As part of this renewed agreement, we are proud to sponsor several prestigious national competitions in the upcoming season. The U15 National Trophy (Boys), U18 National Trophy (Boys & Girls), and the U14 Girls 7’s will now carry the inspiresport name—highlighting our dedication to nurturing young talent and promoting opportunity through sport.

Jed McCabe, Head of Sales for Scotland at inspiresport, shared his enthusiasm about the ongoing relationship:

“We’re incredibly proud to continue our long-standing partnership with the SSFA. At inspiresport, we believe in the power of sport to transform lives, and there’s no better place to see that than in the passion and talent shown by school teams across Scotland. Supporting these competitions not only allows us to give back, but also helps to build the next generation of players through meaningful, memorable experiences.”

Together with the SSFA, we look forward to continuing to inspire, support, and celebrate the achievements of Scotland’s young footballers—on and off the pitch.

The post INSPIRESPORT EXTENDS LONGSTANDING PARTNERSHIP WITH SCOTTISH SCHOOLS’ FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION appeared first on inspiresport.

Since the beginning of this collaboration, hundreds of young aspiring football players have had the exclusive opportunity to train at PSV’s renowned De Herdgang training complex, gaining invaluable coaching insights from the club’s academy staff and experiencing the rich football culture of the Eredivisie. The renewed agreement solidifies inspiresport’s commitment to providing top-tier football development opportunities and strengthens PSV Eindhoven’s international outreach efforts.

What groups can expect from the extended partnership with PSV Eindhoven:

• Elite Training Programmes: Young players will continue to receive high-quality coaching sessions from PSV’s academy coaches at De Herdgang, the club’s state-of-the-art training facility.
• Exclusive Behind-the-Scenes Access: inspiresport groups will have the chance to watch first-team training sessions (subject to availability) and enjoy guided tours of the iconic Philips Stadium.
• Immersive Football & Cultural Experience: Players will not only enhance their footballing skills but also experience the vibrant sporting and cultural heritage of Eindhoven and Dutch football.
• Continued Excellence in Youth Development: The partnership supports PSV Eindhoven’s long-standing tradition of nurturing young talent, aligning perfectly with inspiresport’s mission to deliver unrivalled sports travel experiences for players of all abilities.

Steve Butchart, Managing Director of inspiresport, expressed his enthusiasm for the renewed partnership.

“We are incredibly proud to extend our exclusive partnership with PSV Eindhoven for another three years. This collaboration has provided young players with unforgettable experiences by enabling them to develop their skills in a world-class environment. PSV’s commitment to nurturing talent aligns perfectly with our mission at inspiresport and together we’ll continue to Inspire the Next Generation at one of Europe’s most prestigious clubs.”

For more information on booking a PSV Eindhoven football development tour, click here.

The post INSPIRESPORT ANNOUNCE EXTENSION OF PARTNERSHIP WITH PSV EINDHOVEN appeared first on inspiresport.

The post The ESFA and inspiresport continue their partnership for the 2023/24 season appeared first on inspiresport.

The post How to Stay Fit and Injury-Free as a Football Player: Tips and Tricks for Preventing Injuries and Staying in Top Physical Condition appeared first on inspiresport.

The post The Importance of Playing Football from a Young Age: How Football Can Positively Impact Children appeared first on inspiresport.

We have taken a look at all the sporting events slated for 2020 and have put together a list of the biggest events to ensure you never miss another update. Read on to find out the best matches and tournaments from the different competitions taking place next year!

The new year looks to be a busy one for sports fans in the UK as the action begins from the very first day.

January 2020

February 2020

March 2020

April 2020

May 2020

June 2020

July 2020

August 2020

September 2020

October 2020

November 2020

December 2020

The post Your 2020 Sports Calendar appeared first on inspiresport.

Encouraging participation in school sports has a big part to play in keeping children physically active and healthy. Equally as important, studies have shown that sports can also lead to improved brain development and higher cognitive functions in children. A recent report revealed that children who participated in physical activity had improved attention and ability to focus on a given task[1].

Physical activity was also shown to have a positive role in the development of speech in children, with research showing that “girls who engage in sport for at least one hour per week had significantly better results in maths and reading than girls who did not do at least one hour of sport”[2]. Studies have also shown that children who play sports are less likely to experiment with drugs and disapprove of others who use drugs and smoke cigarettes[3]. Combined with a healthy sleep routine, sports can really help focus those little minds.

It’s no surprise then that quite often, individuals who really push themselves to the limit in school sports carry that energy and determination into their professional lives. If we look at some of the worlds most successful business leaders, we see a very clear trend supporting this idea. PepsiCo CEO, Indra Nooyi, excelled at cricket in school. Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg was a fencing champion at high school. CEO of Hewlett-Packard Meg Whitman was captain of the college swimming team.

So which individual sports are great for training young brains?

Football

Football is a competitive and highly active sport underpinned by technical plays and maneuvers. In spite of this, it is a great form of physical activity for children of any age and at any level. With up to 11 players on each side, football requires high-level co-operation amongst team members. Playing with many peers allow for children to develop communication, teamwork, and leadership skills. Football can also improve brain function, as a study done on the link between cognitive functions and football showed that “planning processes in children who attended a Football Exercise Program for at least six months were more developed in comparison to a control group of sedentary peers[4]”.

Rugby

A physical contact sport involving up to 15 players on each team, rugby is a fast-paced, high intensity sport which helps build cardiovascular fitness and endurance strength in both the upper and lower body. Rugby also helps to build resilience in younger players who quite literally need to get back up after having been knocked over. Like other contact sports, a disciplined, and measured approach to conflict is required to succeed.

Hockey

Hockey is an extremely fast-moving game that is played on grass or Astroturf. It is an excellent sport for sharpening up endurance fitness as players are required to move quickly in order to keep up with the rapid ball movement, as well as improving their coordination and balance – it’s not easy hitting a little ball with a three-inch-wide piece of timber. Communicating with teammates in hockey helps build interpersonal communication skills as with any other team sport.

Netball

Netball is a team sport where the main objective is to shoot the ball into the opponent’s hoop. Netball helps athletes increase their hand-eye coordination and mental focus due to the requirement of precision and accuracy in order to shoot the ball into the hoop. Learning how to delegate, lead and problem solve effectively are all benefits of this sport as each player has a specific role to play on the court.

Cricket

Cricket has had a resurgence of late partly down to a more modernised style of play at international level making it accessible to a more diverse audience. Requiring speed, ability, and strategy for players to succeed, cricket helps develop exceptional hand-eye coordination as well as stamina in order to play 2-3 hour games. The sport is also a great lesson in co-operation as teammates must work together in order to develop winning strategies. Dealing with high pressure situations also builds self-confidence for student athletes.

Tennis

Tennis matches can last for multiple hours, so combatants must learn how to apply themselves patiently and effectively. Spotting the opponent’s weaknesses and adjusting style of play accordingly is an advantageous competance in this game, as well as a key skill which can be brought into the boardroom. One on one sports are also great for helping children build up self-confidence and a culture of fair play.

Skiing

Skiing comes in many forms such as cross county, downhill, off-piste and adaptive. All of these share the need for several key traits, chief of which is to understand the ideal positioning of different body parts and the effort that goes into moving them, otherwise known as proprioception. Proprioception diminishes with age, and the more one involves themselves in proprioceptive activities, the less it will diminish over time. Other mental benefits include increased problem-solving skills, improved concentration and cognitive capacity.

Dancing

Dancing is a great way to improve overall fitness levels while having fun at the same time. Heart health, energy levels, and improved flexibility and balance all benefit from this activity. Dancing can also greatly improve memory as memorizing complicated dance moves and routines give the brain a really good workout. Studies have also shown that dancing can both reduce stress and help fight depression by releasing healthy level of endorphin and encouraging kids to release their inhibitions, especially when giving performances to large crowds.

What the experts say – why are these activities important for child development?

Adele Cochrane from Tafe Courses

“Modern life can be a pretty disembodied experience. Kids spend a lot of time interacting with screens and can forget to pay attention to how their bodies feel and move. Learning dance teaches you body awareness, balance, coordination, and endurance – all skills which help with many jobs, especially in the trades.”

Jane Kilkenny from Fitness Energy

“Kids learn a multitude of skills from playing sports such as teamwork, persistence, patience and collaboration. Team sports such as football and hockey are great for learning how to win and lose with dignity, develop skills over time with consistent practice and how to develop a love of sport and exercise.”

Michael Edwards from Horizons Travel

“Team sports such as Cricket, Football, Rugby and the challenges faced during the course of a game and season with its inevitable successes, failures, disappointments and victories help develop a number of invaluable life skills including Communication, Discipline, Leadership, Resilience and Humility.”

Portia Gunn, Youthrive Occupational Therapist

“The benefits of school sports for childhood development include improved emotional control & regulation, motor outcomes, social engagements & interactions, and a better sense of belonging & self-esteem.”

Sarah Padbury, principal Psychologist at Edu-Psych

“Sport is super important for 2 reasons. Firstly its the social skills development, sharing and working as a team. It builds communication skills and creates friendships which are a priority in primary school. Team sports such as footy, netball, water polo and basketball are fantastic for this.

Secondly, brain development is enhanced by sports that require balance and coordination of the two sides of the body, so both hemispheres of the brain. BMX, mountain biking, swimming, martial arts and gymnastics are ideal for this.”

The wrap

On balance, the more sports we can expose our children to the greater the opportunity we give them to find out which ones really excite them. Aside from instilling a healthy attitude to competition and determination, by encouraging kids to engage in sports from a young age we help develop healthy habits for both body and mind from which they will benefit for the rest of their lives.

Did you know that Inspiresport operates multi-sports tours especially for school children? Find out more here!

References

[1] Bidzan-Bluma, I., & Lipowska, M. (2018). Physical Activity and Cognitive Functioning of Children: A Systematic Review. International journal of environmental research and public health, 15(4), 800. doi:10.3390/ijerph15040800

[2] Bidzan-Bluma, I., & Lipowska, M. (2018).

[3] https://health.gov/news/blog/2012/05/the-benefits-of-playing-sports-arent-just-physical/

[4] Bidzan-Bluma, I., & Lipowska, M. (2018).

The post Best School Sports for Boosting Brains appeared first on inspiresport.

The English Schools’ FA (ESFA) is the National Governing Body for Schools’ Football in England.  Established in 1904, the ESFA now runs over 40 National Schools’ & Colleges’ cup competitions for boys and girls, as well as County and District Association representative teams. The ESFA also runs two highly successful international squads for U18 boys and U15 girls.

Find out what the National Governing Body for School’s Football in England had to say about the continued partnership for over 11 years, here:

https://schoolsfootball.org/2019/09/25/esfa-inspiresport-continue-their-partnership-for-2019-20/

The post A continued partnership with ESFA appeared first on inspiresport.

The group visited Real Madrid’s renowned training facility, the Valdebebas to train with the Real Madrid Foundation coaches during their inspiresport tour in April. The school also watched Atletico Madrid play Deportivo La Coruna in the Santander La Liga fixture. In addition to the fixture in Madrid, the school travelled to Camp Nou for a Champions League mid-week fixture to attend FC Barcelona vs AS Roma.  It’s not all sport on our tours, the group got to experience traditional Spanish cuisine such as Paella and visit historic places including the Royal Palace of Madrid and La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona. By all accounts, they had an amazing trip, topped off by the impromptu meeting of Gareth Bale.

It’s not the first time one of our groups has met our Welsh superstar! Ysgol Bro Edern managed to catch Gareth on his way out from training to take a quick group photo! Thank you, number 11!

The post What a way to celebrate your 100th tour with inspiresport appeared first on inspiresport.

From left to right: Steve Butchart – CEO inspiresport, Celtic players Moritz Bauer & Mohamed Elyounoussi, Phil Edwards – Head of International Sales for inspiresport

Inspiresport, the UK’s leading provider of sports development tours, is delighted to announce it has been named as preferred travel partner for Celtic FC’s North American International Club Partners on a multi-year basis. The first British club to win the European cup and who last season completed the historic domestic ‘Treble Treble’ have a network of associated clubs across the world, with many of them in North America, a market which is planned to see significant growth during the course of this new agreement. Celtic FC’s International Club Partners have the opportunity to travel to Glasgow for a unique training experience with the club’s academy coaches. The players can learn new or enhance existing skills whilst developing a greater understanding of the academy’s philosophy of trust, respect and teamwork. Steve Butchart, CEO at inspiresport said: “We’re delighted to announce our new preferred travel provider status for Celtic FC’s North American based clubs. We see this as a great opportunity to bring teams across to Glasgow to experience Celtic’s successful brand of soccer and develop player skills with the Club’s professional coaches. We were absolutely thrilled to have been approached by Celtic FC to work with them on a multi-faceted programme of development with their North American clubs. The proposition they provide to these partners is truly impressive and the timing of our agreement is perfectly aligned with the growth of our brand footprint in the region. We look forward to a long and fruitful relationship and can’t wait to get started!” Senior International Soccer Academy Manager Willie McNab added, “We are delighted to announce this long term relationship with inspiresport, as we believe they are at the forefront of providing high quality coaching tour experiences for soccer groups across the globe.” “Our North American partner clubs will have access to a first class service and dedicated staff at inspiresport who will give them the best experience possible. Being able to visit such an iconic club like Celtic and experience training with our top academy coaches, taking in a game at Celtic Park, one of the world’s great footballing arenas and train at our academy facilities is an experience of a lifetime.  We look forward to welcoming groups in the coming months”.

International Soccer Tours to UK and Europe...

The post Inspiresport named as preferred travel partner for Celtic FC’s North American International Club Partners appeared first on inspiresport.