Young Hartlepool sports squad taste life at the top

Twenty four students from Dyke House Sports and Technology College enjoyed sessions at Sheffield’s renowned Institute of Sport after starting the trip with work-outs at Middlesbrough’s Sports Village.

The Year 7s, who are spread across the three tiers of Dyke House’s Elite Development Squad, were delighted with the trip.

Danny Evans, director of the squad, said: “We looked at what athletes need to consider to improve in their sport, and we hope the students at Dyke House will follow such leads in terms of nutrition and hydration.

“They also completed their own biographies before going to Middlesbrough and on to Sheffield, it was an excellent couple of days for them all.

“They went to Hillsborough Leisure Centre too for a reward for their hard work and they got to use the water slides.

“It was nice to see them all working well as a group because we want our latest group of Elite scholars to help each other on their pathway.”

During their time at the Sports Village the students took part in a variety of sports and testing before travelling down to South Yorkshire, where they enjoyed some free time at Sheffield’s Meadowhall Shopping Centre before heading to the Institute of Sport.

The multi-sport facility is the venue of choice for a number of sports, including hosting a variety of Team GB stars over the years, including boxers such as Anthony Joshua and athletes like Jessica Ennis-Hill.

The Hartlepool youngsters all got a glimpse of what was on offer, including a visit to one of the arenas that now caters for disabled basketball.

They also took part in a boxing session and a mini-Olympics style event.