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Ray Bande recently in Chinhoyi
THE 14TH edition of the Youth Education through Sport (YES) Games has come and gone but the essential life skills imparted to youngsters during the inter-provincial sports festival will continue to linger in the minds of many participants. The YES Games are the brainchild of SRC and are meant to give youths aged between 10 and 17 an opportunity to partake in sporting activities to enhance skills development.
Unlike other sporting competitions that involve school going children and concentrate on winning matches, the YES Games prioritizes both the real sporting competitions as well as crucial teachings on behavior that help produce a responsible citizen.
Apart from sporting competitions, youngsters learn and compete on etiquette, adolescent and reproductive health, rights and responsibilities as well as essential life skills.
No wonder the Games have produced responsible athletes in the mould of former women soccer national team coach Rosemary Mugadza, national team and Kaiser Chiefs defensive midfielder Willard Katsande and his homeboy Onsimo Bhasera.
The YES Games are the brainchild of SRC and are meant to give youths aged between 10 and 17 an opportunity to partake in sporting activities to enhance life skills development.
As per their tradition, this years’ edition of the national YES games were held during the first week of December when they coincide with the National Tree Planting Day, although last year the event was limited to provincial level in order to afford the chance for participants to also take part in the African Union Youth Games which were running concurrently with the games in Bulawayo.
Just like in the previous editions, in Chinhoyi, participants competed for top honors in soccer, netball and volleyball.
Team Manicaland was comprised of 82 participants.
Accordingly, the young participants got value out of the three days spent in the Mashonaland West capital of Chinhoyi.
“I think we learnt a lot of things that we did not know before we came here. It is good for us and our future careers,” said 13 year old Kelvin Mtengo, who finished his Grade Seven studies at St Josephs’ Primary School in Chikanga, Mutare.
His counterpart, Brian Zvakare, a Zamba Primary School pupil in Sakubva, spoke glowingly about the importance of the YES Games.
“I think this is a good opportunity for us to learn life skills and desist from drugs and alcohol as young athletes.
We hope we will be able to get more of this in future so that we achieve our dreams in our sporting careers,” said Zvakare, who was also part of his age group national team that participated in the COSSASA Games.
Manicaland was represented by Mutare-Haarlem in men’s soccer, St Columbus’ in netball, St Davids Bonda in girls’ volleyball and Dangamvura High in women soccer.
Hordes of athletes descended on Mutare when the two-day provincial finals of the Youth Education through Sport (YES) Games were held recently that eventually culminated into the Chinhoyi nationsl finals.
Apart from the sports skills development component, the YES Games are also aimed at imparting peer education to youths in the face of HIV and Aids as well as enhance youth participation in community development projects.
“We are extremely happy with the way the Games have gone for us as a province. These Games are quite important to us. They are crucial to children at this stage in their lives. As you might be aware, the YES Games are not only meant for sporting competitions.
“Success of a club at the YES Games is measured against its ability to excel in sporting activities, the club’s capacity or ability to impart peer education and participation in community development projects. All these are key areas that we judge when we come up with the overall winner. At the end of the day, it is not about winning on the field of play only.
The Games broaden the scope in terms of the child’s aptitude in life skills. We sincerely hope that we will be able to do more in future in terms of preparations before the Games,” said Mwonzora.
Sports and Recreation Commission Manicaland coordinator, Shupikai Berejena who also accompanied the team to Chinhoyi, heartily thanked the Team Manicaland patron Mandi Chimene and a number of key stakeholders that include Plan Zimbabwe, Youth Alive, Mutare Haarlem Trust, Forestry Commission, Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education as well as Ministry of Sports and Recreation.
Online Reporter