a multi-sectoral subcommittee of Offaly County Council
core funded by Sport Ireland
SPORTSHALL ATHLETICS is an indoor form of track and field for children between the ages of 4 and 16 years
It was created by George Bunner MBE to provide a safe and warm environment for young athletes to train during the cold and dark winter months. Following its introduction, SPORTSHALL Athletics quickly developed into a new form of team competition and the first ever SPORTSHALL competition took place in 1976 with the annual UK CLUBS CHAMPIONSHIPS being established in 1984.
Today SPORTSHALL Athletics is the largest competition within the School Games framework and with an estimated user-base of well over one million children, SPORTSHALL has more participants than any other School Sport Competition.
In 2008, Offaly Sports Partnership piloted the SPORTSHALL Athletics programme in Ireland. The programme focuses on fitness and multi-skill development providing a grounding for all sports. It is totally inclusive, encourages children to get fit and promotes friendship whilst having lots of fun. Additionally, SPORTSHALL also provides a stepping stone into after-schools sporting activity.
