UK Darts Issue 7 - October 2013 | Page 26

Sponne School Darts Club Giving Students Aged 11-18 Opportunities To Play Darts For the last eighteen months, students at Sponne School in Northamptonshire have had darts on offer as part of the schools after hour’s enhancement program. This was made possible after ICT Teacher Scott Cornelius rekindled an interest in the sport, and set out to launch a student’s darts club, with the main aim to develop student’s arithmetic skills through a challenging sport, aiding hand-eye coordination. Over 100 students have attended darts sessions to date, and the club is over-subscribed for 2013/14 with over 30 different students, attending across sessions on two days of the week. During these sessions, students from across different ages meet and play and learn the finer intricacies of the sport. There’s more to the club than once a week practise sessions, as additional opportunities are offered. Students have been to various tournaments as spectators (including the World Champs at Ally Pally) as well as exhibitions, in addition to competing in darts comps in Northants and the surrounding areas. The darts club has been visited by local PDC players James Richardson and Matthew Edgar, who have spent time throwing darts with students and giving them tips and advice. The clubs main hope is for more schools to get involved by launching their own darts club, as they see no reason for darts not to have a place within school, alongside the more traditional sports. You can follow the Sponne School Darts Club on Twitter (@SponneDarts) or for further information you can visit the club’s official website at www.sponnedarts.org.uk