Time is running out for pupils wanting to take part in one of Tauranga's biggest middle school sporting events – the AIMS Games.

New Zealand Football is encouraging footballers of intermediate age to register for the New Zealand Community Trust AIMS Games in both football and futsal.

New Zealand Football are encouraging pupils to take part in this year's AIMS Games. Photo: File

New Zealand Football says it has established a partnership with the AIMS Games with the intention of driving all levels of participation directly into the intermediate schools through its regional delivery network. The AIMS Games are a key vehicle in this initiative.

The AIMS Games, which registrations close for on Wednesday, June 15, is a strategic partnership between Sport Bay of Plenty, the four Western Bay Intermediate Schools and the Tauranga City Council.

The sporting championships give 11, 12 and 13 year olds the opportunity to compete as an individual or in a team in a fun, engaging and diverse environment against competitors from around New Zealand in 20 different sports.

New Zealand Football says in a media statement its intent to use futsal as the key participation growth vehicle with its recent partnership with AIMS Games – the largest schools tournament in New Zealand.

Intermediate schools are a key target for the New Zealand Football Futsal Development workforce nationwide through its seven member federations as a full school and student pathway for futsal is established from primary through to tertiary.

New Zealand Football Futsal manager Dave Payne is excited to partner with the AIMS Games and showcase futsal at an intermediate school level.

'We will be working very closely in establishing secondary school-intermediate school links using the national College Futsal Programme NCEA educational component.

'It will see NCEA students gaining valuable leadership skills by supporting all aspects of futsal delivery into the primary and intermediate schools environment," he says.

The AIMS Games is a Tauranga City Council Flagship event and in 13 years have gone from a small festival of sport, to what are now considered the International Championships for intermediate and middle schools.

Since its inception in 2004, it has have grown from 760 competitors representing 17 schools and four sporting codes to last year's event which was embraced by 8007 competitors representing 262 schools from throughout New Zealand.

For more information or to register for the AIMS Games click here