National School Sport Week: South Derbyshire pupils win Gamercize contest

Pupils from Granville Sedcondary School in Swadlincote were victorious when they took part in a virtual transatlantic Gamercize competition, as part of Derbyshire’s celebrations of National School Sport Week.

Gamercize combines physical activity with video games, and a seven-strong team from Granville School took on pupils from a school in California in a Fifa Soccer tournament.

Pupils from both countries used Gamercize exercise machines to maintain control over their computers, which froze if they stopped exercising while playing.

Each team member took their turn in a live five minute match, and it was Team Gamercize UK which won the day, winning four matches, drawing one match and losing another.

Pupils scored points for the number of steps they completed during a match as well as for a win or a draw, and finished the tournament with just under 15,000 points.

The tournament, organised by fitness company Gamercize, was broadcast live via the internet, allowing each team to interact with the other, and was also featured on local television in America.

Team Gamercize UK was led by Derbyshire Sport Competition Manager Phil Basterfield who has been using Gamercize equipment in schools since the beginning of this year.