Round-up from Mr Smith and Miss Lane on sport at Westbourne House.
It is so important in games lessons that the HPL skills, which are introduced in the classroom, are reinforced on the sports fields. In games, we take a wide range of approaches and transfer them to the match situations; reflecting on the matches and training sessions helps pupils improve their play. The collaborative approach to team games requires pupils to work together and listen to each other and the ability to take risks and have the confidence to experiment provides the inspirational moments in matches. Using the same language that is used in other areas of the school helps pupils understand that the skills for learning are the same whatever you do in life.
Football
The football season started for the boys with a real bang. The U11s won the Lancing tournament in style while the U13 boys won the prestigious Highfield event. The U13B team were also runners-up in their competition. Sadly, some matches were then cancelled due to the inevitable Covid cases, including a number of big blocks against our main rivals. Thankfully we are now back on track and all the boys have had the opportunity to represent the school in competitive fixtures.
We awarded four 1st team players with their school football colours for excellence; well done to Jake T, Tommy O, Fergus O’C and Louie L.
The Year 7 children continue to work hard and we look forward to a strong and competitive first XI next season. Those that have stood out this year have been Tommy N, Rafferty M, Johnny K and Noah C.
The U11A team remains unbeaten in their school fixtures thanks to fantastic teamwork and with standout performances from Oliver A and Casimir K. And, right on the last day of term, they won the IAPS U11 regional qualifier at home! The U9As have also impressed their coaches and have won all their matches; Rory O’C, Alastair K and Henry H put in fantastic effort and performances in matches.
I have been impressed with both the attitude and commitment from pupils in training sessions across the school and a good example of this is the “mighty 5th” team, who not only remain unbeaten but have played in true Westbourne spirit.
Hockey
The U11-U13 girls had a busy start to their hockey season and, despite having a number of fixtures cancelled due to Covid, they have all impressed and made good progress across the board.
The U13A and U13B girls competed in a number of tournaments. The U13As took on three tournaments in five days. The first was the IAPS Hockey Qualifier during which they progressed into the cup competition on the day. Unfortunately, they were beaten by the overall winners in the knockout stages. Shortly after, they went on to win the Prior's Field tournament and were runners-up in our own U13 Girls' Hockey Tournament by goal difference. We have seen stand out performances from Caitlin W, a strong captain leading a good team, Martha B, a fantastic goal keeper who has only let in a handful of goals and really impressed everyone, and Penny C, a superb defender. The U13B team deserves a special mention for being unbeaten in fixtures. They came second in the Highfield Tournament and played extremely well as a unit in our own U13 Girls' Hockey Tournament. Team coach, Mr Pitman, said: "I was delighted by the way the U13Bs focussed as a team, aware of how they were playing and always keen to get on the pitch." Jasmin H has been doing a fantastic job in goal, Jessica H continues to work hard in defence and Coco H has been a strong attacking player for the team.
The U8-U11 girls had an equally good start to their netball season. The U10As were unbeaten in fixtures and really came a long way already with notable performances from Arabella B, an unbelievable shooter. Vivien O’S has already mastered good footwork and is fast on court and Hetty B is a strong defender and doesn’t make it easy for oppositions to get the ball into the shooting circle.
Netball
The U8s and U9s have learnt a new style of netball which gives more of the girls greater opportunities to play and try out various different roles. In matches, we have seen some success this season already and they have picked up the new Bee Netball game quickly. All the coaches are impressed with the hard work, dedication and development already. We look forward to seeing what the next half of the season brings for all the teams.
Cross Country
The cross country season started really well with the U9 and U8 boys and girls performing with credit at the Seaford College event. Medals for top 10 finishers were awarded to Roxy P, Tali P, Lucy A, Olive T, Issac D, Harry L, Freddie F, Rupert G and Ned F. The U9 girls and boys both won the team events, which shows real strength and depth.
