Tens of thousands of budding young tennis players are picking up a racket and playing competitive tennis as part of the nationwide Sainsbury’s School Games Level 3 Festivals this month.
There are 46 county festivals taking place across the country over the summer and more than 25,000 primary school pupils are taking part in the schools tennis competitions.
Over 3,000 young people took part in ten sports at the South Yorkshire, North Yorkshire and Humber School Games Level 3 Festival. There were 8 schools in South Yorkshire, 9 schools in North Yorkshire and 13 schools in the Humber who were victorious in their local borough or partnership Year 3&4 Mini Tennis Red competition to earn their place in the School Games Finals.
Tennis was one of the highlights of the events with Nethergreen Primary School in South Yorkshire, Carlton&Faceby Primary School in North Yorkshire and Swanland Primary School in the Humber emerging as the winners.
Tennis Development Officer, Claire Smith, said: “This year’s School Games were a great success in Yorkshire with record numbers of Schools taking part in qualifying events and in the finals. The standard across the board was high and hopefully children have been inspired to continue Tennis at their local clubs.”
Paul Williams, Schools Tennis Manager at the Tennis Foundation added: “School Games Festivals provide a great opportunity for school pupils to pick up a racket, many for the first time, and supports British tennis’ mission of getting more people playing tennis, more often.
“With more than 16,300 schools supported through the Aegon Schools Tennis programme with free teacher training, resources and equipment and 50,000 primary and secondary school pupils playing in schools tennis competitions every year there’s never been a better time to get involved.”
The School Games was created to encourage young people to play more competitive sport in school as part of plans to leave a lasting legacy from the London 2012 Olympics.
Young people taking part in the School Games will have the chance to compete in a range of Olympic and Paralympic sports with competitions progressing from school up to national levels.
Role of honour:
South Yorkshire North Yorkshire
Y3/4 Y3/4
- Nethergreen (Sheffield) 1. Carlton & Faceby (Hambleton)
- St Maries (Sheffield) 2. Carlton in Snaith (Selby)
- Thurgoland (Barnsley) 3. Markington (Harrogate)
- Silkstone Common (Barnsley) 4. Middleton Tyas (Richmond)
- Kingfisher (Doncaster) 5. Tockwith (Selby)
- Herringthorpe (Rotherham) 6. Waterstreet (Craven)
- Thorpe Hesley (Rotherham) 7. Scarcroft (York)
- Kirk Sandal (Doncaster) 8. Pickering (Ryedale)
9. Headlands (York)
Y8 Boys (1st – 3rd)
- King Edward (Sheffield)
- Rossington (Doncaster) Humber
- Horizon A (Barnsley)
Y8 Girls Y3/4
- Danum (Doncaster) 1. Swanland (East Riding)
- Dinnington (Rotherham) 2. Scawby B (North Lincolnshire)
- Wath (Rotherham) 3. North Ferriby (East Riding)
Y10 Boys
- Horizon A (Barnsley)
- King Edwards (Sheffield)
- Wickersley (Rotherham)
Y10 Girls
- Danum (Doncaster)
- Wickersley (Rotherham)
- King Edwards (Sheffield
Humber School Games
- Swanland
- Scalby B
- North Ferriby
- Driffield
- Sidmouth
- Scawby A
- Molescroft
- Gillshill
- Kirmington
10. Canon Peter B
11. Victoria Dock
12. Canon Peter A
13. Newlands
For more information on the Tennis Foundation’s support for primary, special and secondary schools please visit www.schoolstennis.org