What I enjoy about using these videos is that they are not necessarily just focusing on the sport, but rather examples of the characteristics sport encourages children to develop. These traits – such as motivation, building character, overcoming adversity, and dealing with failure – are just a few life skills that sport instils in children. The following videos are great examples of how sport can engage children, but also inspire them to work and try harder.

This first example is the Nike advert from the 2010 World Cup and carries an inspiring theme of "Write the Future!" This video will have the boys hooked as it features some of the biggest names in the footballing world – Rooney, Ronaldo and Drogba, to name a few – and I love the "Sliding Doors" effect it portrays. The film ponders the question of how specific decisions can alter the direction of our lives.

The "what if" aspect to the advert could inspire some fantastic contrasting writing. Take the Rooney section, where his intercepted pass results in flashes of a ruined future – becoming a villain, losing fans, etc. But when he tackles back, he rewrites his destiny and earns hero status. This contrast could be a powerful stimulus for writing activities.

• Ask the children to list all the different ways his life changes for the worse.
• Then write all the positive effects from making the tackle.
• Write a contrasting story about that moment and the potential effect it could have.
• Children could write their own example that doesn't relate to sport – e.g. "The day I missed the bus" / "The day I caught the bus".

The advert also provides plenty of opportunities to create wonderful suspenseful writing. The last 30 seconds, where Ronaldo is fouled and lines up the free kick, would be excellent to write as a build-up to the climax. Children can describe the atmosphere of the packed stadium – what can they see, hear, smell, touch?