![](https://www.highlifehighland.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Basketball-tournament-Dornoch-PS-Boys-Girls-Credit-HLH-1024x768.jpg)
Primary school teams made up of primary six and seven pupils met at Golspie High School on Tuesday 22 November 2022 to compete in a round robin basketball tournament, the first since before the pandemic. Fourteen teams, encompassing every school in East Sutherland, took part with over 100 young people involved in the six boys teams, five girls teams and three mixed teams.
- Dornoch PS Boys & Girls
- Helmsdale PS Mixed
- Lairg PS Girls
- Rosehall PS Mixed
- Golspie PS Boys winners
The tournament was an opportunity for the pupils to put their learning from PE lessons and after school sessions into practice. It was great to see so many pupils taking part, working as a team and enjoying being back at the local tournaments after a three year break.
Each game lasted five minutes and were refereed by Golspie High School Sports Leaders / Senior Pupils including Maisie Mackintosh, Lachie Roberts and Lorna MacRae.
Cllr Marianne Hutchison, one of the Council’s Elected Member representatives on the High Life Highland Board, said:
“Bringing young people together for events like this one is one way we can help to contribute to our communities recovery from the pandemic. With over 100 pupils attending, it was well worth the hard work from all involved in putting on the event and we are pleased to have been able to support it through High Life Highland.“
Cllr Jim McGillivray of The Highland Council presented the awards at the event. Cllr McGillivray said:
“It was a pure joy to see these inter-school games start up again after the pandemic, and it was especially encouraging to witness the skill, energy and enthusiasm of the young competitors in action. Special thanks must go to Elissa for organising this event, to the teachers and parents for providing the transport to the Games Hall in Golspie, and to the Golspie High School Sports Leaders who refereed the games and performed backing administration duties. I very much look forward to the next round of events in the New Year, especially the Primary Schools Ceilidh Dancing competition, a uniquely-Sutherland occasion always keenly contested, a great spectacle for the audience, and greatly missed these last few years.”
Elissa Stevenson, High Life Highland Active Schools Coordinator, said:
“It was great to have all these schools involved. The event meant that the pupils had an opportunity to take part in a local tournament for the first time in three years and also enabled them to mix with other young people from a range of schools in the area – and ultimately to have fun! We were grateful for the help from Golspie High School Sports Leaders / Senior Pupils who did an excellent job of running the games and keeping track of the scores; they were an integral part of the event. The games were overseen by the two peripatetic PE Teachers who were a huge help keeping everything running smoothly.”
Trophies were awarded to the schools coming first as well as each pupil receiving a medal for first and second place. All other pupils received a sticker. The results were as follows:
Girls
First Place: Dornoch Primary School
Second Place: Lairg Primary School
Boys
First Place: Dornoch Primary School
Second Place: Golspie Primary School
Mixed
First Place: Helmsdale Primary School
Second Place: Rosehall Primary School