Sussex Games 2008
Fancy Footwork and Fireworks! A Spectacular Finale to a successful Sussex Games 2008!
A dazzling display of football skills, plus a torchlight procession and a spectacular fireworks display brought the Sussex Games 2008 to a close on Sunday 14 September.
The 2008 Games marked the start of the Sussex countdown to the 2012 London Olympics and aimed to inspire communities to become more active - and to take advantage of the Olympic standard training facilities on their doorstep, including Olympos - Burgess Hill, K2 Crawley, East Grinstead Sports Club, Pavillions in the Park - Horsham, Devonshire Park - Eastbourne, Yellowave Beach Sports Centre- Brighton and All England Show Jumping Ground - Hickstead.
The Sussex Games took place between 24 August and 14 September 2008 in a county-wide celebration of sport and active recreation. Comprising a three week programme of elite, club and grassroots sporting events at approved Olympic training venues, the Games were designed to showcase the facilities as well as the sporting talent in Sussex.
The Sussex County Sports Partnership co-ordinated all the events in partnership with five local authorities: Mid Sussex, Brighton and Hove, Horsham, Crawley and Eastbourne. Partnership Director, Sadie Mason said “The Sussex Games has been a resounding success - and our aim of getting more people involved in sport has been achieved, with over 850 people participating in the various competitions or coaching sessions organised across the County.” Seven pre-2012 Olympic training venues hosted the different sporting events, including Racketball, Volleyball, Gymnastics, Tennis, Badminton, Swimming, Basketball and Table Tennis tournaments. Top athletes Denise Austin, Ben Quilter, Peter Nicol, Darius Knight and Glen Kirkham also lent their support, through delivering coaching sessions or sport exhibitions.
Denise Austin, ex-UK No.1 and National Volleyball Coach said, “It was an amazing experience coaching at the Community Volleyball and the World Championships and has motivated me to keep working hard with the athletes who have the desire to make the step onto the International Stage!”.
The Finale event treated Sussex residents and VIPs to an afternoon and evening of free festivities, in celebration of the end of the Sussex Games. Spectators watched the Brighton Cougars basketball team in action on the courts at Olympos and enjoyed an exhibition Polo match at Hickstead plus a display of fancy footwork from Billy Wingrove - the UK’s top football freestyler! After a demonstration by Mid Sussex Martial Arts School and a Fire Poi performance, the event culminated in a lantern-lit parade and the wedding of the Giant Summer Queen and Autumn King as part of the Arts Gigantic festival organised by Same Sky. A spectacular fireworks display concluded the celebrations and brought the first Sussex Games to a successful close.
The Sussex County Sports Partnership thanks all the Sussex Games supporters for their invaluable help and contributions in the planning, organising and staging of the successful 2008 Games.
Our Sporting Champion Visit at the Sussex Games!
Denise Austin, National GB Volleyball Coach and ex Team GB No.1 wrote a few words for our readers after attending and coaching at our community volleyball event at Yellowave on 1 September 2008!
“The build up to the World U21 Beach Volleyball Championships in Brighton started for me with a Sporting Champions visit for the Sussex County Sports Partnership. On one of the best days of the summer so far, I turned up to the Yellowave beach sports venue to find it filled with budding beach volleyball players, most of whom were totally new to the sport. It was a really amazing feeling, when we got the day underway to be working across the 6 court venue with 72 enthusiastic kids and some of the UK’s best beach volleyball players and coaches.
Jake and Luke Sheaf who took part in the World U21’s representing GBR, Steve Grotowski one of the UK’s highest ranked International Beach Volleyball players, Mel Clifford and International Beach Volleyball Player from Canada, Tristan Sheppard one of the SWVA beach volleyball squad coaches, along with other assistant coaches all helped to encourage and motivate the children.
It was awe inspiring and motivating for me as a coach to be able to walk around in such a great facility and watch a quality experience being passed onto the young people of Sussex.
If I can tell you one thing which will make you keep taking part in beach volleyball and sport as a lifestyle, it would be that over the 24 years I have been playing volleyball, I have travelled the world and met and played with and against some of the most inspiring people you could ever meet.”
For photographs of all the Sussex Games events please check our flickr account. Click on any of the images below and explore our sets of photographs.
www.flickr.com
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