Hundreds of children turn out for Black Country School Games
Hundreds of youngsters from schools across the Black Country took part in an annual sports competition.
More than 1,400 youngsters from 80 schools were represented their boroughs of Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton in the Black Country School Games.
The event was organised by Active Black Country, the sport arm of the Black Country Local Enterprise Partnership.
Organisers called it a great day out for school children who enjoyed a day taking part in a variety of different sports.
Youngsters from year three up to year nine took part in sports ranging from football to cricket and dodgeball.
The sports day, which took place on Friday at University of Wolverhampton's Walsall Campus, was held to coincide with the launch of a scheme from Active Black Country aimed at getting people active.
James Topham, who is on the game's organising committee, said: "The Black Country School Games is a fixture in our schools annual sporting calendar and all our pupils look forward to the culmination of a year of competition in school.
"The Black Country School Games showcases the energy and passion young people have for sport, leadership and competition and we look forward to seeing these young people participate in our summer festival.”
Wolverhampton won the event, taking the crown off Sandwell which won in 2016. It was the sixth year the event had run.
Children took part in a range of different sporting events, and the points from all the events were added up to pick an overall winner.
Among the children taking part were Lucy Vaughan, aged 11, Ocean Suban, 10, Alfie Baker, 7, and Elliot Johnson, 7, who were all from Howley Grange Primary School in Halesowen.
Lucy, who came second in an obstacle race, said: "I'm enjoying the event, it is good fun."
Ocean added: "I'm really enjoying the day and excited to take part in the events."
The sports day was split between competitive events and leisure events designed for children aimed at encouraging them to be active.
Wolverhampton won golf, boys dodgeball (year seven and eight), mixed cricket, mixed rugby (year five and six) and girls rugby (year seven and eight).
Sandwell won multi-skills, football and girls dodgeball (year seven and eight).
Dudley won girls cricket and boys virtual triathlon.
Meanwhile Walsall won girls virtual triathlon and sportshall athletics.
Other events, which were not held competitively, included boxing and fencing. They were organised with the help of Change4Life, an awareness campaign launched by the NHS to encourage healthy living.
The event also proved a chance for budding sport coaches to get a taste of work in their chosen field.
More than 200 leaders and volunteers made up the workforce to organise and deliver the events programme.
Among them were Skye Townsend, 18, Mia Wright ,18, and Matt Smith, 17, from Smestow School's sixth form in Wolverhampton.
Skye, who is going to university alongside Mia, said: "As part of our course we are given the opportunity to take part in amazing events like these."
Mia added: "This will really help as part of our education."
The summer festival is the grand finale of a six month programme and includes 10 sports, an opening and closing ceremony and a variety of sporting events for all ages.
Schools have been competing over the academic year to win regional competitions to qualify for the event.
This year’s games raised money for the charity Smile for Joel - set up in the wake of the Tunisia terror attacks to support and help families who are victims of traumatic bereavement through homicide.
Wolverhampton was presented with the Joel Richards Black Country Schools Games Festival Cup, named in memory of Joel Richards, who died at the age of 19 in the terror attack which claimed 38 lives.
Teachers from schools which attended praised the event for allowing children to learn a variety of life skills through the event.
Billy Downie, headteacher at Streetly Academy, said: "The event is fantastic. After six years running the event is still going strong.
"But it is not just about sport. The kids also learn a sense of community and develop friendships."
Ann Brown, executive headteacher at Westcroft School in Wolverhampton, added that the event also allows children with special needs to take part, which said was 'great'.
Suzy Richards, the mother of Joel, presented the awards to the school children.
Children, from the winning team of Wolverhampton, were awarded medals and a trophy.
Team Wolverhampton wore yellow, while Dudley wore blue, Walsall wore red and Sandwell wore green.
Parents also turned out to watched their children take part in the events.
Among them was Pauline Madden, aged 50 from Aldridge, whose seven-year-old daughter Daisy, from Cooper and Jordan Church of England school in Aldridge, was taking part in the multi-skills event.
She said: "I think the event is lovely. Children have been showing respect for other children (when they move around activities) which is really nice.
The sports day is a fantastic event for schools across the Black Country.
"More than 1,000 children are here, and they have all competed in previous events to get here.
"The event has just about every sport you can think of. There is rounders and tag rugby and some gymnastics taking place.
"It allows children of all abilities to take part, both at primary and secondary school levels.
"We are also getting a group of young leaders who are training to do coaching.
"Some are going onto university, who possibly become PE teachers or get into event management."
