News from Mr Grady
Hello Everyone,
A second sporting newsletter in two weeks? What on earth is going on? Well, I’ll leave England’s continued progress through the Euros (although when you’re reading this we’ll know if it is continued progress or not!) And focus on the fact that we are so very excited that Friday 9th July is Sports Day!
Having had to miss out on this wonderful whole-school celebration of competition and personal achievement, it is wonderful to be able to look forward to a “slightly normal” thing happening when it actually should. Yes, we’re having to do it year group by year group to maintain bubbles, while they last, but it will be amazing to our students out in the open air, cheering their classmates on, and hoping to gain as many points for their house as possible.
I have the privilege of being trackside for the duration, and that means I get to see students as they come to the end of their races, or report back from the field events with scores, records and personal bests. Sports day of course is a celebration of fitness and athleticism, but it is, more importantly a celebration of getting stuck in, having a go and trying your best no matter what.
If we were to only enter the races we thought we’d win, we’d only enter a precious few, or indeed none at all, and although it feels like a cliché, it really is the taking part that counts.
Over the years of sports days that I have witnessed in schools, there of course have been individual triumphs where students who are incredible athletes have achieved great things, but I have to say the times I have felt the most pleasure is in watching students refusing to give up when it got tough, in pushing themselves onwards and making sure that once they’ve started something they were flipping well going to finish. And often, the roar of the crowds for students who challenged themselves and sweated through an event were louder than for the students who made things look almost too easy.
Sports day is a celebration of everyone taking part: I would always rather be the last one on the course cheering on those ahead of me. A good-natured last place is always better for you than not having got out there and had a go at all.
I wish all our competitors the very best on Friday, have a great day, enjoy it, and embrace the sweat!
With very best wishes, stay well and safe everyone,
Mr Grady