Praise for new-look Medway Games programme
Medway's new-look Medway Games programme has been praised by the national charity for school sport.
The bigger-than-ever Medway Games, launched last month, feature secondary school competitions as well as an expanded Medway Messenger Mini Youth Games series incorporating 12 tournaments for younger primary school children.
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The new Medway Youth Games will feature eight competitions, including softball and triathlon and more traditional mainstream sports. The Mini Youth Games for Years 5 and 6 has been expanded to 10 events.The new-look programme now has 12 partnership events, dubbed the Mini Games, for Years 1 to 4. Jon Rye, Regional Development Manager for the Youth Sport Trust (www.youthsporttrust.org/page/home-welcome/index.html), said the programme would help Medway hit the government target of every child receiving five hours of sport a week by 2012. He said: "This is an innovative approach that involves good partnership working from a variety of organisations.I wish everyone involved the very best for the forthcoming academic year and I hope the programme receives the recognition it deserves.” |
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The Games are run by Medway Council's Sports Development Team and the Howard and Greenacre School Sport Partnerships, with support from local clubs and national governing bodies.
The programme also includes Disability Youth Winter and Summer Games, and Business and Community Games.
Medway sports development officer Tina Martin said: “This is our most ambitious Games programme ever, with events taking place almost every week during the school year.
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“More than 2,000 children took part in last year’s Mini Youth Games tournament, and these additional competitions will double the number of people experiencing these fantastic events.” The primary focus of the school tournaments is participation and fair play, although awards are made to the highest achieving schools in each event and overall. |
As part of Medway’s athlete development programme, the events also are used for identifying talented youngsters who are then linked up with clubs and considered for subsequent additional support in their development.
In addition to the sports events themselves, teachers can receive training to help them prepare their pupils for particular sports and enable them to continue to teach that sport once the competition is over.
The events also involve hundreds of volunteers, many of whom are school pupils who are put through national governing bodies’ Young Leaders courses.
Cllr Howard Doe, portfolio holder for community services, said: “With the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games just around the corner, there is a greater focus than ever on competitive sport and sports participation.
“I’m delighted we have been able to expand the Medway Games to provide opportunities for all ages to get involved, as players, coaches and volunteers.”
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