Update from the Sports Field

When you start a new season you often look ahead and try and predict how it might go. You ask yourself; “How will the children respond to adapting to the new skills or to a new coach”? The children throughout the school from the Nursery to Prep 8 have all started the athletics season enthusiastically. With two weeks now past us, there is an incredibly healthy group of athletes attending lunch time practices and a variety of children attending clubs and paid extras.

In Athletics, Reception have now been through all of their races for Sports Day. One of the most exciting is the sack race. The beautiful colours and the excitement on the children’s faces is just magical. Children in P5 and above for Sports Day but also ISA and IAPs athletics. If you want to get involved, you must come along to Athletics club on a Monday lunch time.

With the development of girls’ cricket more and more schools are now making this game their first choice. Hatherop started playing girls’ cricket a few years ago now, however, this week has seen Prep 3 and Prep 7&8 learning how to bowl and bat and play small-sided games in preparation for the season ahead. P3 “I love cricket – it’s so much fun”.

The girls have also enjoyed recapping the rules of rounders and they have been playing lots of practice matches in lessons. Unfortunately, Wednesday’s matches were cancelled so instead the girls took part in a little tournament at school which the U11A team won by 3 rounders. The U9 and U10 girls are looking forward to their first rounders match next week against St Hughes and U13 will also be taking part in their first cricket match. Good luck to all the teams this season.

There have been a number of children attending Trampolining club in the last fortnight. In the coming weeks the children will start to work through level 7&8 Trampolining Award.

We welcomed Greg Davies from South Cerney Golf Club on Thursday for our golf activity. The children enjoyed the session learning how to chip and pitch into various targets. This activity is very popular and I am in discussion with Greg about offering further sessions either this term or next term.

Clay target shooting starts this week. Different targets, varying in difficulty, speed and direction are used in each session. The children have unlimited shots, they are challenged through competition and are told about the importance of safety and the handling of a gun. The instructors are members of The Association of Professional Shooting Instructors.