The SPAR FAI Primary School 5s Programme for 2022 was officially launched on 24 January by new programme ambassadors, Republic of Ireland Women’s International Louise Quinn and former Republic of Ireland International and Ireland U17 coach, David Meyler.
The five-a-side football programme for boys and girls in 4th, 5th and 6th class has grown year-on-year and is now the largest grassroots football programme of its kind in Ireland with over 40,000 participants each year.
Jonathan Hill, chief executive, FAI, commented,“The SPAR FAI Primary School 5s Programme is growing year on year and even though we have had to adapt the Programme due to Covid-19, 2021 saw a record 1,696 schools and more than 100,000 children take part."
Student Safety
According to the retailer, in order to ensure the safety of students and teachers, the 2022 SPAR FAI Primary School 5s Programme has been designed to run within schools, with teachers being provided with all the necessary support to host their very own 5-a-side tournament, including video training tips, score sheets and more.
In addition to being supplied with a starter pack, all schools registered on or before 23 February will be automatically entered into a draw to win prizes for the school, while all schools that register their players and competition format on or before 4 March will be entered into a draw to play at the Aviva Stadium in May.
'Fun And Inclusivity'
The emphasis of the SPAR 5s is firmly placed on 'fun, inclusivity and fostering a passion for physical activity'.
"The programme encourages children to get involved in sport and develop a love for football and physical activity and perfectly complements our SPAR Better Choices campaign," said Colin Donnelly, sales director, SPAR.
The retailer said that even more children can take part this year as teachers will no longer have to select a team of just eight players to represent their school.
In addition, football themed worksheets, building on the success of last year’s SPAR FAI School Zone, will be included in the teachers’ pack to encourage all children to get involved in fun lessons underpinned by the theme of football.
SPAR have been involved with the School 5s programme since 2015 and to date more than 300,000 children have participated in the competition.
Register for the SPAR FAI Primary School 5s Programme here.
2022 Checkout – your source for the latest Irish retail news. Article by Donna Ahern. For more retail news click here. Click sign up to subscribe to Checkout.
