Go on, dive in…

[prev] …Werrington and Bushfield Leisure Centres, Bretton and Orton Park. ‘Over the 2013 season, we had 1,466 people use all four of them,’ says Nicky proudly. ‘We’re looking to put in another two this season, at Hampton and Netherton.’ Cricket is also one of the range of disability sports available at a variety of city locations for juniors and adults. Other activities available include archery, balance and co-ordination courses, Boccia (a form of indoor bowls), gym, basketball and PACS adapted cycling. Both Nicky and Scott have seen some fantastic results from the courses, with participants really coming out of themselves during some of the sessions. ‘Matt has put so much thought into making sure that it’s not just an activity put on for the sake of putting it on,’ asserts Scott. ‘There’s a real reason, a real benefit from it all.’ With the hand cycling and archery in particular, there’s a further financial benefit, as both these disciplines require expensive specialist equipment that is beyond the reach of most individuals. ‘You’re talking about £1,000 to £4,000 per bike, for example,’ says Scott. ‘For you to purchase one for your child, only for them to grow out of it after 12 months is just not feasible, which is why it’s so important for these activities. We have such a range of bikes, from children to adults, to cater for as many different disabilities as possible.
These activities are run at really low cost and all of the equipment is provided.’ The team also gets involved in many one-off events throughout the year, including one of Peterborough’s most high profile ones, the Perkins Great Eastern Run in October. It organises the volunteers for the run – all 300 of them. ‘Our job is to recruit them, train them and manage them on the day,’ says Nicky. ‘We’ve done it for eight years now, and get people coming back year after year. But new volunteers are always needed; we can never have enough of them.’

“It’s small wonder that Vivacity’s sports development team is a busy crowd”

Combine all this with supporting and advising local clubs and seeking additional funding to allow Peterborough to put on even more activities, plus the team’s ongoing presentations, coaching, workshops and work placements helping others to follow a possible career in sports development and it’s small wonder that Vivacity’s sports development team is, as Nicky say, ‘a busy crowd.’ And long may it continue.

Football is the beautiful game… although anybody who watched England’s recent performance in the World Cup might well disagree with that. However, if you fancy seeing the national team do a little better a few decades into the future, or just reckon the POSH might need some new local blood, then Little Kickers might be what you, or your son or daughter, is looking for.

Little Kickers is a national network of informal but professionally organised football training classes pitched at both boys and girls from the age of 18 months to seven years. And while part of its mission is to give youngsters a head start in Britain’s biggest playground sport, its real goal (if you’ll pardon the pun) is to use football as a enjoyable way of letting kids develop confidence, co-ordination, control and camaraderie.

“It is football; we are teaching them football skills. But just not in the traditional way”

The Peterborough franchise of Little Kickers is run by Jodie Sloan at the Jack Hunt Sports Centre to the north of the city on Saturday mornings, and Stanground Academy Sports Centre to the south on Sundays. ‘It’s all very much fun-focused, not like your local football team where you’re outside in the rain, doing drills,’ she says. ‘For a start, we’re indoors, which caters for the younger children much better. The 45 minute classes are split into three 15-minute sections with a warm-up, ball skills and goal scoring. It’s all based around games. For example, to teach a child how to dribble a ball, we have a game called the sleeping coach. He or she pretends to fall asleep and all the children have to do really tiny, quiet kicks so as not to wake the coach up. So, from their perspective, they think they’re just playing a game, but what they don’t realise is that they’re also learning to control that ball and keep it close to their feet rather than kicking it off in any direction. That’s just one example, but obviously there are many variations. It is football; we are teaching them football skills. But just not in the traditional way.’

The classes, for up to 16 children at a time, are split into three different age groups; Junior Kickers (two to three and a half years), Mighty Kickers (three and a half to five years) and Mega Kickers (five to seven years). ‘Children can join at any stage, and progression between the classes isn’t based on their football talent but their natural development such as social skills, colour recognitions, ability to follow instructions etc.’

“Many parents don’t know that they can put their two-year old in a football club, they think they have to wait until they’re four or five”

Although Little Kickers has been running for ten years in this region, Jodie has only been running the Peterborough classes since October. She also organises Little Kickers meetings in Watford (where some of the alumni have gone off to the Chelsea youth team). Little Kickers’ local success means that Jodie is looking at expansion; classes will start in Stamford in September and there are also plans for Oundle as well. ‘A lot of people don’t know we’re here, so my aim is getting the word out there that we’re here. Many parents don’t know that they can put their two-year old in a football club, they think they have to wait until they’re four or five.’

More details on Little Kickers can be found at www.littlekickers.com or by contacting Jodie on 01733 808905 or . Office hours are Monday to Thursday 9am to 1pm.

If you’re interested in any of the sporting activities or events provided by Vivacity, see www.vivacitypeterborough.com or to discuss sports development in more detail, email