Chichester schools football tournament kicks off

The Next Gen Series is a year-long competition organised by primary school PE leaders in order to boost competition in the area and encourage children to take part in a wide range of sporting activities.

These competitions have enabled the children to showcase their sporting talent. After each competition has taken place, schools gain points depending upon their performance. The points will be totalled at the end of the year, which will decide who the first Next Gen Series champion is.

Schools involved in the series include Medmerry, Portfield, Kingsham, North Mundham, West Witterings, Parklands, Sidlesham and Central.

The football tournament held at Portfield Primary School was the inaugural event in the series. The tournament was a roaring success, with six schools competing for the first round of points. Medmerry Primary School played North Mundham Primary School in the final, with the later winning on penalties.

Luke Smigielski teacher at Medmerry School, said: “From our years of teaching in the Chichester area, we realised that the opportunity to play in competitions between schools wasn’t there. The aim of the Next Gen Series is to provide children with the chance to showcase their abilities against other children from across Chichester. We hope that by doing this we can help create pathways into sport for children. Whether this be just to spark an interest in a sport they had never previously played or a passion so strong that they wish to continue playing and join a team. For particularly talented youngsters, we can also steer them in the direction of larger teams, for example we had scouts from local academies attend the tournament.”