Sport

Hello to all and welcome back to the 2024 school year. It has been great to see all the students return and we are busily getting prepared for sport in Term 1. I’m really excited about having our new Year 7 students get involved in our fantastic sport program! There are so many opportunities for ALL of our students. The morning notices will be full of sport information (key dates, meeting times etc.) over the coming days.

Term 1 Sport

Term 1 BAS sport forms have been sent out by the Sports team. Check your email for sign up opportunities; you just need to click on the link and fill out the form to choose your preferred sport. 

Students need to ensure that they listen to the morning messages for information about meetings for their particular sport/team. Always communicate with your coaches if you are unavailable or for general inquiries. Students can communicate with their coach via email or MS Teams. A list of coaches and managers for each team will be communicated shortly.

There are plenty of opportunities for all year levels and abilities. The Junior House Sport in particular is a great way for Year 7’s to meet new friends, get to know their teachers and participate in a sport they may never have played before.

Rowing

In January, our annual rowing camps were held for Junior, Intermediate and Senior crews. I would like to thank Tom Nash, Rebecca Gribble and David O’Doherty and all of the coaches for all their effort and organisation in what is a huge commitment. The crews have done a mountain of work and have already competed successfully in regattas in the lead up to the Head of the Lake.

Associated Catholic Colleges (ACC)

Last year was our first full season of ACC. We will have the opportunity to participate in the Championships (Athletics, Swimming & Cross Country) and tournaments and events (Badminton, Golf, Lawn Bowls, Chess, Debating, Music and Drama). We have entered a team into the Senior 35-over cricket competition – and we play De La Salle College in round one next Wednesday, starting at 11.30am. It would be great to see all as many boys as possible down at our beautiful main oval at lunch supporting the team. Thanks to Head of Cricket Mr Steve Biggin for his expert coaching and organisation.  Our first whole school competition will be the ACC Athletics that will be in Week 4.

Swimming

The SPC Swimming Carnival will be held on Wednesday, 20 March at the Eureka Pool. The Junior School carnival and will commence at 9.30am with the Middle and Senior Schools commencing at 11am. In preparation for this, the House Assemblies will be held on Tuesday, 14 February, where students will be able to sign up for events. 

We are looking forward to the opportunity to compete against the ACC Schools in the ACC Swimming Championships on 27 March at MSAC. This will be our third time attending this event and we look forward to seeing how we go against the ACC schools from Melbourne and Geelong.  

The BAS Swimming Twilight Carnival will be held on 27 March at the Ballarat Aquatic Centre. Any inquiries regarding swimming please do not hesitate to contact our Swimming Co-ordinator Louise Macquire or myself.

Athletics

The SPC Athletics Carnival will be held on 26 March here at the College. The House Assembly will be on Tuesday, 12 March. 

We are looking forward to the opportunity to compete against the ACC Schools in the ACC Athletics Championships coming up soon on 23 February. 

The BAS Athletics Carnival will be held at Llanberis on 1 May.

Athletics inquiries can be directed to our Athletics Co-ordinator John Richards or myself.

Communication

The best form of communication we have with parent/guardians is via the Parent Access Module (PAM). Students require permission to participate in all sport. Parent/guardians will receive the information through a PAM activity permission. Please ensure that you read the information prior to giving permission and that you also talk to students about the information. 

The daily messages are one of the best ways we can distribute information to students about sports that are on offer and where sign up meetings will be held. Students should check the daily messages regularly.

Once students have signed up for a sport, we will be adding them into a MS Teams group where they can communicate directly with their coach. Students must communicate with their coach if they are unavailable for a match so we can find a replacement to ensure we have a full team for each match.

If students are unsure of how to sign up for a sport or want more information, they can visit sports staff in the gymnasium. 

SPC Sport Uniform

All sport uniforms can be purchased at the College Shop. Students need to ensure they are in the correct uniform to participate. The general sport uniform is the navy blue polo top, navy shorts and white socks. Certain sports will require very specific clothing. For example, the 1st XI cricketers require SPC Whites, SPC cricket shirt and SPC cricket cap. Students should check with their coach as to what is required. Also, remember to wear sunscreen at all times.

I wish all students and coaches the best in 2024. Always play the game in the right spirit, wear the correct uniform and respect the facilities, home and away. St Patrick’s College is steeped in rich sporting tradition, and you are encouraged to add more chapters to our past endeavours. 

I would like to thank all of the staff at St Patricks that support the Sport Program, it truly is amazing the amount of sporting opportunities that we provide for our students. This is a great school with an incredible history.

Please do not hesitate to contact me (jlappin@stpats.vic.edu.au) or our Sports Administrator Mr Simon Dwyer (sdwyer@stpats.vic.edu.au) at the College with any questions.