Caitlin or Ieuan had the opportunity to walk out with the Welsh team - it would be an experience none of us would ever forget.

Just launched by McDonald's ambassadors, Ryan Giggs, Martin Keown and Pat Jennings, the competition will give the lucky 9 children the chance to stand beside their national heroes and walk out at hotly anticipated fixtures throughout the tournament including England vs Wales, Northern Ireland vs Germany and the UEFA Euro 2016™ Final.

To enter, parents are asked to capture their child’s football passion and upload images of them enjoying the beautiful game.  It is open to all children in the UK who will be aged between 6 and 10 years old on 10th June 2016 and the lucky winners will join the qualifying home nation of their choice and walk out hand-in-hand with their football idols at this summer’s tournament in France.

Big sporting events are great for getting together with family members you don't often see and perhaps getting together for a meal afterwards.

Hopefully the weather will hold so that we can just get out into the fresh air and kick a ball around.

And if you enter McDonald's fabulous competition, who knows, your child may actually be on the pitch!

For your chance to enter see: www.mcdonalds.co.uk/ukhome/Sport/Football/LetsPlay/EURO-2016.html.

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What do you say when your child hates sports day?

Actually,  to be more precise,  what do you say when YOU hated sports day but you want to enthuse your child?

This was NOT me.

I was a complete sports duffer.  I used to play Left Back at Hockey because the bib had my initials on.  I tried tennis, but our teacher couldn't be faffed teaching a left hander.  I tried cross country running.  Well,  a brisk jog down the lanes surrounding the school anyway.

Our school had a swimming pool (complete with, we later discovered, its own asbestos tiles), the water of which was always freezing.  I remember lessons in winter were particularly onerous because you could never dry your hair and would spend afternoon lessons with water dripping from your pony tail down your back.

And don't mention gym - we had wall bars and ropes and those 'horse' thingummys. I once managed a forward roll.  That's it.

On the other hand,  I studied ballet and completed all the Royal School of Dance exams up to Pre-Elementary so I did do some exercise during my teenage years.

And Dad did take my sister Sarah and I out on our bikes quite a lot.

In those days Dinas Powys really was a village and the surrounding country lanes were quiet. Nobody worried about wearing a safety helmet then.

It seems like another world now, doesn't it!

My most hated event in the school calendar was sports day.

There were always the cool girls who could sprint without breaking into a sweat.

There were the strong and solid girls who could chuck a shot or a javelin for what seemed like miles.

And then there were the small group of us sporting renegades for whom hiding out in the changing room toilets or, better still, remembering some extremely urgent piano practice in the music room seemed a better bet.

Caitlin seems to have inherited my loathing of forced sporting activity, gung-ho banner waving and irritating whistle blowing. I am, however, determined that she should give sports more of a go than I did.

She is not very confident and is not one of the fastest runners - largely because she does not have the competitive edge that some of her peers do - inherited, I suspect from their far more sporty parents.

"Does it matter if I come last?"  she's asked me on a couple of occasions.

It's a more sensitive subject because her brother Ieuan lollops everywhere, making running looks as easy as breathing.

So what do you say to a child who hates their school sports day?

How about some of these.

* Everybody is built differently.  Some can run fast, some can jump high and some are born to dance.

* Even if you don't win, by trying your hardest you are helping your school team (or house) to succeed.

* Even if you are not good at sports now, one day you may be (Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards, anybody?)

* If you want to succeed at anything you've got to practise (train).  Athletes train for hours every day.

* If you don't do well, nobody will remember.

* See yourself winning.  Imagine you are running down the track as fast as a superhero. Nothing can stop you.

* Believe you can and you will

* We will love and be proud of you no matter what happens.

I'd be tempted to add "your mother had all the speed and grace of a sleepy heffalump and she's turned out OK" but that's possibly not up there with the best coaching strategies.

What do you tell your kids?

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