Basketball,  field hockey, judo, table tennis and volleyball. The sport clinics of these 5 disciplines at the Maria Lenk Aquatic Park are now one the highlights of the  Olympic Week sponsored and organized by the Brazilian Olympic Committee  (BOC). In Rio de Janeiro a full program of activities will be held until Friday and in São Paulo, until Sunday.

The target public of such activities are children and teenagers from public schools, social institutions and participants of the sport development projects sponsored by the Brazilian Olympic Confederations. Guided by specialized staff these youths are offered an opportunity to get acquainted with each one of these sport disciplines. From learning how to lead the aball across a hockey field to the teachings of Judo creator Master Jigoro Kano, participants take turns in recreational and enjoyable activities that are always preceded by talks about Olympism, ministered by BOC museology expert  Nira Lima.

To basketball clinic coordinator Chico Chagas, the key purpose of the clinics is to introduce the young athletes to the various sports in a relaxed and enjoyable way.

- At first kids are a bit shy but they loosen up fast and start to enjoy the program. In the specific case of basketball, the young athletes are quick to get a feeling of the ball, which is precisely one of our objectives. What is really important is to get them acquainted with the principles behind of the different sports - he explained.

According to Brazilian Indoor Field Hockey Confederation coordinator Rogério Cantarino, the difficulty faced by participants early on is easily overcome.

- At first they are unable to associate  stick to the sport but they start to pick  up the right movements really fast - he explains.

A member of Instituto Reação, where he takes judo classes, 15-year old  David Teixeira showed to be pleased with the opportunity to get to know other sports.

- I’m a judoca but I just loved to play table tennis with that much lighter official ball. And, I also loved field hockey. I had heard about this sport but had no idea of the rules.

Fernando Ruffato, the Judo clinic coordinator, explained that in a recreational way the young athletes are invited to get a feeling of the mat by falling and getting back on their feet, which is a very important experience for their lives.

The Olympic Week is sponsored every year by BOC. The Olympic Day is celebrated all around the world on June 23, the date of the foundation the International Olympic Committee (IOC)  by Baron Pierre de Coubertin in 1894, in Paris. The IOC is celebrating its 114 birthday in 2008.