Co-curricular - Junior Sport Stage 3
Week 2 - Term 1
There is nothing quite like the beginning of a new school year to help you get back into the groove of school life. There has already been so much on and there is more to come. I hope that everyone is finding their feet and getting into the rhythm of College life.
The Primary Sport trials have now concluded, and boys should now know if they have made a team for the Summer. The Summer season runs over Term 1 and Term 4, so all boys are expected to fulfill their commitments to their teams over these two terms of play. If boys are unsure of their selection, lists are available outside my office for the boys to check.
It is now time for boys to start purchasing uniforms and equipment for their sports. The uniform shop has all the information on co-curricular uniforms, and I have provided a basic guide below:
| Sport | Uniform |
|---|---|
| Cricket | White SPC polo, long white pants, black bucket hat or cap. |
| Basketball | White basketball socks, basketball shorts. The playing singlet is provided by the College on a hire basis. Parents/carers will see the small hire fee in their school fees. |
| Tennis | Black SPC sport shorts, white SPC polo, white SPC socks, black bucket hat or cap. |
| Touch Football | Black SPC sport shorts, white SPC socks. The playing singlet is provided by the College on a hire basis. Parents/carers will see the small hire fee in their school fees. |
| Softball | Black SPC sport shorts, white SPC polo, long white socks, black SPC bucket hat or cap. In addition, softballers will need some safety equipment of their own. This includes shin pads, a mouth guard and a groin protector. These items are not available at the College Uniform Shop. |
All boys need to have purchased their uniforms prior to the first game on Saturday 15 February.
Summer sport trials can be a challenging time for all our boys, especially for those that miss out on a team. Unfortunately, we just don’t have the opportunity in Summer sports to provide everyone with a team. If we did, there would be no opposition for many of our teams to play, as most of the schools we play against don’t have the equivalent number of students that St Patrick’s College does. For boys that missed out on a team and still desire to be involved in Saturday co-curricular activities, there is an opportunity to join the Summer Sport Skills Program. This program runs on a Saturday morning during the Summer season on the Scientia Basketball courts. Sessions run for 1.5 hours and are based on developing movement and sport skills using non-traditional sports to engage the boys. A sign-up sheet will be available outside my office for boys to place their names. Usually, we have enough interested students to run two sessions each Saturday morning, the first starting at 7:30 AM and the second at 9:00 AM. Sessions are split by year groups. Boys signing up are expected to attend all of their allocated sessions.
The Summer season commences with Round 1 on Saturday 15 February. Training will start on the Monday of the week leading into the first game. As a rule, all primary sport teams train on Monday afternoon from 3:10 PM to 4:45 PM and a second session on either Wednesday, Thursday or Friday afternoons. Sessions are scheduled on coach and facility availability. I hope to have the training schedule out later this week.
Thursday 17 February will see the Junior School participate in the Annual House Cross Country Carnival. This is a compulsory event for all boys, and they are expected to walk, jog or run the race for their age group. The carnival takes place on Breen Oval and the College grounds and runs for the first two periods of the day. After the carnival, all boys are expected in class for the remainder of the day. Boys turning 10 this year will run 2km, while those turning 11 or 12 will run 3km. Parents and carers are welcome to come and spectate and are asked to sit on the benches along the Fraser Street side of the oval. It is important that boys and parents/carers remain separated for the duration of the carnival. There is a permission note in the TASS Parent Lounge for families to complete for the carnival. All boys must have completed the form prior to participating.
The carnival also serves as our major fundraising effort for Lent. Boys will be given sponsorship cards and are asked to raise money for those less fortunate than us. The Junior School has a very proud history when it comes to fundraising.
I look forward to an exciting year of sport ahead, filled with strong performances, exciting finishes and SPC coming out on top.
John Locke
Head of Co-Curricular Stage 3