The Phillip and Christine Gore Family Foundation Provides Tennis Equipment For Early Child

(Newswire.net — July 5, 2015) Kingston 10, Kingston 10 — The presentations were conducted in partnership with Tennis Jamaica and the Early Childhood Commission.

The presentations were done on Friday June 5, 2015 at the Pegasus Tennis Courts in Kingston. In attendance were several representatives of the target basic schools. Schools such as Arnold Road Basic, Amy Bailey Basic, Sandy Park Basic and St. John’s Basic and the Mel Nathan Institute were well represented. Additionally some coaches such as Evan Williams, National Ten and Under Coach and Valencia White,  “Play and Stay” Coach were in attendance for the hand-over ceremony.

The PCGFF’s Early Childhood Education Project was established in 2003 as the Foundation sought to assist the educational and developmental opportunities for

children entering Jamaica’s school system. The PCGFF works with basic schools in a practical way to help them comply with and manifest the standards set forth by the Early Childhood Commission (ECC).

The ECC is an oversight body that ensures quality of instruction, safety of children and

environment and that children are engaged in positive surroundings. The PCGFF uses the ECC’s resources to figure out what standards early childhood educational institutions require and should aim for. Then they use the ECC’s direction in seeing which areas need improvements and require more positive changes.

PCGFF has partnered with both the ECC and Tennis Jamaica to ensure basic schools are guided appropriately in their sporting instructions in tennis. The target schools will benefit from a tennis programme that utilizes the International Tennis Federation’s (ITF)

“Play and Stay” Method. This forms part of the PCGFF’s wider mission to assist in building children’s overall development

The “Play and Stay” Method is specifically designed for young children in the basic school age group and helps to maximize their brain development with problem solving, critical thinking and coping skills being enhanced. Additionally engaging in the sport

will increase visual perception skills, gross motor development, hand-eye coordination, self-control and concentration. It also promotes social interaction, higher self-esteem and environmental stimulation.

Apart from being a fun way to learn and grow physically and mentally, tennis can also open doors for the future of children involved. For example, past members of the tennis programme Shantal Blackwood and Sicquena Sinclair have excelled to receive scholarships to Florida A&M University and Shorter University in Georgia respectively. Blackwood previously attended Windward Road Primary while Sinclair was a student of Calabar Primary.
For more information on the Gore Foundation, visit them on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Gorefoundation