“Playing by the rules, winning with pride, losing with grace and making friends along the way”                                                                              

                                                                             

`A message from your chairman

Welcome to the 24th Saddleworth Village Olympics, a competition open to all the young people of Saddleworth between the ages of seven and seventeen.

2008 was a challenging year, when for the first time we had to cancel our opening ceremony and the athletics event due to the great, or not so great British weather, and the state of the playing fields at Churchill. Hopefully Oldham Council will have taken note, and I am aware that the Grounds Maintenance Team – who worked valiantly last year to try to save the event, have repaired the drainage system to help remove the “lake” we were faced with in 2008.

Due to the cancellation of a number of the events last year, we did not present an overall trophy and I believe, as do a number of the Committee members, that although the competition was still fierce, the atmosphere was more relaxed, let’s hope this atmosphere can continue into this year.

On a personal note, I have now been involved with the Village Olympics for 16 years, and have been Chairman since 2000. At the end of the games in 2010, I will be standing down, as my youngest teenager will no longer be eligible to take part. A number of other Committee members have also decides to retire, some who have been involved since the games began in 1985. We cannot let this unique event finish and we really need someone who has young children, and lots of energy! to come forward to take on the role, admirably assisted by an excellent Committee.

During 2008 we continued to update our official website “Saddleworthvillageolympics.co.uk”, and this is now an excellent tool, giving dates of the events, information on each village, copies of the rules can be downloaded, as well as our official documentation, such as the child protection policy. We also have many thousands of excellent pictures taken by our official photographer at many of the events last year. These can also be purchased via the website.

 

We will, as last year, be using Saddleworth School as a base for a number of our events, and together with  Oldham Sports Development we will also be providing professional sporting coaches through the summer at the School to train those youngsters who would like to be involved. The specific training programme and details can be found by visiting the Saddleworth Village Olympic website, or by contacting your village representative.

Last year Saddleworth had over 150 young people taking part in these organised sessions during the summer holidays, and I hope this year we can substantially increase this number. Oldham Sports Development must be congratulated on the effort they put in, both during the summer, and also in providing volunteers to help us manage the events.

We will also, through our close relationship with Saddleworth Round Table  be providing commemorative medals to all those taking part, together with  presenting medals to those individuals or teams who have come 1st 2nd 3rd or 4th. These will be presented at the various Olympic presentations after the games.

Many additional competitions are taking place this year within Saddleworth with teams made up of young people (and their parents), who met during the games, and have continued to enjoy the friendly atmosphere that the Games support.

At school children take part in sporting activities as a part of the National Curriculum, but only a few make the school team and hence participate at a higher level. For those who are less able, but who still enjoy the competitive element of sport, the Village Games give them an excellent opportunity to compete against those of similar ability. Many of the young competitors also make new friends prior to their sometimes daunting move into secondary education.

 

At the opening ceremony one of the competitors from Diggle will take the following “Saddleworth Olympic Oath” on behalf of all the competitors: -

‘We promise to take part in these games as individual competitors and team members. Playing by the rules, winning with pride, losing with grace and making friends along the way: in the hope that, through sport, we will help strengthen our community spirit.’

On behalf of all the management committee,
                       I hope you all have a thoroughly enjoyable time

 

                                                                                                  Ben Hilton