Well, football didn’t quite come home this summer and thirty years of hurt inches towards sixty. But what a change from my childhood: we are getting to international finals; surely now it is only a matter of time. And thank goodness for the Lionesses!
Instead, in this week’s column I will look to the future and the next generation of footballing lions or lionesses. Many of whom have, I hope, been inspired by England’s footballing stars and will be honing their skills in back gardens and parks over the summer holidays.
And when these children are back at school in September, this enthusiasm for sport needs to be nurtured and encouraged.
The health benefits of daily exercise for children cannot be overstated. It’s great for physical and mental health, teaches you about teamwork and leadership, and creates good habits for later life.
We also know, anecdotally from schools, that regular PE and games sessions can markedly improve children’s behaviour, focus, retention levels and confidence.
However, some children are still not getting enough exposure to sport at school. The Youth Sports Trust (YST) estimate that less than half of children are getting at least 60 minutes of exercise every day.
Some of this is a legacy from COVID, but it’s fair to say we still have some catching up to do.
This is why, earlier this year, in my previous role as schools minister, we published guidance for schools to drive up the quality and quantity of PE and sport.
This included a commitment to a minimum of two hours of PE per week and equal access to sport for boys and girls. As we’ve seen over the last few years, with the explosion in participation numbers for girls’ football teams, football is not just for boys.
This guidance asks schools to think creatively about the sports they offer to their pupils, and how they might remove barriers to sport for children from different backgrounds and cultures, or with special additional needs.
Sport has always been a great unifier. Sometimes a small change, such as purchasing adapted sports equipment, means that everybody can have a go and experience that feeling you get when you’re part of a team, all striving for that end goal; a victory!
And outside of school, Holiday Activities and Food clubs, like the one I visited in Southampton earlier this year, offer opportunities for disadvantaged children to participate in sport during the school holidays, trying activities that they perhaps haven’t had the opportunity to try before.
I recently visited an Academy with the YST and saw for myself just what a successful sports programme can do and how inclusive and empowering it can be for children, particularly those who have never considered themselves to be particularly ‘sporty’.
Although the Euros, Wimbledon and the Tour de France may have concluded, we still have plenty to look forward to with the Olympics now underway and the Paralympics starting later in the summer.
Which means many more opportunities for children to be inspired.
All children should have an opportunity to participate in sport from an early age.
All it takes is one spark to ignite a passion in a sport that could last a lifetime.
