The Games is the culmination of school competitions and talent camps which have been taking place in recent months. Organised by Milton Keynes Sports Development and Bucks and Milton Keynes Sports Partnership (Bucks Sport), with support from the Milton Keynes Partnership, it is hoped the Games will inspire a new generation of youngsters to get more involved in sport. Lee Mason, Director of Bucks Sport, explains: “Bucks will have a unique role to play in the hosting of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. We are already getting our young people excited and interested ahead of 2012 by giving them the chance to take part in their own ‘mini-Olympic’ style festival of sport.”
Bucks Sport works closely with schools across the county, encouraging competitions and also open trials where young people can come and try out a sport. Those selected to play in squads do training with a coach from a local club and can prepare, and really look forward to taking part in the Bucks Youth Games. For many it provides a pathway to playing with their local club as one young hockey player from Aylesbury explains: “I did a tournament with school but wasn’t a member of a hockey club or anything. So I actually started when we did the tournament and got coaching. My dad says he might speak to the person who runs the club and see if I can go.”
The Games also provided the chance for more than 1000 young people to get together, represent their district and take part in the additional sports and entertainment activities on offer. For one young person: “It was really good, because everyone comes together; it’s like the Olympics.” The highlight of the day for some young people was competing (“I just like scoring goals”) but for many of them it was having a great day out (“I thought it was fun and really energetic.”). However a consistent theme of the day was to inspire the young people to adopt Olympic values and to promote fair play. This year’s Fair Play Trophy went to South Bucks. Please see the links below for a listing of the full results, interviews with some of the participants and pictures capturing the fun of the day.
As Richard Davis-Boreham, Sports Development Officer (Milton Keynes Council) reflects:
“We were delighted to be host to the Bucks Youth Games in Milton Keynes this year. I hope the young people, who competed on the day, use the event as a springboard to having a lifelong involvement in sport whether it is competitively or recreationally. And I would like to thank all the organisations, clubs, schools, sports development officers, teachers and volunteers who made this fantastic day possible.”