Dear Parents, Caregivers and Friends of St Mary’s School,

 

Winter sport is now in full swing and an initial scan of the feedback that I received in the health consultation forms confirms my initial thoughts that a very large number of our pupils play a winter sport.  In some rooms 100% participation is achieved, a very commendable achievement.

The debate rages in most sporting circles on what is the correct age for children to play sport with winning as the primary focus as opposed to developing skills and participation.  As a parent I have three children all involved in sports, and at very different stages.

My youngest plays a range of sports: Tball, football, miniball, flipperball and touch.  The model seems to me the best for children in the middle primary is football where the children meet up before hand and the coach runs a skills session then they play games on small modified fields. 

I’m sure that other sports run similar programmes and the ministicks hockey programme was also very successful.

My older two children both play in the premier division of the secondary boys and girls grades in their various sports, here winning is the aim.  One is coached by a highly experienced innovative coach who makes practice and the hard work needed to win fun, not everyone could get Grace to do a training

session at 6.40am.

 The thing to remember is that except in the highest echelon of sport, sport should be something that the child wants to do, it should be enjoyable, - yes challenging but not something onerous that they don’t want to do.

 Parents help by being enthusiastic and support, as the great American golfer Ray Floyd said “If I didn’t enjoy golf I wouldn’t be nearly as good”.

 Have a great week.

Mike Brosnahan

Principal