Youth Games encourages children to take up new sport

Sunday 20 January 2019

The biennial competition sponsored by Specsavers has been launched, ahead of the games themselves taking place in the summer.

The Guernsey Sports Commission is encouraging all Year 5 and 6 pupils to represent their district in one of 17 sports and try a sport they don’t usually take part in. The grand final competition day will take place on Saturday 15 June, finishing with a parade and presentation.

Youth Games Coordinator Andrea Lord said:

"This is an opportunity for young people to take part in a large-scale and exciting event. It will encourage them to establish new friendships, build their confidence and improve social and life skills, while getting free access to a new sport.

"Since the first Games in 2005, the event has hosted more than 3,000 children and fortunately Specsavers has been happy to carry on supporting us to make this biennial event an unforgettable day in the island’s sporting calendar,"

The aim of the games is to promote the value of sport to young people with the emphasis on fun and fair play. In order to learn as much as possible about each sport, coaching sessions will take place in the six weeks before the games themselves. New sports that haven’t previously been a part of the Games, include judo, petanque and softball.These sessions will enable children to learn new skills, which will be put to the test on Games Day, culminating in the closing ceremony.

Specsavers founder Dame Mary Perkins said:

"The atmosphere two years ago was electric and the smiles on the children’s faces made me realise what this event is all about – encouraging and nurturing sport among our young people in Guernsey, building their confidence, having fun and a chance for them to make new friends."

Each team within a sport is assigned a coach who is responsible for that particular group of children throughout training and on games day. To continue with the aim of fostering community links, each of the six districts is led by a team leader, who is a deputy from that district. The team leaders are: Deputy Chris Green – Castel, Deputy Heidi Soulsby – South East, Deputy Michelle Le Clerc – St Peter Port, Deputy Jennifer Merrett – St Sampson, Deputy Matt Fallaize – Vale, Deputy Emilie Yerby - West.