Why football?
Why Football ?“Football and other sports have a huge reach and engagement, and a strong community base. The Government is working with Football and other sports to build on the many successful partnerships for health that already exists between professional football clubs and their local PCT and local authority"
Choosing Health White Paper
Football is the worlds most popular sport as well as being England’s National sport. For children, football is in the top 3 sports which they chose to participate in during their leisure time ( the others being swimming and cycling) * It is the most popular sport for boys where 78% of 10-11 year olds play football. For girls, 36% play football ( 7th most popular sport behind swimming, cycling, gymnastics and trampolining, athletics, rounders and keep fit/aerobics). Football is therefore an attractive ‘hook’ for both girls and boys. We have worked closely with Hull City, Scunthorpe United and Grimsby Town Football in the Community schemes who have delivered many of the activities within schools. Experience has shown that Football in the Community staff are seen by children as credible role models of healthy living. This together with the appeal of football to both boys and girls places Football in the Community staff in a unique position to promote positive health messages. Football themes run throughout all of the Fit For Football activities ie show smoking the “red card”, “substitute” one food for another, “score” 5 a day. Fit For Football has to date worked with over 16,000 children , 40% of which are girls.
* source : Young People and Sport in England (2002) Sport England
