On Friday 20 October the Khayelitsha Champions hosted the annual local CoolPlay Tournament. Eluxolweni Primary school were hosted by Ikhwezilesizwe Primary school and U11 and U13 teams took to the fields and courts for rugby, netball and soccer matches. The school grounds were alive with energy as the school had held their Market Day in the morning, which was extended to accommodate the visiting school children, who were eager to spend their pocket money on the sweet treats before the games began.
Matches took place throughout the afternoon with the CoolPlay theme focusing on the art of communication and responsible decision making. These lessons are weaved throughout the day, as Champions encourage the players on their teams to communicate clearly and behave in a manner which benefits the team. Within this theme, Champions are also reminded to understand the influential nature of their roles as Champion coaches and encourage one another to be the positive role models the children in their care need.
This event launched an exciting sporting weekend for South Africa. It helped fuel the excitement for the looming Rugby World Cup semi-final where the Springboks defeated England by just one point. The message on the fields across the CoolPlay in the week to follow will be on the skills and character strengths needed by the Springbok players to steal victory in the final minutes of the game.
A huge thank you needs to be extended to Jemma Welsh and the Tarian Trust for providing the food parcels which each of the 200 children were given at the end of the day. This meal was much needed after a long afternoon of developing both mental and physical skills.
Well done to the local Champions and management team for organising this event.