Kids just love their sporting heroes. Rattle off the names of champions in fields ranging from rugby to rowing, and many youngsters’ eyes will immediately light up.
Identifying a sport that children love is the easy bit. More challenging is finding a way of turning their sporting dreams into reality.
Supaswap – a site set up to set to enable youngsters to buy, sell or swap goods on-line in a user-friendly and safe environment – believes it has the answer in the shape of the Supaswap Sports Academy, which offers sponsorship to competitive youngsters.
The first project under the Supaswap Sports banner was launched in the UK when Supaswap sponsored two young racing car drivers in the Ginetta Junior MotorSport Championship.
The Ginetta Junior Championship was introduced in 2003 for young racers aged 14-17 as a natural progression route from kart racing.
The initial sponsorship scheme proved such a hit that it is now being opened up to cover a much wider variety of sports, and the Supaswap Sports website has a simple-to-use guide that shows youngsters how they can apply for sponsorship.
At the heart of the Supaswap scheme lies a passionate belief that sport – apart from the sheer fun it provides – can help youngsters in a variety of ways.
For example, a survey by The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) showed that youngsters can reap both physical and mental benefits when they engage in sport.
Kids on sports teams learn how to interact with their peers. They learn about teamwork and cooperation and gain experience in handling both victory and defeat. They also learn sportsmanship and appropriate behaviour in a competitive environment.
Sport also promotes self-esteem and self-confidence in children. They receive praise for a good performance and get tangible rewards for their skill by winning competitions. Self-esteem can also be built when they make mistakes if they get positive, helpful feedback.
The study found that youngsters engaged in sports learn about setting and reaching goals. They have something specific to work toward and know what they need to do to accomplish it.
It may take a few tries to find the right sport, but virtually every youngster can find an activity that makes the most of his or her talents, and Supaswap is determined to help in every way possible. Just contact us with your proposal.
