Inspiration Trust Football Tournament Kicks Off a New Year of Sports Competition

The Inspiration Trust kicked off the first intra-trust sporting event of the year on October 19th, hosting a Key Stage 3 & 4 football tournament at The Nest, the community hub for Norwich City Community Sports Foundation. Held over two days, pupils from across all the Inspiration Trust secondary schools were invited to join in and represent their school. Years 7 and 8 took to the pitch on the 19th, with Years 9 and 10 following on the 20th.

The competition saw 176 games played over the two days, culminating in Cup Finals to determine a winner across each year group for boys and girls.  

In the Year 7 matches, the boys’ winner was Hethersett Academy and the girls’ winner was East Point Academy. Each final was close-fought with Hethersett Academy boys winning against King Edward VII Academy in a nail-biting penalty shootout. East Point Academy girls also won their match against Great Yarmouth Charter Academy to secure the cup for their academy.

In the Year 8 matches, the day concluded with East Point Academy as the boy's winner and Hethersett Academy as the girl's winner. The finals were neck and neck until the last with East Point Academy boys winning against King Edward VII, it was a similar story in the girls’ final, with Hethersett Academy girls winning a tense final against Thetford Academy which culminated in another penalty shootout for the teams.

Paul Wayman Jackson, Trust Sports Coordinator said:

 

“A fantastic event to kick off the Inspiration Trust sports competitions for the academic year 2022/2023. Teams travelled from all over Norfolk and the Waveney area to compete in the second, annual, Inspiration Trust Football tournament. It was hosted at the excellent sport-specific venue that is The Nest. The unmistakable excitement could be heard all around and the joy could be seen on the participants’ faces as they went through the day. It was an honour and a privilege to witness the pupils representing themselves and their respective academies with pride.

 

The Sports Leaders from KES Academy were brilliant in facilitating the smooth running of the tournament. A special mention to the outstanding referees, also from KES, who went above and beyond in their duties, they engaged well with the players and were strong and confident in their delivery of the rules.“

 

The weather held out for the event and there was a thrilling atmosphere, pupils were excited to play football at The Nest and take part in the tournament with the opportunity to represent their school. 

On the 20th the Year 9 winners were Wayland Academy boys and King Edward VII girls. The finals were really competitive with lots of opportunities from all teams to clinch a victory. The final results saw Wayland Academy boys victorious against Cromer Academy, and King Edward VII girls triumphant against East Point Academy.

With the final heats being the Year 10s, the finals were King Edward VII boys versus Hethersett Academy and King Edward VII girls versus Cromer Academy. Both games saw King Edward VII Academy secure a victory, with the final of the girls' game heading to penalties. 

All of our teams performed tremendously well and the sportsmanship and respect between teams were wonderful to see. It was a great way to start an academic year of planned sports fixtures for Inspiration Trust Academies.

Overall winners are shown below for the two-day competition: