Getting football back to grass roots

How can young boys of any sporting ability get more involved and feel confident when playing football? This and many other questions will be discussed at the University on Monday.

The discussion is entitled 'Give us back our game: sport and the community' and is part of a two-day conference at the University 'Health, Well-being and Happiness: from local action to global change'.

Speakers at ‘Give us back our game’ include Dave Czesniuk and Peter Roby, from the Northeastern University in Boston, USA, who have explored the world of children's sport. Kevin Dixon, a Sports Studies lecturer here will also be speaking. Kevin has undertaken a lengthy research project in collaboration with Staffordshire University about the attitudes, lifestyles and spending patterns of the North-East's football fans.

Bert-Jan Heijmans, from the dutch UK football school, is another contributor to the discussion. He said: ‘There is no money for grassroots sport in the UK,so we will be looking at why and where we are going wrong? We've set up a football school in Brandon, County Durham, which 200 children have signed up for. We've never rejected one child or had the philosophy that you have to win at all cost. Already we have one youngster playing professionally in Holland.’

The Health, Well-being and Happiness Conference, on June 30 and July 1 is hosted by the University of Teesside’s Social Futures Institute, bringing together leading social scientists and scholars from around the world.

Other guest speakers will focus on subjects ranging from Britain’s ‘happiest’ places, to how the arts can promote health and well-being.

Measurement of happiness, life choices, relationships, consumerism, leisure, wealth and health care are among topics which will be highlighted during the conference, which will be held in the University’s Centuria Building.

The conference's main sponsor is IGNITE (Regional Centre for Excellence for Sustainable Communities), together with Middlesbrough Council, Association of North East Councils, North East Regional Information Partnership, Soccer Coaching International, Middlesbrough Primary Care Trust, Hartlepool Primary Care Trust, North Tees Primary Care Trust and the University of Teesside.

For further details and booking contact the University’s Social Futures Institute on 01642 342301.

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