13January 2015: St. Kevin’s College in Crumlin, Dublin, today had a special visit from Dublin GAA star Bernard Brogan, who teamed up with Sky Sports Living for Sport, part of Sky Academy, to deliver an exclusive GAA masterclass at the school. St. Kevin’s College won the opportunity to meet and be trained by the two-time All-Ireland winner by entering a Sky Sports Living for Sport competition exclusively for Irish schools last October. Students today got a chance to learn first-hand the skills that has made Brogan one of the GAA’s best forwards and listen to him speak about how skills and attitudes learnt through sport can help them build confidence and develop life skills. 

Sky Sports Living for Sport is part of Sky Academy, a ground-breaking set of initiatives that use the power of television, sport and creativity to help up to one million young people build skills and experience by 2020 across the UK and Ireland. Sky Sports Living for Sport, delivered in partnership with the Youth Sport Trust, launched last year in Ireland with Ambassador Katie Taylor and over 100 secondary schools in Ireland have already participated. It is a free initiative open to all secondary schools across the UK and Ireland which uses sports stars to inspire young people to achieve their potential. To get involved and sign up to Sky Sports Living for Sport visit www.skysports.com/livingforsport.

Already thousands of Irish students have experienced the positive impact sport can bring to their young lives through visits by Sky Sports Living for Sport Athlete Mentors including former Munster and Ireland star Alan Quinlan, modern-pentathlete Natalya Coyle,  double-gold winning Paralympian  Michael McKillop and Grand-slam winning rugby star  Alison Miller.

Today’s GAA masterclass session with Bernard and the students was also filmed for Sky Sports Game Changers, a live Saturday morning sports show for kids, presented by Di Dougherty and Sky Sports Living for Sport Ambassador Darren Campbell.  The show gives kids fun and interesting ways to get active and involved in loads of different sports. Series 2 resumes on Saturday 28th February at 9am on Sky Sports 1.

Bernard Brogan comments, “Sport is a hugely important part of my life and I’m delighted to be involved with Sky Academy and hold a masterclass with the students at St Kevin College today as part of Sky Sports Living for Sport. Like all aspects of life, sport can be challenging and requires focus, discipline and self-belief, so it’s fantastic to see how Sky Sports Living for Sport can help inspire young people and teach skills and behaviours that help them to succeed.”

Mark Deering, Director of Corporate Affairs, Sky Ireland says, “Following a very successful first year we want to expand and attract even more secondary schools to take part in Sky Sports Living for Sport. Supported by our group of Athlete Mentors thousands of students have already been inspired through the programme, and today it has been great to see the students at St Kevin’s College inspired by Bernard’s Sky Sports Living for Sport masterclass and hear from the man himself about the positive impact sport has had in his life.”

Teachers can run the Sky Sports Living for Sport initiative on a stand-alone basis or as part of existing curriculum activities by selecting up to 20 students who they feel need support and submitting a simple project plan in outline. Sky then sends them an information pack and t-shirts. Teachers set project goals with their groups including asking them to lead their own sports event, before finally celebrating the group’s achievements.

For more information and to sign up to Sky Sports Living for Sport, visit our website at www.skysports.com/livingforsport.

ENDS

For further information contact:
James Elms / Niamh McCarrick
Sky Ireland Corporate Affairs
00353 86 4528406 / 00353 86 3809191
James.elms@bskyb.com / niamh.mccarrick@bskyb.com