Sport4Kids Reveal 67% of PARENTS are Looking to Return to Sports Classes in JULY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SPORT4KIDS REVEAL 67% OF PARENTS ARE LOOKING TO RETURN TO SPORTS CLASSES IN JULY

Sport4Kids (S4K) has launched a survey investigating attitudes of parents on returning their children to sports classes starting in July 2020, following the break in national sport due to the Coronavirus pandemic. The survey was released to S4K parents, through S4K’s social media channels and to the wider public.

Of 707 respondents, 67% of parents are happy to go back to classes in July, as long as lock-down continues to be gradually eased. The survey was conducted and reflects the views of parents between the 5th June and the 12th June 2020.

Steve Jones CEO and Co-Founder of Sport4Kids, said: “It is important to get the views of parents that have borne the brunt of the Covid-19 lock-down with their families. At this crucial time of a gradual easing of lock-down measures, we need to be careful. It is not only the practical safety measures we need to consider, but also meeting the emotional needs and concerns of parents and children in a return to sport and our own coaching classes.”

The survey revealed that 13% of parents are still unsure at this stage of the lock-down journey and needed more information and reassurance, with a further 15% either having family medical issues or wanting to wait until full lock-down is over.

When asked about the reasons why parents wanted to get their children back to sports classes, the following were the top motivators:

• Opportunity for physical exercise: 90%

• Opportunity for socialising: 81%

• Opportunity for learning: 73%

• Rebuild confidence: 60%

• Mental well-being: 59%

• Respite for parents: 17%

These areas reflect the void left with only partial school re-opening and a need for children to meet their friends in a controlled, safe environment for exercise and learning skills.

Steve commented further: “Understanding parents’ priorities and the actions that would make them feel secure and safe returning gradually to normal life [with the appropriate measures in place] is crucial at this time to help struggling families. Filling the void left by patchy school support and the suspension of the whole sports community, it is now critical for children’s physical and mental well-being to return to sports classes.”

Class sizes, if Sport4Kids were to emulate the schools model operating with up to 15 kids per class, how would they feel?

• Extremely comfortable or comfortable: 67%

• Neither comfortable nor uncomfortable: 21%

• Uncomfortable: 8%

• Extremely uncomfortable: 4%

Social distancing, attitude to children infringing the two-metre rule on occaision

• Fine with it: 26%

• Acceptable with full hygiene measures in place: 34%

• Acceptable for brief moments: 24%

• Acceptable provided it was for short periods of less than 10 minutes: 10%

• Absolutely unacceptable in all cases: 7%

Dr Mark Gould, COO and Co-Founder at Sport4Kids added: “We have supported the parents and children in lock-down with S4K TV and kept in direct contact via WhatsApp, and even reunited the coaches with their children with live Zoom classes. Now is the time to understand when and how we can help parents and children get back to active sports and S4K classes live at the venues where the children can see their friends again.”

Top safety measures advocated and prioritized by parents:

• Disinfecting equipment: 79%

• Improved handwashing facilities: 59%

• Safe distancing: 49%.

• Coaches PPE: 28%

• Written policies: 24%

Mark concluded, “As the leader in children’s sports education we have been at the forefront of supporting schools throughout the lock-down for NHS and key workers and running half term camps with comprehensive measures. The S4K Safety E-Guide has been widely used and referenced by schools across the country. We aim to return to normal classes with the safest and most protective environment and policies in the industry bar none.”

Sport4Kids currently operate across the country, and were recently recognised in the Parliamentary Review as ‘Best Practice’ in the sports sector. S4K intends to regularly check the views of parents over the coming months as the various lock-down measures are eased and the pandemic journey continues.

-ENDS-

Editors notes:

• Sport4Kids launched in 2012, and run classes and sports education in multiple sports every day of the week in schools and venues across the country with the aim of revolutionizing children's sports education.

• Sport4Kids is distributed through a franchise network across the UK www.s4kfranchising.com and we is looking for new partners to join the network.

• S4K Franchising Limited was awarded ‘Best Practice’ in the 2019 Parliamentary Review following its work in the sports and education sector.

• S4K run sports classes for football, rugby, dance, tennis and cricket, work in schools delivering sessions, and host birthday parties for children of all ages.

• Coaching starts at 18 months at Sport4Kids, and the comprehensive curriculum is broken down into each stage of a child’s development.

• The ‘S4K Way’ is based on Montessori learning, alongside child development psychology and world class technical skills coaching.

• For more information, or interview opportunities, please contact Karun Jung at karun.jung@sport4kids.biz or call 07394 473630.


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