Merseyside’s sporting stars excel at unforgettable Summer Games

More than 2,000 athletes from the region’s primary and secondary schools descended on Wavertree Athletics Centre today to compete against each other at the prestigious Summer Games.

The county-level event brought together the ‘best of the best’ of Merseyside’s young sporting talent who had qualified from a series of events across Merseyside.

Organised by the Merseyside School Games Operational Group, in association with Merseyside Sports Partnership, children from all six school boroughs: Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral represented both their schools and their district in a range of sports including swimming, tennis, netball and hockey.

The Games are designed to build on the magic of London 2012 to enable every school and child to participate in competitive sport, including meaningful opportunities for disabled youngsters.

Following a typically colourful and entertaining Rio-themed opening ceremony which included acrobatic, dance and musical performances, the children battled it for the right to be crowned champions of Merseyside whilst upholding the six values of the Games: honesty, teamwork, respect, self belief, passion and determination.

Guest of honour was three-time Paralympian triathlete Rhiannon Henry, who gave a motivational talk to the athletes before the event and spent the morning mingling with the competitors.

Dave Sweeney, Chair of the Merseyside School Games Operational Group, hailed the  “fantastic’ event whilst also emphasising the important role sport plays in children’s lives.

He said: “Merseyside has a great sporting heritage and the Merseyside School Games represents an opportunity to discover the world-class sporting stars of the future.

“But more than that, we know from research by organisations, such as the Sport and Recreation Alliance, that physical activity can have significant benefit on academic performance and behaviour in class too, making participation hugely beneficial to every one of the young people taking part.

“The children today have been incredible. Not only have they been ambassadors for their schools, but also for the Games itself and the values we place great importance on. It has been a truly wonderful day.”