Linton Village College hosts South Cambs School Partnership’s friendly football competition
Inspired by the World Cup, the South Cambs School Sports Partnership recently hosted a fun afternoon of football at Linton Village College for children in Years 3 and 4.
Sixteen teams took part in the competition which was aimed at introducing new players to the game of football and giving them the opportunity to represent their school in a fun and friendly competition.
Matches were seven-a-side with roll on, roll off substitutions with teams getting to play against lots of different schools in quick seven-minute matches.
The schools taking part included Histon & Impington Brook, University of Cambridge, Pendragon, Petersfield, Dry Drayton, Barrington, Elsworth, Foxton, Harston & Newton, Linton Heights, Great Abington, Meldreth, Hatton Park, The Meadow and Trumpington Park Primary Schools.
With the focus of the event being on providing an introduction to competitive football in a fun environment, the results of the matches were not recorded and instead teams were asked to score their opposition based on their teamwork, sportsmanship and their team and individual skill.
These scores were then collated and at the end of the afternoon awards were presented to the following teams: Teamwork Award – Barrington & Dry Drayton, Sportsmanship Award – Linton Heights & University of Cambridge, and Skill Award – Trumpington Park & Harston & Newton. The winning schools received a bag of multi sports equipment courtesy of Cambridge United Community Trust.
Individual awards were also given out to Arashi from Harston & Newton, Mason from Foxton and Mateo from Pendragon for showing great teamwork and sportsmanship throughout the competition.
These awards were nominated by the sports leaders with the winners receiving a complimentary family ticket to a forthcoming Cambridge United match.
Claire McDonnell, South Cambs SSP partnership manager, said: “It was the first time we have held an event such as this and we were really pleased with how it went.
“It was great to be able to introduce new players to the game of football and to give them their first competitive experience in a really positive environment. The children were so excited and proud to be representing their schools.”
Elsewhere, the South Cambs School Sports Partnership also hosted a ‘Friendship Games’ event at Melbourn Village College, which involved a small group of Year 7 pupils from the host school, as well as groups of Year 5 and 6 children from Harston & Newton, Melbourn and Gamlingay Primary Schools.
Around 50 children took part in the event, which was focused on supporting children’s transition to secondary school by helping them to develop new friendships and increase their confidence and motivation while also engaging new audiences in physical activity and sport.
During the afternoon children got to take part in a number of different activities which they might not have tried before, including archery, new age kurling, sport stacking, table tennis and dodgeball.
McDonnell said: “The focus was very much on providing a fun and enjoyable event for the children, giving them a chance to try out some new sports and activities and perhaps helping them to make some new friends whilst dampening any nerves they might have about moving to secondary school.”
