In my position as Year 10 Representative, it has been my goal to encourage as many girls as possible to participate and have fun in sports events and cocurricular activities throughout the College.

As school sports return for Trimester 3, I have had the opportunity to talk to Poppi Wilson (Year 10) regarding her experiences in sport through Mt A.

In your time at the College, in which sports have you participated?

I have participated in the following sports: Touch Football, Volleyball, AFL, Cross Country, and Athletics.

Why did you sign up for these sports? What was the most enjoyable part of participating?

I signed up for these sports due to many reasons. For example, I signed up for Touch Football because of my prior involvement in the game at a club, while I signed up for AFL after playing it in HPE class at Mt A. Furthermore, I signed up for Cross Country due to my love for running.

The most enjoyable parts of these sports are the skills gained and friends made. In Touch Football, teamwork skills and overall fitness are improved. Cross Country has a very warm environment and is very welcoming to all new girls wanting to try out no matter what skills you have. It is a great sport to participate in as it allows you to get to know new people. Athletics is a great sport for all girls to play as it has a very wide range of activities in which to participate. Athletics has something for everyone, and everyone can succeed. It has a fun environment.

What is the sporting atmosphere at Mount Alvernia College like?

Most commonly sporting environments at all girls’ schools can be very professional and not welcoming; however, at Mount Alvernia that is not the case. The emphasis is not only on being successful, but having fun and enjoying yourself along the way. There is a strong focus on girls supporting girls and lifting up each other, inspiring each other to go out and try something new, and working hard together as a team to achieve success. When you think of success you automatically go to winning, but that is not only what success means at Mount Alvernia. It means improving, not only as a team but yourself as well, whether it’s learning a new skill in soccer, defending that player that little bit better, or kicking a few extra goals in AFL. Maybe it’s encouraging your teammates more but, whatever it is, you know that your team and your coaches are there to help and support you.

Would you recommend participating in extracurricular sports to the students at Mount Alvernia and why?

Participating in sport at Mount Alvernia is one of the best things you can do to improve your physical and mental health. It is so important to stay active, and participating in a school team sport enables you to do that with others and make new friends. I have heard many stories of girls trying out new sports at school and finding a new love for them. These girls then go on to play in their senior years at Mt A, and even play after they leave the College. These girls have also made lifelong friends through the sport that they never would have made if they didn’t try it out.

As seen in the responses by Poppi, girls at the College enjoy not only the sports but the supportive atmosphere and friendships created through sporting activities. This is exactly my aim at the College, and I hope many more students will sign up for sports activities this semester.

Ella Shackel