Hampshire Games

Preparations are underway for the Hampshire Games 2013. We will be returning to Aldershot for another sporting extravaganza on Friday 21 and Saturday 22 June. Around 3,000 young people from across Hampshire & IOW will converge on the Army's top-class facilities to compete in a range of sporting competitions.

Friday's events will be school-based competition, schools will have won their way through from local rounds to represent their areas at the County Finals. Please click on the tab on the left for more details on Friday's competitions, rules and School Games Organiser contacts

Saturday's competitions will be teams representing the Local Authorities of Hampshire & IOW. Teams will be selected from local sports development work with schools and clubs. Please click on the tab on the left for more details on Saturday's competitions, rules and Local Authority Sports Development Officers.

Hamsphire Games 2012

Up and coming young sports stars from across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight lined up in their own sporting competitions over the weekend on Friday 15 & Saturday 16 June just weeks before the world’s best athletes head to London for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Over 3000 young people competed in the Hampshire Games across a range of sports, including Athletics, Girls football, Golf, Hockey, Basketball, Squash, Swimming, Tri-Golf, Football skills, Boccia, New Age Kurling, Tennis, Judo, Table Tennis, Netball, Gymnastics and Badminton at the Aldershot Military Facilities, Aldershot.

In attendance at the Games opening ceremony on Friday 15 June were Great Britain Goalball player, Adam Knott and England Netballer, Mia Ritchie.

Mia Ritchie and Helen Turner, Paralympic Wheelchair Basketball player, opened the ceremony on Saturday 16 June along with Latin and Ballroom dancing stars Kai Widdrington and Natalia Jeved, finalists on Britian’s Got Talent.

The festival was one of more than 60 regional events that are taking place across the country this summer and are encouraging more young people to participate in competitive school and community sport.

The Hampshire Games is backed by National Lottery funding through Sport England. It is fully inclusive and increases the opportunities for young people to take part in sport throughout the year; offering some young people their first taste of county-wide competition. The Games uses the inspiration of London’s Olympics and Paralympics to transform competitive sport in schools and the community and get more young people playing sport.

The Hampshire Games also provides a Challenge Zone for young people and spectators to try various different activities throughout both days, including climbing and bouldering walls, volleyball, football skills, race horse simulator and PING! Table Tennis who launched their new programme backed by National Lottery funding from Sport England. PING! is delivered in partnership with local county councils and the English Tennis Association (ETTA). The first PING! pong events in Hampshire will be held in Eastleigh, New Forest and Winchester. For more information visit www.pingengland.co.uk.

England Netball player Mia Ritchie, said:

“It was great to see how many children were involved with the Games and the desire they showed to do their best. The Games gets better and better every year”

Chair of the Local Organising Committee Anna Dawson, said:

“In this very special year for sport we are absolutely delighted to be part of the School Games which will give young people in our region an opportunity to showcase their sporting talent. We hope that all the pupils involved in our School Games Festival will be inspired to continue in sport throughout the year.”

Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, Jeremy Hunt said:

“I want to wish every young athlete taking part in the regional School Games the very best of luck. And I want to thank everyone up and down the country who has been involved in this year’s School Games for making it such a resounding success. Through events like this we can inspire, enthuse and engage young people in sport.”

Thousands of schools across the country have signed up to take part in local class versus class and school versus school competitions along with county wide sports festivals. The flagship national Sainsbury’s 2012 School Games event took place at the Olympic Park in May this year and saw 1,600 young people competing across 12 sports, in front of 35,000 spectators.

The School Games is supported by a range of partners including the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Youth Sport Trust, Department of Health, Department for Education and ParalympicsGB and is back by National Lottery funding through Sport England.

Over £128m of Lottery and Government funding is being invested to support the School Games over the next 3 years.

For further information about how schools can become involved in the School Games go to www.yourschoolgames.com

Since the Youth Games were introduced to Hampshire in 1998, when just 3 Local Authorities entered teams, the Games have gone from strength to strength with every Local Authority now involved and a wide number of events included.

The Games help towards encouraging the development of participation and competition opportunities, they are a culmination of sports development work undertaken by local authorities, sports clubs and volunteers throughout the year and provide a fantastic showcase of sport for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

Since 1998 15,000 young people from Hampshire and the Isle of Wight have had the chance to be involved in the Games, for many it will be their first taste of a high profile large scale sporting event. The Games are not solely about the development of players, but additionally provide an ideal opportunity for young people to take their first steps on the officiating ladder or gain experience as sports volunteers.