The 11th Specsavers Youth Games will feature 23 different sports for children to take part in. 

The event for all those in school years 5 and 6 to take part in is jointly hosted by the Guernsey Sports Commission and Specsavers and pupils are encouraged to sign up and try something new. 

In honour of the 2025 Island Games, they will compete for one of six teams named after some of the animals and birds that live on or around Orkney. 

The children will have the chance to train in their new sports before the final competition on Games Day, Saturday 14 June. 

The GSC’s Youth Games Coordinator Nicky Will said this year’s event was going to be bigger and better than ever before. 

“We are excited to have so many sports for the children to try, including most of new ones from 2023 such as skateboarding and padel tennis, plus an adapted lifesaving racing/stand up paddle board event with archery and fencing being the new sports this year. 

“This is a great opportunity for young people to take part in a large-scale and exciting event. It will encourage them to establish new friendships, build their confidence and improve social and life skills, while getting free access to a new sport.

“We are also delighted to be able to once again extend the Youth Games experience to pupils from St Anne’s School in Alderney who will be able to choose one of five sports to take part in that they will be able to continue to play in Alderney once the Games are over. 

“Thanks to support from the Alderney Sports Foundation we are aiming to bring all the children over by ferry from Alderney for Games Day and will be sending some of our sport specific development officers and coaches over to the island to run some specific training sessions there in the run up to the big day.”

The Youth Games aims to promote the value of sport to young people with the emphasis on fun and fair play. Coaching sessions will take place in the weeks before the games themselves.  

A brochure and application form will be handed out to all pupils in Years 5 and 6 outlining all of the sports available, the training dates and times and any further requirements for selecting the sports. 

Children can also access all the information, including the application form, online at https://guernseysports.com/programmes/youth-games/  

Specsavers co-founder, Dame Mary Perkins, said: “The atmosphere at the games is always electric and the smiles on the children’s faces remind me what this event is all about – encouraging and nurturing sport among our young people in Guernsey, building their confidence, having fun and giving them a chance to make new friends.”