The Isle of Man’s third annual Microgaming PlayItForward Community Games takes place on Wednesday 20 June at the National Sports Centre in Douglas.
The games aim to encourage 11 to 16 year olds, who aren’t actively engaged in sport, to try out seven different sports throughout the day.
Around 350 students are expected to take part with 17 sports to choose from, from the well-known to the less familiar:
- Air pistol shooting
- Badminton
- Basketball
- Bowls
- Girls’ football
- Glow cricket
- Golf
- Hockey
- Judo
- Netball
- Rugby
- Skateboarding
- Snooker
- Squash
- Swimming
- Tennis
- The St Christopher’s Diversity Challenge
In addition to the sport sessions students are also able to try out their musical skills through SoundCheck, a registered charity run by the Youth Service, which supports young singers and musicians by providing access to instruments, rehearsal space, and recording equipment. There will also be live bands playing throughout the day in the NSC grandstand.
The Community Games was setup by Manx Sport and Recreation in 2016 as part of delivering the Isle of Man Strategy for Sport which aims to get more people, more active, more often.
Minister for Education, Sport and Culture, Graham Cregeen MHK, said:
'We continue to develop in how we support our young people to embrace and enjoy an active lifestyle. Access to sport is fundamental to achieving this. The Isle of Man has excellent sport facilities, talented sportspeople and dedicated coaches and volunteers.
'We are very lucky to have this infrastructure and support in place which has been carefully established and nurtured over the past two decades.
'The most important thing about getting young people to enjoy sport is to make sure it’s fun. The Community Games offers our young people the opportunity to try a number of sports in a single day in a safe and inclusive environment – focussing on fun and enjoyment.
'Our hope is that students will sign-up to stay involved in a sport of their choice and even join a community club.
'The games are a fantastic initiative and I extend my sincere thanks to Microgaming for its continued and generous support.'
Microgaming has supported the Community Games since its inception as part of the company’s PlayItForward initiative, which serves as an outlet for social good on the Island, most notably in the areas of health, education and sport.
Kate Moughtin, Senior Internal Brand Manager at Microgaming, added:
'The Community Games represent what Microgaming PlayItForward is all about. It offers the Island’s youth an opportunity to discover new and different activities to keep active while having fun, as well as fostering a positive environment that promotes greater inclusion. The Microgaming team will be volunteering on the day to encourage as many students to get involved and we are very excited to have a go ourselves, especially glow sports! We are very proud to be involved in such a fantastic initiative and we are sure this year will be another successful event.'
Shooter Tim Kneale – Commonwealth silver medallist, Olympian, world record holder and former Isle of Man Sportsman of the Year – was appointed as ambassador for the games last year. Tim has spoken of the life changing benefits of sport and his early experiences of sport at school, such as bullying over weight issues.
