Principal Message

Be Kind, Be safe, Be respectful, Be responsible, Be resilient, Be ready

Dear Parents and Carers,

The children at Our Lady Star of the Sea are given many opportunities to participate in a variety of sports. The most important skill we teach the children is to be a great sport, try their best, and be open to feedback.

Have you ever been on the sideline of a game of football as a spectator or supporter and been embarrassed by the behaviour of other spectators- supporters? Not a good experience, is it?

Good sportsmanship is the responsibility, not only of the players and their coaches, but also of those who come to watch and support, mainly parents. Players should be encouraged to engage in friendly rivalry marked by fair play. The game should offer the opportunity for positive learning experiences that are associated with the values of dignity, equality, fairness, and respect.

Obnoxious sideline behaviour should never be part of a sporting encounter, and respect for the judgments of the officials and referees should be on display the whole time. Parental support at all times must be sensitive to the physical and emotional well-being of the players. The following set of ‘principles’ belongs to a well-known sport; however, to focus on the ‘principles’ and allow the simplicity of the message to come through, the sport’s name has been changed to “Flatstick”.

“In Flatstick, we play in a given position and strive through self-discipline to be the best we can. We learn that peace develops from within our own heart and mind, and there is nothing to be gained when we envy the position or talent of others. In Flatstick, we improve our mind-body coordination and learn to have better self-control both on and off the field.

In Flatstick, we use teamwork nd we learn to value each player. This teaches us to have sincerity, care, and respect in all relationships. We learn commitment and to be persons of integrity in our team, family, and community. In Flatstick, when we play well as a team, there is harmony and great excitement. We challenge other people to share the joy and join us to play “Flatstick”.

It is certainly no ‘Bill of Rights’, but it does contain sound principles for playing sport. We should encourage our children to take to the field to play with other children. If the other team is better than our team, we should congratulate them for being so; and if our team comes out on top, we should thank the other team for bringing out the best in us. And don’t forget, good sportsmanship starts on the sideline.

Keep smiling

Cathy