Be A Good Sport
Sun Herald
Sunday April 6, 2003
Get your kids energised with fitness-related activities, writes Clara Iaccarino .
Street sports
Aiming to encourage kids to get into street sports, the Federal Government has launched the 1800 Reverse Street Active program . The program promotes skateboarding, in-line skating and freestyle BMX riding with Learn to Ride coaching sessions. The first session will be held at Fox Studios from April 12 to 27 . To register for the sessions log on to www.streetactive.org .
Tennis
Unleash the next Pat Rafter or Venus Williams at the River Road Tennis Centre (9428 3336 ) in Lane Cove . The centre offers holiday camps with intensive coaching, graded groups for personalised instruction and a round-robin tournament. Camps run from April 14 to 17 and April 22 to 24, and cost $100 and $75 respectively. River Road also offers combined camps including the indoor swimming and tennis camp or an ice-skating and tennis camp.
Horse riding
A number of horse-riding centres offer day camps, special activities and lessons for kids of all ages. Darkes Forest Riding Ranch (4294 3441 ), just over an hour south of Sydney, offers day camps for seven- to 16-year-olds. They run from 9am to 4pm on April 14, 15, 17, 21 and 25 and cost $100 for the day including morning tea, lunch and riding helmets. See www.horseriding.au.com for details. Kurnell Boarding Stables and Riding School (9668 9817 ) offers day camps for kids aged between eight and 15. Participants are taught how to groom and saddle their horse. Day camps run from 9am to 4pm, but kids can arrive earlier or stay later to help clean and feed the horses. On weekdays, day camp is $85, including a riding helmet, and weekends and public holidays cost $95 per day.
Outdoor adventures
Offering a range of outdoor activities and sporting fun, the Sydney Academy of Sport and Recreation (131 302 ) in Narrabeen gives kids in years 2 to 6 the chance to enjoy canoeing, bushwalking, archery, abseiling and more. Running from April 12 to 18 and April 19 to 25, at a cost of $257, and from April 21 to 25 for $188 (including accommodation, food and most on-site activities).
Swimming
The Sydney Aquatic Centre (9752 3666 ) is hosting a variety of activities from April 14 to 17 and April 22 to 24. The centre caters for ``Hot Shots" seven- to 12-year-olds, and ``Teenie Weenies" aged four to six, and also offers intensive swim training programs. A diving clinic will also run from April 14 to 17 for five- to 18-year-olds.
Sailing
Catering for eight- to 15-year-olds, the Northside Sailing School (9969 3972 ) in Middle Harbour conducts camps for all levels of ability. Northside offers camps from April 14 to 17 and April 22 to 24 from 9.30am to 3.30pm each day, starting at $240. To find out more visit www.northsidesailing.com.au .
Basketball
Start practising those slam dunks and ball-handling skills for the Burwood PCYC Basketball-a-thon (9744 0136 ) on April 23 and 24. Teams of basketballers aged 10 to 18 will continue to play basketball over the 24-hour period in a three-on-three competition.
Gymnastics
The State Sports Centre (9763 0111 ) allows kids to try gymnastics under the guidance of qualified coaches. Mini gym games days cater for children aged five to eight and run from 9.30am to noon on April 15, 17, 22 and 24. Gymnastic fun days cater for nine- to 12-year-olds and run from 1pm to 3pm on the same dates.
Sport and recreation
With an array of activities designed to cater for every sporting taste, the Department of Sport and Recreation (131 302 ) has something for everyone: golf, surfing, fishing, sailing, dragon-boat paddling and even circus skills clinics. Also available are rowing, tennis, kayaking, ice hockey and horse riding, with camps, training days or short sessions available. The department holds camps and sessions from Balmain to Penrith, Manly, Balmoral and Auburn.
Marie, St Pius, Enmore.
These holidays I am looking forward to going to my cousin's house in Kiama and camping in the backyard and roasting marshmallows.
© 2003 Sun Herald
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