St Edmunds became the latest primary school to give tchoukball a go recently as students enjoyed a recent trip from the GB men's captain to showcase the sport.

Patrick Miles, a PE Teacher at St Edmunds gives his account of starting tchoukball:

"Having heard about Tchoukball from a colleague I was keen to give it a go, it sounded like fun! We decided to try it out with a group of year 3 and 4 pupils (aged 7-9) over a series of six Friday afternoon lessons.

I was surprised at how quickly the children picked it up

The first session went very well and I was surprised at how quickly the children picked it up. The main difficulty for them was not intercepting passes. In all the invasion games we play at school interception is an integral part of defence, so to not try and get the ball from your opponent was a challenge for most. The game was a success and the children were all taken with it from the outset.

Week two came with a bit of a bonus for us all. I had been put in touch with the GB men's captain Gary Bond through a mutual acquaintance, and he agreed to come in and give the children the benefit of his expertise. The children were fascinated to have an international sportsman in their school and his Great Britain kit was a great attraction. In addition we were able to use his knowledge to gain a better understanding of the rules of the game along with tactics and training ideas. He was pleased to see the children so engaged in the sport and keen to learn more, and he has promised to come back and see us soon.

As for us, we’ve continued to play and are hooked on the game. We will continue with our Friday afternoon sessions for the moment and I am planning a lunchtime club for the summer term when we can set up our court on the field."

Gary Bond said:

"Starting tchoukball in the primary school sector has proved very successful recently.  The fact that tchoukball is easily played in a mixed-sex environment makes it ideal for primary schools. We have an increasing amount of participation at this age, and it's great to see young people learning a new sport in a fun way together."