EMA Youth Games Launch Event 2007
This year's launch took place on Wednesday 9 May.
One of the main aims of the Games is to involve young people in sport in Nottinghamshire. To help us do this we enlisted the services of 10 mascots representing our professional sports clubs in Nottinghamshire.
Mascots taking part were:
| Rascal the Rabbit | East Midlands Airport |
| N'ICE Bear | Nottingham Ice Centre |
| Fergus the Fox | Ashfield District Council |
| Nuts the Squirrel | Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club |
| Brock the Badger | Broxtowe Borough Council |
| Sammy the Stag | Mansfield Town Football Club |
| Sherwood the Bear | Nottingham Forest Football Club |
| Cyril the Squirrel | Newark and Sherwood District Council |
| Archie the Stag | Nottingham Rugby Club |
| Brocky the Broccoli | Ashfield District Council - Healthy Lifestyles |
Airport mascot Rascal the Rabbit escorted his sporting mascot and volunteer friends who arrived on the Airport’s Sky Link bus. They then transformed the Departures hall into a hive of sporting activity as the first competitive Youth Games event of the year got underway.
Mascot race competition
The races were arranged in three heats and a final. Mascots were helped along by school children from Orchard School in Ashfield and volunteers from Holgate Comprehensive School
The districts were keen to resume their friendly competition. In the first heat, Fergus the Fox (Ashfield), Cyril the Squirrel (Newark) and Brock the Badger (Broxtowe) lined up to race. The race was won by Fergus.
The second heat of Rascal the Rabbit, Sherwood the Bear and Archie the Stag was won by Rascal who went through to the final along with Sammy the Stag who beat N'ICE Bear and Nuts the Squirrel to win his heat.
The final was closely contested with Rascal edging out Sammy the Stag and Fergus the Fox on the finish line.