{"id":9280,"date":"2026-09-21T10:12:46","date_gmt":"2026-09-21T10:12:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sws.gov.ae\/?post_type=news-feed&p=9280"},"modified":"2026-09-22T06:14:08","modified_gmt":"2026-09-22T06:14:08","slug":"early-childhood-sports-brings-together-98-young-athletes-in-its-second-festival","status":"publish","type":"news-feed","link":"https:\/\/www.sws.gov.ae\/en\/news-feed\/early-childhood-sports-brings-together-98-young-athletes-in-its-second-festival\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cEarly Childhood Sports\u201d Brings Together 98 Young Athletes in Its Second Festival"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Practical experience tracks motor-skill development among participants from training centers in Sharjah, Al Dhaid, and Kalba<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sharjah Women\u2019s Sports organized the Early Childhood Sports 2nd Festival<\/strong> on Saturday, September 19, 2026, bringing together 98 young athletes enrolled in the initiative\u2019s training centers at Sharjah Women\u2019s Sports Clubs in Sharjah, Al Dhaid, and Kalba. The event was held at the Sharjah Women\u2019s Sports Olympic Centre<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The festival built on the participants\u2019 regular training sessions, giving them an opportunity to apply the gymnastics skills they had developed in a structured setting different from their daily training environment. The experience also allowed coaches to monitor their progress while strengthening confidence, concentration, and greater independence in performing skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Participants were divided into the initiative\u2019s two target age groups, ages four to five and six to seven, with activities structured across progressive technical levels that took age and experience into account. This allowed each child to perform skills suited to her current stage of development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The program included floor exercises, balance beam activities, parallel bars, and vaulting exercises, with the level of performance progressing gradually while focusing on balance, motor coordination, body control, concentration, and quality of execution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Early Childhood Sports<\/strong> initiative uses gymnastics as a foundational sport for the early years, bringing together a broad range of skills that help children develop balance, flexibility, coordination, movement control, and body awareness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It also supports a motor-cognitive enrichment approach by connecting movement with concentration and response, providing children with a strong physical and motor foundation that can later support their development in sports and activities aligned with their interests and abilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Al Suwaidi: Progress Is Measured by the Skills Each Child Develops<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Alyazia Al Suwaidi, Director of the Women\u2019s Sports Department at Sharjah Women\u2019s Sports<\/strong>, said the second festival provided a clearer opportunity to observe the impact of consistent training and the progress participants have made since beginning their journey in the initiative. She also highlighted the important role families play in encouraging children and strengthening their early connection with sport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat we are following at this stage is each child\u2019s individual development: how her balance has improved, how her ability to control and coordinate movement and maintain concentration has progressed, and how she gradually becomes more confident and independent in performing skills,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is why we are careful to ensure that the experience reflects differences in age and ability, allowing every child to progress according to her own capabilities and pace.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She added:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGymnastics was selected for the initiative because it provides children with a broad foundation of movement skills during an important stage of their development. Skills such as balance, flexibility, control, and coordination create a physical foundation that can benefit them later across different activities and sports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAt this stage, our objective is not early specialization or forming competitive teams. It is to help children grow up enjoying movement and sport and seeing them as a natural part of their lifestyle. Family support and encouragement remain essential to sustaining that relationship.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moza Al Shamsi: Early Development Builds a Lasting Relationship with Sport<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Her Excellency Moza Al Shamsi, Director of Sharjah Women\u2019s Sports<\/strong>, said the initiative reflects the organization\u2019s commitment to investing in early childhood through a carefully designed sporting experience that prioritizes healthy motor development and a positive relationship with sport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe value of the initiative at this stage is not about choosing a sporting specialization at an early age, but about giving each child a sound motor foundation and a positive experience that makes movement and sport a natural part of her life,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe stronger that foundation is built, the better prepared she will be to continue developing and eventually discover the sport that best suits her abilities and interests.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She added:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe particularly value the presence of mothers and fathers and the way they accompany their daughters step by step through training and the festivals. We have seen the impact of this support on the participants\u2019 confidence, enthusiasm, and engagement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe consider parents essential partners in the success of the initiative, because a child\u2019s relationship with sport is not built inside the training hall alone; it is also strengthened by the encouragement she receives from her family.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The second festival recorded an increase in participation compared with the first edition, which brought together 68 young athletes, reflecting the continued growth of the initiative across its three training centers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sharjah Women\u2019s Sports continues to implement the Early Childhood Sports<\/strong> initiative in Sharjah, Al Dhaid, and Kalba through a progressive program that uses gymnastics to develop fundamental motor and cognitive skills among children aged four to seven, while strengthening their connection with movement and sport from an early age.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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