Breaking News......

Following the success of the pilot Skills Festival Program in Ards and North Down involving Racquet Sports and Swimming, Sport South East along with Sport NI have launched Phase 2 of the Program which involves Racquet Sports again, with Boys Hockey replacing swimming.

Letters have been sent out to all primary schools and post primary schools within the SEELB area, as well as sports clubs, requesting nominations to participate in a Racquet Sports and Boys Hockey Talent Search. We are looking for Boys and Girls aged 9-12 years old to perform a series of tests designed to measure their levels of agility, coordination, strength and endurance to determine their potential to play Racquet Sports. Likewise, we are looking for Boys aged 9-12 years of age to perform similar tests to determine their potential to play Hockey. The Top 20 in each sport will be invited to participate as a Squad for Racquet Sports and Hockey to perform in a 10 week Skills Festival Program from Jan - March 2009 which will involve skills development sessions and competitive opportunities with other Area Partnership Squads. Details of were the Talent Search Testing Sessions will be held and on what date and time will be released once nominations have been received by the deadline of October 24th 2008.

Caught on Camera! 

Left: Jayne Moore from Sport NI and representaive of Award's For All, supporters of the South East Youth Games 2007, pictured with some members of the five council squads and far right, a young member of the Castlereagh Badminton Squad

Skills Festival Program. 

Do you have hidden talents? Could you be a potentially elite athlete? Are you the talent of the future?

The aim of the Skills Festival Program is to build upon the multi skills environment being created within schools and the community and to subsequently identify and develop potential elite athletes to an Olympic and World Championship level of competition.

In addition to the long - term approach of achieving international success, the Skills Festival Program also aims to make a positive contribution to our domestic sporting culture by increasing; the depth of the competitive field, participation, the coaching talent pool and to sharpen Governing Body talent identification and development systems

If you live or attend school in the SEELB area and would like to participate in the Skills Festival Program please do not hesitate to contact Sport South East or talk to your Principal or PE Teacher.