A SPECIALIST provider of sports education for primary schools is playing an increasingly important role in supporting the wellbeing of children in Bradford.

SportsCool - which aims to 'make sports cool for all youngsters' - works with local schools to enhance the delivery of curricular and extra-curricular physical education, with the view that every child should have the chance to participate, progress and achieve.

It has seen increasing demand for its services since the ending of the Covid lockdowns.

SportsCool’s ethos is that every child should have the chance to participate in sport. Coaches make it their mission to find a sport for every child to love.

Led by coach Jake Smith it is currently delivering a diverse range of sports to local primary age children, ranging from fencing and archery to curling, ultimate frisbee, tri-golf, and much more.

Many children will not have experienced some of these less mainstream activities at all and this gives them the chance to have a go.

Jake, 24, who is from Keighley, has been a sports coach for seven years.

The team he heads currently works with ten schools across the Bradford and Halifax districts, including St Joseph's Primary School, Bingley, Cullingworth Primary, Denholme Primary, Farfield Primary and St Bede's and St Jospeph's Cathloc College.

SportsCool also runs after-school and school holiday sessions and camps in these areas, both of whoch which are becoming increasingly popular. Nationally the organisation works closely with more than 400 education providers.

Jake says: “At SportsCool we believe that sports education is fundamental to a child’s development.

“We also believe that every child should have the chance to participate, progress and achieve in physical activities.

“This in turn has a profound effect on self-esteem, confidence, motivation, physical aptitude, and all-round mental and physical health.

“We use positive rewards in everything that we do, our sessions raise aspirations, are accessible to all, and, most of all, they are fun.

“As a result, we see the youngsters that we work with blossom into confident, healthy and aspiring individuals.

“Our vision is all about boosting the mental, physical, and emotional wellbeing of children."

He adds: “Working with young people and seeing the smiles on their faces as they take part in sporting activities is what makes it all worthwhile. You really feel you are making a difference.”

*To find out more visit sportscool.org

*Have you got any school news that you would like to share with the Telegraph & Argus? Send an email to helen.mead@nqyne.co.uk