500 pupils enjoy inter-school tournaments
57 school teams competed across four tournaments hosted by the BHAFC Foundation.
Just under 500 pupils from across Sussex came together in Lancing for a series of knockout tournaments, which formed the local stage of the Premier League Primary Stars National Football Tournament.
Youngsters in Year 5 and Year 6 got to play on the Community Pitch at the American Express Elite Football Performance Centre, getting a taste of what it’s like to train as a Premier League or WSL footballer.
The school teams battled it out across four tournaments (two mixed and two girls-only), with the top eight from each tournament qualifying for the regional finals later in October.
The top teams from the regional finals will then go on to compete in the national finals next year.
These tournaments are one of the competition elements of the Premier League Primary Stars programme.
Launched in 2017 and available to every primary school in England and Wales, Premier League Primary Stars uses the appeal of football to help children to be active and develop essential life skills.
Premier League Primary Stars enables teachers to use resources across English, Maths, PE and PSHE, to support children to develop skills and values that are crucial to success in later life. Currently 103 professional football clubs from across the leagues run in-classroom Premier League Primary Stars sessions in local partner schools.
Matt Dorn, CEO at the BHAFC Foundation, said: “The Premier League Primary Stars programme provides so many opportunities for young people, and this national tournament is one such example.
“We were pleased to welcome around 500 local young people to these tournaments, and we look forward to seeing many of them again for the regional finals later this month.”