I write this update having just finished my first Saturday of Summer Sport. This was the first weekend I had seen the entirety of the program with all students participating, and the enormity of it was no more evident than when I printed off the day’s fixture — all sixteen pages of it.
What was also visibly apparent, was how different private school sport is from when I took part in the early 1990's. Yes, there was the traditional APS sports of cricket and tennis, but it was the range of activities that really struck me. From touch football to Volleyball, Equestrian to dance (we did have dance classes back in the ‘90s, but they looked a little different back then) and badminton to softball, we had Haileybury students participating in activities all over Melbourne and down both Peninsulas.
What was also evident was that there was still all the jubilation and disappointment that came with winning and losing, just as there was in my yesteryear, but it equally felt like there was more joy across the board. Students appeared to be participating because they were engaged with the sport they had chosen, rather than being shoe-horned into a handful of traditional activities. Don’t get me wrong, there were some outstanding individual and team performances, where the pride of the Bloods and Hearts was clearly on display — a highlight was Sharvi (Year 7) from the City campus, making her debut in the First XI Cricket team and dismissing a premier first grade cricketer.
Equally, at all sports I loved hearing stories of players scoring their first goal or perfecting their first lift, but the most enjoyable highlight was seeing those clearly taking part in a sport for the first time, and the touch of the giggles that erupted with their friends as they tried to master a new skill. The breadth of these experiences was no better on display than at the diving, where at stages I thought I could have been sitting in the stands at the Olympics, whilst at other times it did feel a little like I was at the Brighton Pier, watching the boys delighting with all sorts of athletic manoeuvres, but one thing was clear — they were all having fun.
What was also great to see was the parents with coffees in hand enjoying the company of new and old friends alike, clearly buoyed by the experience of watching their kids getting out there and having a crack.
On a personal note, a massive call out to the facilities team for the preparation that went into all campuses for the weekend. The whole spectacle was in no small way enhanced by their weeks of work over the summer in order to prepare the grounds that are no doubt the envy of the APS. I hope everyone enjoyed your weekend as much as I did — thank you to all for making it such a memorable ‘debut.’
Matthew Dwyer
Head of Sport (One Haileybury)
