This week at Score in Leyton has seen the fifth and final week of the Leyton Orient Community Sports Programme (LOCSP) summer holiday sports sessions in Waltham Forest.

Since the end of July over 2,000 young people have attended LOCSP sessions at Score in Leyton, Goals in Chingford, Roding Valley, Highams Park, Drapers Field, Tom Hood School, Langthorne Park, Priory Court, Stoneydown Park, Leyton Manor Park, The Vestry and Salisbury Hall.

On Tuesday this week over 40 young people aged 4-8 years old took part in a Handball session aimed at introducing youngsters to the Olympic sport which is so popular in Europe.

Led by Miriam Pupalova, the LOCSP Handball Development Officer, the sessions took in all aspects of the game. Four courts were used, some with normal regulation goals and some with different types of goals, aimed at honing and improving skills as well as a foam ball used for the younger participants.

"Some courts we set-up with overturned sports benches as goals and another using cricket stumps," explained Miriam. "The bench acts a long target and you score by shooting in the corners. Using these different types of goals ensured that we cold practice different types of skills and that the emphasis wasn't just on scoring, but passing, teamwork and positioning as well - it's important to learn about these skills.

"The most important technical aspect of Handball is learning how to pass to each other's team mates and positioning on the field," continued Miriam. "Of course, the priority is to have fun, but I use a mixture of my own coaching techniques and those I have been taught to make Handball as easy and relevant as possible to those I am coaching."

Pupalova, from Slovakia and an experienced Handball player, is on a mission to develop the game amongst the nation's youngsters.

"I have adapted my coaching style to England," she explained "and through my work in Primary Schools around east London I have been teaching Handball basics such as catching a ball, running, passing and stopping - I start by familiarising the youngsters with the game and then develop it up to a higher level."

For a game that does not have the tradition and history in England of a sport like Football, the Beijing Olympics provided a great spectacle and showcase for the fast-paced sport.

"Some of the youngsters here today knew about Handball already," explained Miriam. "But a lot of them have seen it being played at the Olympics on TV and want to try it now.

"I have been really pleased with how the young people here today have adapted to the game -they were really funny, sometimes falling down, but they really did enjoy themselves and helped each other out."