THE Cebu City Sports Commission (CCSC) is once again encouraging kids aged 6 years to 18 years old to join their free Summer Grassroots Sports Training Program, which will be held from April 9 to May 4.
The training program is open to all youth, especially those out of school youth, and is not necessarily for those from Cebu City.
There are eight venues in the North District and nine in the South District. Those from the north can go to the gymnasiums of the elementary schools in Hipodromo, Lahug, Mabolo, Tejero, Zapatera, Bo. Luz, Talamban and the City Central School Quad.
In the south, venues for the trainings are at the gyms of Don Vicente Rama Memorial Elementary School, Pardo Elementary School, Mambaling Elementary School, Labangon Elementary School, Punta Princesa Elementary School, Guadalupe Elementary School, Inayawan Elementary School, San Nicolas Elementary School and at the Cebu City Sports Institute.
Sports that will be taught are basketball, archery, air rifle, arnis, badminton, beach volleyball, boxing, chess, muay thai, dancesports, futsal, karatedo, lawn tennis, pencak silat, scrabble, sepak takraw, softball/baseball, table tennis, taekwondo, touch rugby, track and field, volleyball, weightlifting, wushu and gymnastics.
Training will be held every afternoon from Monday to Friday. Basketball training will be held from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. while the rest of the sports will be held from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
According to CCSC’s Gayle Dico, not all sports will be held in the said venues but they are still in the process of identifying which sports goes to what venue.
CCSC chairman Edward Hayco said that because of the popularity of basketball, they will be using it as an attraction to bring in more youth and then have them shopped for other sports in what he calls “shopping sports” so they will also get introduced to other sports wherein they might have a potential.
Hayco added that the program will be an entry level for school intramurals and those seen with potential will be advised to enroll in the schools under the Schools for Sports program.
The training will be handled by volunteer athletes and coaches, who after serving in the CCSC grassroots program will get a chance to be funded by the Cebu City government to LGU-based multi-sporting competitions such as the Philippine National Games and the Batang Pinoy.
CCSC will welcome those who want to volunteer for the program as long as they are well-versed in their respective sports.
A culminating activity will cap the training program on May 5 wherein a mini multi-sporting competition will be held for the participants at the Cebu City Sports Center.
Those interested can call the CCSC office at (032) 520-8839.