The Record 2014 - 2015

REVIEWS OF THE YEAR Sports Report Andrew Dalgleish, Director of Sport School sport is intriguingly positioned between the ever-evolving professional sports climate of academies, contracts and high-stakes business and that of tradition, amateur values and, dare I say it, school timetables. It is however this bizarre position that makes school sport so exciting and so appealing to all those who are fortunate enough to be involved. The academic year 14/15 was another wonderful one for St Edward’s sport whereby the foundation of the past was a solid support for further enhancing the School’s first class reputation. The many individual and collective highlights feature on pages 50 - 80. However the 1st XI cricket team deserve a special mention, not only as the St Edward’s team of the year, but for having the most successful season on record. Other highlights include the girls’ success at the National Schools Regatta in May, the rugby and girls’ hockey tour to Australia in July, and - at an individual level - the success achieved by rowers Oli Knight and Hugo Marsh, and cricketer Calvin Dickinson (who played for Worcestershire CCC 2nd XI over the summer after scoring over 1,000 runs for the 1st XI). Change is inevitable and unfortunately as we have seen with various examples from the professional sporting world, not all change is

positive. However this school year saw the introduction of a Strength and Conditioning coach for the first time at St Edward’s. Mark Munroe was appointed in September 2014 and tasked with ensuring that each pupil was able to maximise their physical sporting potential and at the same time reduce their risk of injury. Such a role and development is an indication of how advanced school sport has become and how valued the work ‘off the field’ really is. Nick Gardner took over as Master in charge of Football, Andrew Dalgleish succeeded Mark Hanslip as Master in charge of Rugby and Rex Hooten enjoyed his final summer as the school cricket professional before retirement. The fundamentals of sport do not change and at St Edward’s the core values remain the same as they have always been and the sporting philosophy is well embedded. Pupils of all ages and abilities are encouraged to participate and enjoy their sport. There is a firm belief that the School’s first class facilities and coaching staff provide pupils with the perfect environment in which to develop their sport and reach their

individual goals. All staff are fully committed to the philosophy of

development, enjoyment and performance whilst also creating a safe and supportive sporting environment.

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