Curtain comes down on National School Sport Week

By Tom Reynolds, Sportsbeat

WHAT a week it has been.

HEADING HOME: The London 2012 Olympic mascot, Wenlock, takes part in an Opening Ceremony which took place today at William Brookes School in Much Wenlock

Nearly 14,000 schools and five million young people all signed up to play their part in Lloyds TSB National School Sport Week, which ran from June 28 to July 2.

With the countdown to the London 2012 Games set to duck under the two-year mark later this month - school children up and down the country have tried their hand at a variety of Olympic and Paralympic disciplines.

A host of former and current Olympians, who have included Sir Chris Hoy, Gail Emms, Jonathan Edwards, Ade Adepitan and Denise Lewis, have all joined the Lloyds TSB National School Sport Week roadshow around England and Wales.

The Lloyds TSB National School Sport Week, an initiative in partnership with the Youth Sport Trust, and part of the London 2012 Get Set education programme, aims to use the power of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games to inspire children to take part in more sport.

And according to three-time Olympian Sir Chris, it has more than achieved its task during the week.

"It's not about producing elite level sportsmen or women; it's about seeing the children have fun and get involved in sports they have not tried previously," he said.

"If one or two go on and become full-time athletes that's great but it's not about that at this stage, it's just about having fun and getting the kids to try new sports."