Play Their Way campaign launched to help young Londoners

The ‘Play Their Way’ campaign aims to prioritise the rights, needs and enjoyment of children through a ‘child-first’ approach to coaching, by championing every child’s voice, choice and journey in sport and physical activity.

The long-term initiative is funded by Sport England and The National Lottery and is led by UK Coaching and 16 partner organisations who make up the Children’s Coaching Collaborative. 

The campaign, which will work with England’s 2.6 million coaches to build a grassroots movement aimed at increasing and improving child-first coaching in communities across London and the rest of the country, was launched at Peckham BMX Club and attended by leading voices of the campaign.  

Peckham BMX Club is changing the lives of young people through a child-first approach to coaching and mentoring across all levels – from grassroots to elite. The club has coached and supported over 2,000 local young people since opening its doors in 2004, including Olympic silver medallist Kye Whyte. 

Young people from all across London attend sessions at the club, regardless of whether they are first timers or experts. 

Discussing the significance of the campaign, CK Flash, head coach at Peckham BMX Club, said: “It’s a really important moment for coaching here in London and across the nation, focusing entirely on our children and young people and understanding that to get the best out of them, coaches need to embrace creativity, independence, and fun. 

“Our ethos at Peckham has always been centred on supporting and mentoring young people in our local community, listening to them and understanding their needs. This is so important to helping them stay in sport and physical activity and gain the benefits that brings in other areas of their lives.” 

Sport England’s latest Active Lives Children survey found that less than half (47%) of children who regularly exercise strongly agree that they enjoy taking part in sport and physical activity, down from the pre-pandemic level of 51%. The same survey showed that more than half (53%) do not get enough exercise with children and young people in London amongst the least active.  

Enjoyment is one of the biggest motivators for children and young people to get active, which is why Play Their Way is dedicated to ensuring children have the best possible experience in sport and activity through the people who know them best – their coaches. 

Sport England’s Chief Executive, Tim Hollingsworth, said: “Positive experiences for children and young people are at the heart of Sport England’s Uniting the Movement strategy – and child-first coaching is an important part of this. 

“Our research tells us that for children, ‘fun’ is the primary reason for taking part in sport and activity. They will want to take part if they enjoy it. It’s vital that we put fun and enjoyment at the centre of sport and activity, and give our children and young people the chance to shape their sporting experiences to boost activity levels.” 

Heather Douglas, Head of Coaching and Policy at UK Coaching, added: “Our goal is for all children and young people, regardless of age, background or ability, to have a voice, choice and decide their journey when participating in sport and physical activity, so they develop a genuine and lifelong love for being active.” 

*To learn more about the campaign, access resources and sign up to join the biggest grassroots movement to transform the way we coach our children and young people visit  www.playtheirway.org.