Virtual school games enter penultimate week

The six-week event, organised by active partnership Energize, has so far challenged youngsters to demonstrate their dodgeball, athletics, new-age kurling and boccia skills.

Today, for week five, the challenge is cricket – testing young people’s throwing and catching skills.

The virtual version of the Shropshire Homes School Sport Festival has been adapted for the Covid-19 lockdown.

Normally, up to 1,000 primary school students would have been taking part in a showpiece summer sports festival in Shrewsbury this month.

Instead, children are being asked to submit photographs or videos of them performing the specially adapted home-based challenges to schoolgames@energizestw.org.uk.

Young Shropshire athlete Dani Hales has recorded video demonstrations of each challenge. Details can be found at energizestw.org.uk/virtual-school-games, as well as the Energize Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts.

At the end of the six-week programme, Energize will bring together a judging panel to decide the winners, and a compilation video featuring the event’s highlights will also be produced during the presentation week, starting on June 29.

Energize chief executive Chris Child said: “We know how much primary schools look forward to the Shropshire Homes School Sport Festival, so we were determined to find a solution.

“Encouraging exercise, and helping people to stay active, has never been more important during the Covid-19 lockdown, so we sat down with our team of School Games organisers to reshape the event.”

Jake Jones, Energize’s active lives officer, said: “The idea is to create fun activities and competition for those in school and at home over the coming weeks... while helping teachers and families to keep children active, and connected with their schools.

“We’re delighted with engagement levels so far, and have received some fabulous feedback from parents and schools.”