Paul Bowden reports:
The First Westway Fives Festival at Eton College
On Wednesday 17th July, 112 ten and eleven year olds from three schools took part in the first ever Westway Fives Festival held at Eton College, the home of the game. They were participants in the Westway Outreach Programme generously sponsored by John Lyon’s Charity in which 16 schools had taken part over the last year involving almost 700 children.
The programme entitles groups of children from schools in the London Boroughs close to Westway to enjoy six free Eton Fives coaching sessions. The aim is to widen the appeal of Eton Fives and to encourage more young people to take up the game and to avail themselves of the splendid facilities at Westway in the years ahead.
The day itself consisted of a number of challenges organised by Howard Wiseman and his splendid team of coaches who encouraged the children to keep trying even in the intense heat. There was no time to be bored as team scores were counted and there were prizes in the shape of medals and certificates entitling winners to a term of free coaching sessions at the Westway Sports Centre. The children were all intensely involved in the varied activities and thoroughly enjoyed their day.
The teachers were most appreciative of the whole experience too. Natalie Avery from Miles Coverdale Primary said: ‘It has been a fabulous experience for the children, to experience a new and unfamiliar sport and to come to Eton College. The coaches are very motivating. We are looking forward to next year.’
Bevan Hill from St Francis of Assissi RC Primary said that the Festival day was a very well run session and that the kids had had fun and had really enjoyed playing Fives.
Kwasi Frempong from Canberra Primary said: ‘It has been a great experience for the children to be involved in a sport which is totally new to them and which develops very different techniques and skills. It’s a fantastic day to be at Eton and we have thoroughly enjoyed it and particularly the good performance by children who do not excel at other sports.’
The Sports Development Manager at Westway, Chris Jones, was also very pleased with his first year organising the programme and arranging this festival as a culmination of the year’s activities: ‘The Eton Fives Festival was the perfect way to end the year’s successful Outreach Programme. It was great to see so many children having a fantastic time! To offer these children the chance to take part in the sport and be tutored by some of the best Fives coaches in the country is just so gratifying and to see the smiles on their faces showed just how much enjoyment they received from the experience. I’m really looking forward to September and continuing to deliver and expand an excellent programme for the local schools.’
Dale Vargas (Vice President of the EFA) and his wife Krystyna (four times Ladies' Champion) kindly presented the prizes.