The Every Child a Sports Person (ECASP) programme, a special pilot project in Newham, is designed to offer year seven students the opportunity to work with community sports clubs and try out different sports in a world class training facility, including the new £21million SportsDock facility at UEL’s Docklands Campus.

The project has already proved to be a great success with the SportsDock staff in partnership with Newham Council, UEL’s School of Health, Sport and Bioscience and local sports clubs, having delivered the ECASP sessions to more than 250 young people from local schools in July 2012.

As part of the programme, students took part in training sessions at SportsDock with West Ham Boys Amateur Boxing Club and London Lynx Volleyball Club among others.

Through the ECASP programme, students are introduced to a range of new sports in the hope that the next generation of Olympic athletes can be identified.

Students also take part in a series of tests to measure their physical capabilities including balance, flexibility, strength, power, and agility. Once the sessions are finished they are asked a series of questions on their psychological well-being. These results are then fed back to the schools following the programme.

David Cosford, Director of Sport at UEL said: "We are delighted to be involved in Every Child a Sports Person, which enables local students the chance to use our brand new sports facility and develop sports skills outside of those traditionally taught in schools. Through ECASP, we are encouraging students who enjoyed trying a new sport to join a community club and to keep involved.”

The results from the pilot project have been encouraging with evidence showing that children not only enjoyed participating in different sports but that the benefits obtained from participation have a significant impact on their psychological well-being.

The programme is therefore hoping to roll out this October and will be delivered to every year seven student across all 15 secondary schools in Newham.

By Tara Saghafi