Why Sport Matters – A Week of Success in the Pool and on the Track!
I am currently away at the annual Independent Schools Association conference and have just heard a fascinating presentation on why schools should adopt e-sports. I can see some sense in the argument and that for some students, it might provide a valuable and fruitful means of forging a career and engaging in a collaborative activity where they will make friends for life. I do though feel that the power of physical activity can be truly transformative and is ultimately one of the most positive ways to enhance your mental and emotional wellbeing. As someone who grew up wanting nothing more than to play sport almost every hour of the day, I am convinced that sport has the most valuable of roles in ensuring that our students find a lifelong hobby and passion. I certainly know that some of my strongest friendships and longest lasting memories were forged on the sports field. It is with this in mind, that we will be looking to broaden our sporting options over the coming years as seen as with the Prep Department this term with students learning to sail, kayak, canoe and paddle board. It is our role to ensure that every student finds a physical activity that stays with them for life.
To continue this theme, we were all thrilled to hear about the success of our swimmers at the World Schools Championship. Our swimming team of only six students competed at a high level winning an amazing 6 Gold and 6 Silver medals against much larger schools than Saint Felix. Our swimming has always been strong, and as we look to the future, there will be a greater emphasis on schools-based events allowing us to showcase the abilities of these students on a regional and national level; as such, we will be entering the Bath Cup in March 2025, the most prestigious school’s competition in the calendar as well as the ISA Nationals. A special mention must go to Grace R, Ben E and Jude G for their individual successes which you can see in the photo! We are incredibly proud of them and the whole team and our thanks go to their excellent coaches who have got them this far.
It hasn’t only been in the pool that our students have had sporting success. On the track, Megan C raced at the UEA and retained her U13 800m Norfolk county title. This is now her sixth county title, with 4 for Athletics and 2 for Cross-Country. We look forward to hearing more about her progression as we also do about Cody H, who won the U13 1500m Norfolk county title at the same track. Racing against students in the year above him, Cody won by a staggering 18 seconds and 100m; his athletic future certainly looks bright.
Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to remind you about the Golf Day and Fish and Chip Supper Evening at Southwold GC on Friday 5th July. Please do sign up to make this a memorable event.
Yours sincerely,
Matthew Oakman
Head
