ORGANISERS HAIL SUCCESS OF BLACK COUNTRY SCHOOL GAMES

Around 2,000 young people participated in the 13th Black Country School Games at the Walsall Campus of the University of Wolverhampton on June 27.

Organised by Active Black Country, the Healthy Spaces team at Walsall Council and local School Games organisers, children from 130 schools came together to take part in an array of sports & activity trails.

The broad range of activities including basketball, cricket, dodgeball, handball, netball, and multi-skills for SEND teams, showcased pupils’ determination and passion for sport. Two taster activity trails ran alongside the competitions, with kabbadi and baseball the new events for this year.

The mixed programme gave students the opportunity to sample new sports, physical activities and cultural experiences as part of wider efforts to encourage young people to lead more active lifestyles.

The overall winner was Dudley, with the local authority picking up the Joel Richards Spirit of the Games trophy.

Billy Downie, chair of the School Games organising committee, said the Games’ mix of sports and activities “gave young people who may not have fallen in love with sport and physical activity an opportunity to come and do that.

“It’s a flagship event for the Games values. But it’s only the tip of the iceberg of the work that goes on with tens of thousands of pupils throughout the year. Amazing schools, incredible teachers and support staff are putting on opportunities for young people of all abilities, ethnicity and religion across the region, giving them a sense of belonging and purpose,” he added.

Young people were heavily involved in planning and delivering the festival, which capped a busy six-month qualification programme for the sports competitions. The opening ceremony featured a warm-up involving Perry, the 2022 Commonwealth Games mascot, with the curtain-raiser and closing ceremony featuring dazzling performances from Kickstarts Dance.

Each year the Black Country School Games supports the charity ‘Smile for Joel’. It was set up in the aftermath of a terrorist attack in Tunisia when 38 tourists died, including Joel, his Grandad Pat and his Uncle Ade. Joel Richards was one of the young ambassadors at the very first Black Country School Games Festival back in 2011.

Suzanne Richards, the charity’s founder, said: “We are so honoured to see Joel’s legacy continuing through the Black Country School Games. This is something that Joel was so passionate about. To see Smile for Joel on all the t-shirts and see all the children of so many different ages, it’s just lovely. I’m so proud.”

Four-time British judo champion Lucy Renshall is also a passionate advocate of the School Games. She spent time demonstrating judo moves and helping to inspire new converts to her sport.

“I think it’s amazing. It’s a goal of mine to give back to the sport whilst I am still competing. I think it’s really good for the kids to see athletes that are competing at the highest levels still doing this. It’s something I really enjoy and it’s so important for the children,” said Renshall who lives in Walsall.

“Sometimes schools aren’t aware of judo. With these sessions you can see that anyone can get involved and it is so much fun.”

The British Olympic Association has named Renshall as one of the five judoka who will represent Team GB at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. And the 28-year-old European Championship bronze medallist can’t wait.

“It’s really exciting. I went to the Tokyo Olympics so I’ve had the experience, now I’m going to Paris to get a medal,” she said. “This time it’s realistic for me. I am definitely confident, I’ve done the right training.”