Year 5/6 Sport Gala Day

Over the past two Friday’s, the senior students of St John Vianney’s competed in a range of sports against other schools in the district. These sports included volleyball, tennis, softball and cricket. Leading up to the exciting day, all students were vigilant with their training and always tried their best! Their hard work definitely paid off. The teachers were amazed and so proud of the improvement and dedication the students displayed on the Gala Day. Moreover, the students are to be congratulated on their efforts, behaviour and sportsmanship. Read on to hear more about each individual sport.

Volleyball

The Volleyball team consisted of 3 teams - one girls team (G6) and two mixed teams (M6 & M8). Mulgrave Primary School was bustling with activity and many teams played back to back games. The children followed the intense timetable in a mature manner and played to the best of their ability. They are to be commended on displaying sportsmanship-like qualities throughout the games.

At the end of the second day, the organiser held a meeting to discuss which schools had made it to the finals. We congratulate the girls (G6) team and mixed team (M6) for making it through. G6 played two sets with Mulgrave Primary and showed perseverance throughout. Mulgrave Primary won both sets and ultimately the game. Congratulations to them! Our girls missed out by two points in the second set but we are so proud of them for their enthusiasm. Such a close score girls!

Our M6 team played St Leonard's and it was an intense game. Both teams displayed grit and heart and won a set each. All scores were counted and SJV scored the most points overall so they were declared the winners of the finals. Congratulations for always remaining focused! We couldn’t be more proud.

We can't forget the other mixed team (M8) who started off training sessions with trepidation but soon gained confidence in their abilities. They never gave up and improved immensely with their serves and sets. Their encouragement of one another cannot go unnoticed.

Congratulations to the Volleyball teams! We had so much fun. Now we await the Winter sports next term which we're sure will be equally as exciting.

Both teams were super excited to have made it to finals and we had lots of fun! The other schools showed very good sportsmanship. - Winnyta

Tennis

The two SJV ‘Hot Shots’ teams were a group of very enthusiastic tennis legends. In the weeks leading up to the Gala Sports days all students had worked incredibly hard during our training sessions and were incredibly supportive of each other. Hot Shots tennis is modified to suit playing on a half court and therefore the students had to familiarize themselves with different rules such as serving underarm and using a smaller racquet.

The first of the Gala days at Mulgrave Primary School went very quickly. Each game lasts for approximately 6 minutes and the students score their own games. The first rounds are singles, then the students play doubles then reverse singles to finish. It is incredibly fast paced and our students showed great sportsmanship and professionalism in the way that they played the game.

The second of the Gala Days was last Friday and it was a cool and overcast morning for tennis. We arrived in plenty of time to find which courts we were playing on and have a quick snack.

Once again the students showed great comradery and tried their best in all of the games they played. While we were unlucky to not have made it through to the finals we had a few wins along the way and I was so proud of their efforts and the way in which they represented our school.

Tennis was really fun because we got to compete against other schools and got to socialise with them. - Isabelle

Cricket

The St John Vianney’s cricket team consisted of 22 students that were divided into two teams, the A and B team. Both teams trained tirelessly, preparing for the Gala Day. It was finally the day the students had been waiting for. There was a buzz of excitement as we entered the bus to head over to Freeway Reserve.

When we arrived, the students had a quick snack and one last practice before their first game. Unfortunately, the first day was not as successful as we’d hoped with only one win for the A team. Despite this, the students continued to display determination and even better sportsmanship, sharing advice and words of encouragement.

Soon it was the second day, and both teams wanted a taste of victory. Before departing school, we had a quick briefing to discuss strategies and feedback. We arrived feeling more confident than ever. It was an intense day as both teams played back to back games with only one break during lunch time. Both teams were filled with excitement and a sense of pride as they both won convincingly in Round 1 and 2. Unfortunately, both teams lost to St Justin’s in Round 3. Soon it was the finals. Team A were playing for 3rd place and Team B were playing for 5th. Both games were incredibly close with Team A losing by 2 runs and Team A winning by 6.

Both teams deserve a big congratulations for their efforts and performance. It was astounding to observe students step up and lead the side.

Both A and B team did an awesome job at cricket. I enjoyed the second day because we did much better. - Aiden

Softball

The St John Vianney’s softball teams (mixed and girls) had a fantastic experience participating in the Summer Sports Gala days at Mulgrave Primary School. The two days were jam packed with games which enabled all students to put into practice many of the skills they had been developing during PE lessons and dedicated sports training sessions throughout Term 1. The ‘Fully Loaded’ game format saw runners begin on each base at the beginning of each innings which allowed teams to score more home runs and involve more players at any given moment of a game.

The mixed team enjoyed the entire experience and managed to win one out of their 7 games. They rose to the occasion and played possibly their best game against a very strong St Leonard’s team and only went down by a single home run (13-14) in the end. They played St Justin’s in the 5th v 6th playoff game and displayed plenty of determination and played a great game. The team displayed excellent sportsmanship throughout the event and showed some fantastic catching skills and brilliant hitting across all of their games.

The girls team had a lot of fun during the Gala days and participated in 6 games across the two days. They managed to win a game against Mulgrave Primary School and scored a number of home runs in most of their games. Their game sense (where to throw the ball and when to throw it to get the base runners out) and their understanding of fielding positions improved with each game that they played. They faced off against Mulgrave Primary School in the 5th v 6th playoff game and performed admirably and put in their best effort. The team displayed fantastic sportsmanship during each game and showed some excellent hitting skills in all of their games.

A big congratulations to all of the students who participated in both softball teams for the effort, perseverance and determination they displayed throughout all of the games across the two days of the Summer Sports Gala event.

Everyone did a fantastic job and tried their hardest. Well done to both teams who made it to finals. - Hayden

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