Golspie High School was the location for the recent East Sutherland Schools Sports Association (ESSSA) Benchball tournament.
With 13 teams and almost 100 children taking part – it was a bumper of a Benchball session for P4 and P5 pupils – with six girls teams, five boys teams and two mixed teams. Each category played in a round robin competition with games lasting five minutes. 
The event was a massive success and enjoyed by everyone involved including sports leaders, PE staff and parent volunteers, who helped the tournament run smoothly.
Elissa Stevenson, High Life Highland Active Schools Co-ordinator, commented: “The Benchball tournament is always a fun outing for the pupils as it’s the only event in the programme this is just for the P4 and P5 children. They are always so excited to be representing their school and always give it their all.
“All the schools had arranged training sessions for their pupils to practice leading up to the tournament and we are very grateful to the volunteers and staff for leading these sessions during school time or at lunchtime and after school clubs. This contributes directly to getting more children, more active, more often. It’s also great to see the different schools mixing and cheering on each other, this creates a social environment for the cluster.
“A very big thank you to our sports leaders on the day Nathan, Maisie and Elsie and to PE Teacher Mrs Sutherland and to Jennifer Port and Gayle MacRae for all their help making this event such a success.”
Trophies were awarded to the schools coming first in the Small Schools, Big Schools and Mixed categories, as well as each pupil receiving a medal for first and second place. Highland Council member, Councillor Jim McGillvrary was there to present the trophies.
The results are as follows:
Small Schools – Girls
1st Bonar Bridge Primary School
2nd Helmsdale Primary School
Small Schools – Boys
1st Helmsdale Primary School
2nd Lairg Primary School
Big Schools – Girls
1st Dornoch Primary Schools
2nd Golspie Primary School
Big Schools – Boys
1st Dornoch Primary School
2nd Brora Primary School
Mixed Teams
1st Bonar Bridge Primary School
2nd Rogart Primary School
