National School Sports Week was back with a bang in 2024 as 4250 schools across the country put the ‘all back into football’ by taking part in Monster Kickabout sessions and other sporting activities.
Throughout the week we were joined by sporting superstars, Athlete Mentors and Champions, as well as Youth Board members, Young Changemaker Award winners and some of our fabulous team leaders at events in schools.
As the week was powered by Sport Direct's Monster Kickabout, the highlight of the week for many of the students, was a visit from Marley the Monster who took part in penalty shootouts and offered general encouragement to take part in 60 minutes a day, of PE, sport and play!
The week kicked off at Swiss Cottage School in North London with Olympic Rowing Champion Dame Katherine Grainger accompanying our athlete mentors multi-sport Olympian Montell Douglas and Paralympic champion Tim Prendergast to inspire the students to get active. The school is a community-maintained special needs school in the London Borough of Camden and the students couldn’t wait to get involved with all the activities planned for the morning. Young Changemaker Award winner Eden Hays helped deliver some brilliant mash up sessions of foot-golf and foot-cricket followed by a penalty shootout where everyone got the chance to take a shot at Marley the Monster in goal.
On Tuesday the tour continued in two locations so we could have double the fun! Liswerry School in Newport was the venue for a football tournament between the different forms at the school followed by a Q&A with Olympic swimmer – and definitely not a karate champion – Tom Haffield.
Manchester Communications Academy was the second venue with inline skating champion Jenna Downing and wheelchair basketball Paralympian Ayaz Bhuta on hand to lead the Monster Kickabout sessions with Marley the Monster once again on hand to inspire all the students to get active.
Birmingham was the venue on Wednesday as we headed to Oasis Academy in Blakenhale. Olympic swimmer Michael Gunning, Commonwealth netball champion Ama Agzebe and Commonwealth gymanstics champion Steve Frew were the sporting stars in attendance as loads more children got involved in the sessions and made sure they got their 60 active minutes a day. Supporting them on the day were Joel from our Youth Board and Oliver, one of our inspiring Young Changemaker Award winners!
Our final stop on our week-long tour was back to London and a final Monster Kickabout session at Curwen Primary School in Plaistow. British boxing champion Hannah Beharry and Paralympic footballer Alistair Patrick-Heselton led the sessions, ably supported by Jheanell and Amani from our Youth Board.
We’d like to say a huge thank you to all the schools for putting on such amazing events throughout the week and also to all the athlete mentors, youth board members and changemakers who brought the week alive with their commitment and enthusiasm. The week couldn’t have been possible without the support of Sports Direct and having the whole week powered by Monster Kickabout during the EUROs made the week even more memorable for everyone involved.
Finally we’d like to say a massive thank you to all the students for taking part and helping to make the week such a success. Don't forget to sign up to Mo's Mission to get inspired and find more ways of getting active for 60 minutes a day, of PE, sport and play.
National School Sports Week will be back in 2025!
