We received some exciting news in the last week of Term 3, that the NSW Government was going to ease restrictions on Community and School Sport!

This does not mean that things are entirely ‘back to normal’ however, it does mean that our students will be able to compete in their chosen summer sport in Term 4. Please ensure that you continue to follow the COVID-19 guidelines and hygiene protocols put in place for each venue and/or sport.

Old Boy Matthew Philip (2012)

After a very successful season with the Melbourne Rebels professional Rugby Union team, where he was voted their Players Player for the first time, Matt finally cemented a place in the starting side for the Australian Wallabies against the New Zealand All Blacks. If any of you watched the game last Sunday, you would have noticed the towering blond lock in absolutely everything. He was exceptional in all aspects of his play and is growing into a leader amongst the group. We look forward to watching Matt’s continued success and wish him all the best for Game 2 of the Bledisloe Cup this Sunday. 

Some general housekeeping…

Attendance

Attendance at trainings and games is NOT optional. Once a student makes a commitment to a summer sport, it is the responsibility of the student to ensure he attends all sessions and games that are offered. Of course, there are times when this is not possible, and we ask that parents and students are proactive in communicating any known absences to their TIC and coach. Unexplained absences will be followed up and could lead to Friday afternoon or Saturday detenti

If you have registered for a sport, we have submitted teams based on these registrations, you must participate. If you require a change you must see Mr Harvey ASAP.

Uniform

A great part of school sport is representing your school with your friends. A big part of this is wearing the correct uniform at training sessions and games. Although most sports do not have specific training attire (at the moment), uniform on match days will be closely monitored. Please ensure you have the correct gear at all times. If a student is injured and supporting his team, we ask that he does this in College uniform or Sports uniform.

Any student wearing the incorrect uniform will not be allowed to participate in that game. Students wearing incorrect clothing on arrival will be asked to remove it.

Behaviour

Coaches and staff have been asked to closely monitor our student’s behaviour during their sports. While we encourage all students to play hard, it is of equal importance to play fair. Bad language and poor behaviour will be followed up and investigated thoroughly. Students found to be bringing the College into disrepute will be subject to a meeting with the Sportsmaster and Assistant Principal – Sport and Co-Curricular.

All Summer Coaches and Managers attended an induction meeting on Wednesday afternoon to discuss the upcoming season. Topics for discussion were Expectations of coaches, Match Day and training expectations, Attendance taking, Injury management, and Child safety and Protection. It was a very worthwhile experience for staff and coaches and will lead to a better season in all aspects of sport.

This Friday morning was the first session in the Athletic Development program for 2020. Over 200 students from Years 5-8 spent 30 minutes on the College Oval working on their fundamental movement skills, strength and fitness under the watchful eye of Nathan Parnham. We even had a guest coach, Kotoni Ale! This initiative is really a one of a kind in schools of this size and I’m sure the boys will enjoy the next 7 sessions albeit a little bit sore in some muscles they didn’t know they had.

The First V and 17A Basketball teams played practise matches against St Ignatius’ College, Riverview in the holidays. Both teams had wins with all students enjoying the chance to compete at a very high level. Our First and Second XI Cricket teams also played in the holidays against St Pius X with the Seconds registering a win and the Firsts going down in a tight match.

Bring on Term 4!!

Jonathan Harvey
Assistant Principal – Sport and Co-curricular