Mary Nnah
In line with the global support and current advocacy on sports even from the grassroots level, Roshallom Schools recently put together its 2020 Inter-House Sports competition with the theme, “Catch Them Young”.
Speaking during the event, Proprietress, Roshallom Schools, Mrs Roseline Owoniyi said the emergence of the theme for the school’s sports programme would give broad opportunities for early potential development to the children.
“There is a common saying that that whatever anyone learns at childhood would stay long with the person. This is obvious in the events of our interhouse sports competition programmes which put in place some races as low as 10 metres to 20 metres for toddlers and kindergarten pupils in the school”, she noted.
Speaking further, the Proprietress said, “We discovered that there is need to catch these children young, especially when they are in their tender age, so that they would be able to develop their potentials and God-given talents early in life.”
Collaborating, the School Director, Elder Joseph Owoniyi, said, “The Bible says, ‘train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it’.”
He said therefore that everything done with the children at the school is based on this Bible verse, adding, “one of the ways to teach these children is how to live healthy lives. A sick or weak person may not be able to realise his/her full potentials.
“Also, nowadays, sports and sporting activities have so many advantages in the life of a child. It can help develop his/her talent and also promote healthy living”.
Chairperson, Mosan-Okunola LCDA and Chairperson of the occasion, Hon. Princess Olabisis Adebanjo, said the standard the school has set was beyond her expectations, stressing that the performances exhibited by the children in all aspect were overwhelming.
“I know that these very intelligent performances will reflect on their academic work”, Adebanjo noted while adding, “I want to commend the owners of the school for doing beautifully well”.
She advised the students to face their studies squarely and put in all their best so that they would excel in life as leaders of tomorrow.
Olympic gold medallist, Falilat Ogunkoya, who was special guest, expressed excitement over the fact that kids were being trained so early in life to become sportsmen and women.
“I’m always excited when I see young people excelling in sports because these are the young ones that are to take over from us. They are our leaders of tomorrow.”
Ogunkoya advised that the authority should monitor and groom to perfection any young person spotted to have extraordinary talent in spots as well as marry their talents with education, as this will go long way to helping them excel in their chosen field as sportsmen and women.
