SportsKidz encourages three-16 year olds to lead a more active lifestyle.

Doesn’t it often feel that we are fighting a losing battle against the onslaught of screens when trying to keep our children fit and healthy?

Indeed, the UK’s Daily Mail has recently reported that, at Finland’s University of Jyväskylä and LIKES Research Centre for Physical Activity and Health, researchers have observed that children’s activity levels plummet at just seven years old, regardless of how active they were before this age. With the highest childhood obesity rate in Europe, we in Malta must be particularly concerned about how we challenge this trend in our children.

The answer? Scientists insist that it is key that we encourage children to attend after-school activities that are focused on sport and physical activity.

In Malta, we are lucky to have a solution in SportsKidz, which starts for another year in October. An after-school club for children aged between three and 16, it introduces them to a wide range of sports and keeps them active, while ensuring they have a huge amount of fun.

“SportsKidz offers children what no other club does,” says one parent. “A few hours of fun while they try their hands at various sporting activities. It allows them to find out what they like best, but at the same time it develops their team spirit, helps them create new friendships and foster a love for sports in a healthy way.”

Meanwhile, a young participant puts it simply: “During the week I wake up everyday hoping it’s Saturday, so that I can go to SportsKidz. I love it!”

2018 was SportsKidz’ first in Malta and its founder, Edward Mercieca, is thrilled with how the launch panned out. “2018 was a great success, both in terms of the number of students that attended, as well as their enjoyment level. I felt a great personal satisfaction in seeing our children grow in confidence, make new friends and, of course, learn and play so many different sports,” he says.

Now the young attendees will be able to try their hand at even more choices: 18 different sports are lined up, and hockey, tennis, pickle ball and golf have been added to the existing winter term line up.