Competitive edge for Vale school sports scheme

Published 15 December 2011

Teenagers in the Vale of Glamorgan have been battling it out in two Olympic sports as an innovative scheme starts to take on an extra competitive edge in the run up to the London 2012 games.

Secondary school pupils who play table tennis and basketball during lunchtimes and after school thanks to the 5x60 scheme have been taking part in two countywide competitions.

Run locally by the Vale of Glamorgan Council, 5x60 is a Sport Wales initiative that aims to get teenagers in Wales taking part in exercise for at least 60 minutes, five times a week (5x60).

Each secondary school in the Vale has a 5x60 Officer, working to provide a timetable of varied sports and activities to tempt pupils into getting active, and opening their eyes to a number of sports that they may not have previously tried.

Stanwell School dominated the Vale table tennis competition, with both their boys’ and girls’ teams taking the ping pong top spots. One tournament was held for year 7 and 8 pupils and another for years 9, 10 and 11 with the winners and runners up in each category going forward to the regional competitions which will be held at the Sport Wales National Centre at the end of January.

A round robin boys’ basketball tournament, held as part of Basketball Wales’ national schools competition, was won at both the younger and older age groups by pupils from St Richard Gwyn Catholic High School in Barry.

They now progress to the regional stage, along with teams from Barry Comprehensive School and Cowbridge Comprehensive School, who were the runners-up in the younger and older age group competitions respectively.

The Vale of Glamorgan Council’s Active Young People Co-ordinator Ben Williams said: “Both table tennis and basketball regularly rank among the most popular 5x60 activities, so we were keen to give pupils a chance to play them in a competitive situation. Congratulations to everyone who took part and good luck to the schools who will be representing the Vale at the regional championships in the New Year.

Ben added: “Vale schools competitions in two further Olympic sports – girls’ football and badminton – will be held in the springtime, so I’d urge all pupils who’d like to get involved to see their school’s 5x60 Officers and find out when the 5x60 sessions for those sports will be taking place.”

For further details about the 5x60 scheme in the Vale of Glamorgan, and activity timetables for all local secondary schools, please visit the 5x60 scheme pages.