School Games

All across England young people are taking part in the School Games as part of this exciting summer of sport and golf is proving to be one of the more popular. Through HSBC Golf Roots and its schools competition offer, 77% of counties are running a golf event as part of the School Games using either the Tri-Golf 8 games skills festival or Golf Xtreme Super Sixes format. A number of counties have even selected both formats and run golf competitions for both primary and secondary age groups. The exciting feature about the HSBC Golf Roots competitions is that they involve young people new to golf or at the beginning of their golf adventure. The Golf Foundation’s team of Regional Development Officers are busy supporting events across the country before the ultimate golf competition - the Open Championship at Lytham St Annes.

The School Games is a celebration of competitive sport that will involve all young people in years 3 to 13, of all abilities and backgrounds. Through HSBC Golf Roots, the Golf Foundation is committed to providing more competitive opportunities for young people and believes that by supporting schools and their networks to deliver the School Games more young people will also be introduced to golf and enjoy further opportunities through clubs.

The School Games is made up of four levels of competition:

Level 1: Intra-school competition, culminating in a School Games day

Level 2: Regular inter-school competition between schools at a local level

Level 3: Annual county/area culmination of inter-school competitions – School Games Festivals

Level 4: National multi-sport event

For more information about the School Games visit: www.yourschoolgames.org

School Games Toolkit
The Golf Foundation has developed an exciting new toolkit of resources built on the success of its Tri-Golf and Golf Xtreme programmes and designed to support the School Games. The School Games Toolkit is built around 2 core playing formats:

1. Skills Festival (free download on the right of this page)

2. Super Sixes (free download on the right of this page)

Both formats have been developed to introduce more pupils in schools to golf and to support the School Games at Levels 1 to 3. They have been tested through the national School Games pilot in conjunction with the Youth Sport Trust who have also supported the development of the School Games Toolkit. The Skills Festival and Super Sixes are easy to deliver, inclusive, adaptable to school and club environments and perhaps most importantly fun to play!

School Games Activator Training
The Golf Foundation has also developed an exciting and flexible new training workshop for young leaders to support the delivery of the School Games. The workshop will be tailored to the needs of the young leaders and the local HSBC Golf Roots project. For example, for those young volunteers within a leadership academy supporting delivery of a Tri-Golf Skills Festival as part of a Level 2 School Games event, the Golf Foundation will focus the workshop on helping the leaders to deliver this particular format. Conversely, for those projects choosing to run a Super Sixes format for secondary age pupils, the Golf Foundation will deliver a workshop for leaders focused around the Super Sixes format. School Games Organisers should contact their Golf Foundation Regional Development Officer to discuss support for School Games golf competitions.

Why Choose Golf?
HSBC Golf Roots is a national project that develops playing and personal skills amongst all young people, termed ‘Skills for life’. Golf is a great sport for developing a young person’s self-confidence, with a clear focus on honesty and respect for other players, the rules of golf and the playing environment. The competition resources in the School Games Toolkit have been designed to educate young people about these wider life skills. For example, they encourage participants to remain quiet when another player is taking their turn, congratulate another player on playing a good shot and repair pitch marks and divots so that other players can experience the same playing surface.

All competitions should be linked to a wider HSBC Golf Roots project with links to local clubs, quality coaching through an extensive network of PGA coaches and opportunities for young people to volunteer at events as well as progress through the player pathway into County Academy Programmes.

English Schools Golf Association
The English Schools’ Golf Association runs a variety of county, regional and national championships for individuals within schools and school teams at Under 16 and Under 19 levels. To find out more information, please visit: www.englishschoolsgolf.org

The Independent Schools Golf Association runs a series of events for the Independent school sector which include the following:

• A yearly schools team (3 pupils per team) knockout with the UK split into 17 areas - the 19 winners including the previous years winners take part in a national 2 day final. 2013 - Royal St Georges 14/15 April 2014 Carnoustie 27/28 April

• The Shire Trophy - a one day team and individual event in June/July for senior school pupils played at The Shire London

• The Junior Open - a one day team and individual event in June/July for junior schools played at The Shire London

• The ISGA Scottish Open - a one day team and individual event in September for senior school pupils played at Kings Acre Golf Club

• The Schools Cup - a one day team event with teachers played in October for senior schools.

• The Junior Schools Cup - a one day team event with teachers played in October for junior schools.

• The ISGA Home Internationals - every March with the best schools from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales taking part and held at a championship course - 2012 - Royal Portrush, 2013 - Archerfield, 2014- England TBC

The ISGA European Championships 25-29 October at Villaitana Resort Spain

2 teacher training events are planned each year including the Golf Foundation’s Golf Xtreme workshop and a level 1 and 2 ISGA coaching certificate - more details on the ISGA website: www.isga.org.uk

More details of the above on www.ISGA.org.uk

The British Schools Golf Association run a league open to all schools and colleges in the UK called the British Schools Golf Tour. The league is open to players of 18 handicap or better. 6 players per team gross and nett team winners plus an Individual Order of merit. Finals for team and Individuals. National Finals 2013 at Princes

more details on www.BritishSchoolsGolf.com

The International Schools Golf Association are holding the ISGA European Championship in Spain. 25-29 October 2013. Open to all Schools and Colleges

more details on www.isga.eu