THE Specsavers Youth Games have proved to be a real boon for the island’s ‘minority sports’. More than 450 boys and girls between the ages of nine and 11 were involved in the event that took place at Foote’s Lane on Saturday.
The competitors were put into teams that represented the seven voting districts.
Each competitor had to take part in a sport in which they did not regularly participate. Basketball, volleyball and Gaelic football were three of the 12 sports that were on offer.
All three do not have a full-time development officer and thanks to the Youth Games they now have had an upsurge in interest. The most remarkable statistics come from Gaelic football, which was included in the Games for the first time this year.
‘I’ve had quite a few phone calls and there must be at least half who did Gaelic football in the Youth Games now want to do it,’ said the Guernsey Gaels’ Larry Hughes.
‘But the problem is a lot of kids can’t do the training because they can’t commit as they are doing other sports. That’s a good thing really as they are doing sport.
‘We want enough kids to do Gaelic football to sustain it and maybe make a junior team.’
The junior sessions start on Saturday morning at St Germain Quarry playing fields, next to Castel School, at 11am.
Hughes believes that the Youth Games are a great initiative.
‘These kids probably wouldn’t have chosen Gaelic football but with this opportunity from Specsavers, they are now,’ he said.
‘The parents who watched the Games on Saturday came up to me afterwards and said how exciting it was and the kids were really on a high after it.’
One of the children who had a go at the Irish sport for the first time was 10-year-old Forest schoolboy Tom Veillard whose main sports are hockey and cricket. He said he would like to take it up but the Saturday morning sessions clashed with cricket training.
‘It’s a new sport for me but it was good,’ he said.
‘It’s got a bit of football in it and I like football. I would like to carry on taking part.’
According to Guernsey Basketball Association president Pat Ogier, they also have had a great response from the Youth Games.
‘I’ve had half-a-dozen emails and Jo Bellis [basketball coach] has had half-a-dozen and people have been contacting Kathy Stuart [the island’s sports development officer] as well,’ he said.
‘They really enjoyed doing something different and that’s really pleasing. Anything that we can do to bring on some new faces is brilliant.
‘Another good thing is that the coaches and the people who helped on the day enjoyed it and want to carry it on doing that.’
In the light of the interest, the GBA are organising a free junior coaching session at 10.30am for an hour at Beau Sejour on Saturday 26 May.
Depending on the response, regular sessions may be arranged.
‘We’re starting that in a couple of weeks’ time to test the water,’ said Ogier.
It is a similar story for volleyball.
According to Guernsey Volleyball Association junior development officer Peter Walden, the only disappointing aspect from their point of view is that the Youth Games take place in May.
‘Our junior season has just come to a close and we don’t restart until September,’ he said.
‘We’ve had quite a bit of interest for the September coaching. I think it’s a very good idea because the kids don’t all come from the same schools so they build quick friendships playing in a team and also they learn a new sport.’
Walden went on to say that a number of children who had taken up the sport at the first Youth Games in 2005 were still involved.
The Sport Commission development manager, Graham Chester, was delighted to hear that the sports were benefiting from the event.
‘It’s great that they’ve had a go at them and then carried on,’ he said.
‘There were some kids who wouldn’t do anything and now they are.’
For more information on Gaelic football, contact Larry Hughes on 07781 103018, for basketball, Pat Ogier on 07911 732850 and for volleyball, Peter Walden on 07781 110297.
Article posted on 17th May, 2007 - 12.00am
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