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The hoops and dreams of budding young basketball players have been answered by charity Access to Sports.

The charity has set up a new basketball club for youngsters aged six to 19 at the Sobell Centre in Holloway.

Players will represent the club in Under-12 and 14 age groups in the Central Venue League across inner London and training is open to all three times a week.

Any youngster can join in the training sessions and A2S coach Sharareh Avazzadeh says the emphasis is not just on competitive match play, but improving skills and teamwork.

“We know a lot of the young people just enjoy playing on the estates and in the parks,” she said. “This gives them a club structure, training and games but without the pressure to play in a competitive league, while those who do want to do that can.”

It is free to join the club. For more information contact Access to Sports on 020 7686 8812 or visit www.accesstosports.org.uk for more details.

CHARITY Access to Sports delivered an early Christmas present to more than 300 youngsters over the festive season when they held a special festival at the Sobell Leisure Centre.

The free day-long event offered children aged 10 to 18 the chance to get top class coaching and play in exciting tournaments in sports ranging from dodgeball to table tennis and volleyball.

The festival, now in its fifth year, was delivered in partnership with sports clubs from across the borough and supported by Islington Council’s leisure and housing teams as part of their under-18 free sport initiative.

Access to Sport’s next free events will take place in the February half term. Call 020 7686 8812 or visit www.accesstosports.org.uk for more details.

Stamford Hill Under 15s and Millfields Under 11s and under 13s were the victorious teams in the Access to Sports Community football tournament held on 24 November 2012 at a rainy Finsbury Park. Teams from Hackney, Haringey and Islington, braved the poor weather to take part in the tournament.

MORE than 150 youngsters brought respect and fair play to Market Road on Friday when they joined council officials and sports coaches at a special Kick Racism out of Football event.

Funded by Islington Housing Services and organised by charity Access to Sports, the seven-a-side tournament has run on the last Friday of each half-term for the last five years.

The tournament aims to bring A2S’s free half-term estate-based coaching sessions to a thrilling conclusion, and with goals, medals and trophies galore, Friday’s feast of football lived up to expectation.

“It’s a great way to finish off the sessions we’ve delivered over half-term and I’m glad to say that this tournament was as competitive as ever,” said Access to Sports chief executive John Mackinnon. Winners were Portugal (Islington and Camden Youth) in the Year 7–8 age group, and Azerbaijan (Copenhagen Youth Project) in years 9-10.

THERE was harmony on the pitch on Saturday as more than 70 young footballers came together to compete for honours in a special Peace Cup tournament.
Organised by four local teenagers and supported by charity Access to Sports, the competition saw players aged 13 to 15 and over 15 go head-to-head in a series of thrilling five-a-side matches at Islington Arts and Media School.
The day of action was set up in a bid to bring local Eritrean and Ethiopian youngsters together and organisers Sakaria Abdi-Hasan, Mahad Mohamed, Zakaria Dahir And Yusuf Mohamud now hope to make it a monthly event.
“It was a fantastic experience for the young people and the tournament was run very well,” said Access to Sports coach Daniel Byrne.