Busy weekend of Youth Games training

It was a busy weekend of training for many of the children taking part in this year’s Specsavers Youth Games.

From cycling to basketball, athletics to softball, hundreds of year 5 and 6 pupils were getting their first taste of their allocated sport.

With 20 sports taking part this year, it has been a logistical challenge to organise more than 700 children and ensure they have a positive experience of trying a new sport.

All sports offer around 6 hours of coaching and training ahead of Games Day on 22^nd May when each sport runs a fun competition with the children competing for the district in which they live.

One district will be named overall winner at the Closing Ceremony at Footes Lane with another trophy awarded for Fair Play.

‘it’s been great to see how much the children are enjoying getting stuck into learning a new sport,’ said Nicky Will, the Commission’s Communications Director.

‘It can be a bit daunting trying something you have never done before and meeting lots of new children during the training sessions but having visited quite a few sessions they all seem to be really enjoying themselves.

‘It’s amazing to see so many volunteers helping out with all the training sessions,’ said Nicky.

‘Without them the Youth Games just wouldn’t happen, so we are extremely grateful for everything they do which helps ensure this event continues to be such a huge success.’

The Commission is working closely with sponsors Specsavers as well as staff from Recreation Services to finalise plans for the Closing Ceremony which will take place at Footes Lane on the afternoon of 22^nd May.

‘We are putting the final parts of the jigsaw puzzle together to ensure we have a safe, fun and friendly event to mark the end of the Games,’ said Nicky.

‘All the children will have a team t-shirt, water bottle and medal for taking part and we have some district team leaders to lead them around Footes Lane at the closing ceremony.

‘It is a logistical challenge to make sure we can get all the children from their sports competition to Footes Lane in good time for the ceremony and we hope that parents and carers will come along and enjoy the event too.’

Letters will be sent out to all parents ahead of Games Day confirming final details of the closing ceremony including access, parking and the process for signing pupils out at the end of the ceremony.