Sport is more important than ever as part of a healthy lifestyle, and it’s well established that physical activity and physical literacy play an important role in childhood development.
As well as keeping them fit, Sport teaches children about group responsibility while enticing them away from electronic devices, which parents and carers can appreciate.
Haileybury’s extensive Sport Program caters for all interests and abilities, ensuring that all students reap the benefits of having Sport in their lives while having fun.
For some, it can lead to a high level of achievement and elite competition. For others, it might mean forging friendships with like-minded teammates.
The many benefits of Sport include:
- maintaining and improving fitness
- building resilience, discipline, flexibility, and accountability
- learning about teamwork and playing defined roles
- having fun
- nurturing relationships
- respite from intense study
- a sense of achievement
- learning to deal with disappointment.
Following an extensive period of exercising at home during last year’s lockdowns, the return of School Sport—with spectators—has underlined these benefits and its importance.
Haileybury's High Performing Teams, Students and Sports
For many years, Haileybury has been known for its high-performing teams, such as Australian Rules Football and Cricket.
Each sport has an elite mentor such as former Essendon AFL star Matthew Lloyd, Olympic distance runner Craig Mottram, former Opals Basketball Captain Jenni Screen, and St Kilda AFLW coach Peta Searle.
But Director of Sport Mr Sean Allcock is just as proud of the program’s diversity and inclusiveness. Much of his work focuses on participation and ensuring that all students enjoy some healthy competition.
Mr Allcock is always seeking new options to entice his students, and is currently investigating Skateboarding, Paddle Boarding, and Surfing.
“We just want kids to be active,” he says. “It’s all about choice and it’s all about empowering students to make informed decisions.”
Sport is integral to life at Haileybury. Our City campus even boasts an indoor running track, outdoor activity space and the use of Flagstaff gardens for physical activities including Tennis and Running.
Health and Physical Education are part of the Haileybury curriculum from our Early Learning Centres to Year 12, including Sport, camping, adventure activities and a Health and Fitness Program.
Haileybury students can choose from 28 traditional sports such as Australian Rules Football, Rugby, Cricket, Tennis, Basketball, Netball, Volleyball, and Rowing. But they can also try:
- Equestrian
- Rock Climbing
- Martial Arts
- Yoga
- Pilates
- Dancing
- Aerobics.
Boys play interschool Sport with other Associated Public Schools (APS) from Years 5 to 12 and girls play with the combined Associated Public Schools and Associated Grammar Schools Victoria (AGSV).
All students participate in a Learn to Swim program, intra-school House Sport and interschool Sport with training and coaching provided.
Mr Allcock says Sport’s many benefits transcend the scoreboard and physical activity. “It goes beyond fitness,” he says. “They’re enhancing a whole lot of other skills at the same time.”
