Sport Update  

AGSV 

 Kieran Turner, Year 9, University Campus 

In Term 1, the Boys and Girls Swimming teams took part in the AGSV Swimming competition between all the AGSV schools. It was a night of much joy and celebration as the Girls' Team stormed to back-to-back AGSV Premierships by ten points, and the Boys lost to Camberwell by 14 points to finish second. It was truly a night to remember. 

Arriving there at about 4pm, we took part in group dryland and warm up. After this we settled down into the stands to wait for the beginning of the competition and after the opening speech by AGSV dignitaries the competition began.  

The competition was an almighty success. There were standout performances from Eli Billman who won all his races and smashed the under 16s 50 butterfly record, Ciara Jeffs who won 4 races and broke 2 AGSV records. Shoutouts to Zoe Mcaulley, Cambell Mills and Emmerson Hoggan who also all broke AGSV Records on the night. 

The Ivy Army was in strong voice upon arriving at the pool and settling into the stands, providing an encouraging atmosphere for our Swimmers to compete with. Every time Ivanhoe either won or placed in a race, there was an uproar from our end of the stands.  

But what was most important was the final results. The boys showed a lot of improvement gaining a place in the standings compared to last year, beating Trinity and only losing out to a strong Camberwell side. In the Girls' competition Ivanhoe remained on top all night to storm home with a comfortable 10-point advantage over Penleigh and Essendon, winning back-to-back Premierships and solidifying Ivanhoe as a very strong contender with 4 premierships in 3 years. 

AGSV Swimming was a massive success yet again and the team all enjoyed it immensely.  

Spencer Qian & Alan Zhang, Year 9, University Campus

In the recent AGSV representative games, AGSV played with effort and great teamwork among the teams from different schools. Alan Zhang from the Table Tennis team says that AGSV tried their best, though they eventually suffered a loss to APS. The games were intense, and his doubles game was played very well, he played a close game, with the first set ending in 14 – 12, and the final score being 3 – 0. Another AGSV representative says that the team played very well and could secure a win next time as everyone had a positive attitude and demonstrated great sportsmanship in spite of the loss.  

Vanessa Chien, one of the representatives for the AGSV Girls’ Volleyball, described the game as ‘a great opportunity to showcase leadership skills, as well as collaborating with individuals from different schools.’ 

Overall, Ivanhoe has shown athletes with great potential, sportsmanship and talent. Whilst the result wasn’t what they hoped for, they still gave us a look at the determination and skill that Ivanhoe Grammar School students display. We should be proud of the representatives who played and will come back stronger for the next challenge. 

School Sport Reflections

 Spencer Qian, Alan Zhang & Ari Norwood, Year 9, University Campus

The Badminton program at University Campus is a fun and interesting opportunity to develop a wide range of skills, as well as gaining qualities such as leadership, teamwork and hard work. In Badminton, there are several challenging aspects, including the rigorous warm-up routine that is undertaken at the start of training sessions, along with a series of footwork and agility exercises.  

Through these fun activities, we are able to improve our skills bit by bit and apply them in our playing. Personally, we believe that badminton training is very enjoyable, as we practise new skills and techniques weekly, which further develop our understanding of the sport and the skills involved in it. For example, we have practised punishing a bad serve in order to rule out technique flaws, as well as clearing the shuttle over an opponent. As one of the Year 9 Badminton A-team players, Spencer states, 'Badminton is a really fun sport, as it requires us to put in a lot of effort and collaborate as a team, especially in doubles, where you and your partner need to communicate to win (not that I’ve ever won a doubles match).'

Every Saturday, the Year 9 Ivanhoe Badminton teams meet at the Unique Badminton Centre in Mount Waverley, Melbourne. As we arrive, we quickly begin our warm-up by doing quick forehand and backhand rallies. As you enter the courts, you can immediately feel the energy and passion of the players. Once the coaches call us over, we focus on the game plan and listen carefully to what we need to improve, such as our serves, backhand action and forehand action. Overall, badminton has been an exceptional experience. From personal experience, we feel privileged to have the opportunity to train alongside our coaches and take on board personal feedback to improve the quality of our sporting skills, while also learning resilience, collaboration and confidence. 

 Ziggy Read, Year 10, Ridgeway Campus

Although this was my first time playing Badminton in a professional environment, I was soon immersed into the entertaining sport entirely. While nervous at first, I have warmed up to the sport greatly because of its fun gameplay and attentive coaches and I have come to look forward to the Monday training sessions, instead of dreading them. So far, our team has come up against tough opponents, with everyone losing in the first few matches, our growth has been evident as we are now winning more games than ever!  

Rafe Roberts, Year 10, Ridgeway Campus

As the first half of the winter sport season draws to a close, I would like to outline the Badminton program at Ivanhoe Grammar School. Badminton is a winter sport available for all students between Years 7-12 and facilitated by expert Badminton coaches. Badminton trains weekly on Mondays in the sports centre, and the coaches’ sessions specifically focus on developing our racquet technique as well as footwork. Every Saturday, teams play at the Melbourne Badminton Centre in Blackburn. 

Overall, participating in Badminton as my Winter Sport this year has been a thoroughly enjoyable experience as the coaches’ make the weekly sessions both an entertaining and enriching experience. 

Darcy Foxwell, Year 11, Ridgeway Campus

Joining Firsts Hockey as someone who had never played a game in their life prior to their first match, has proved equally difficult as it has enjoyable. Under the guidance of my friends already participating in the team, I have learnt things about teamwork as well as the various types of athleticism involved in different sports. The team has been irrevocably welcoming to both me and the other newcomers, offering extensive assistance in developing both skills and knowledge of the game. Especially needed when considering my background playing volleyball, a sport where every tactical aspect is severely contrasted and endurance-based skills are of less importance than things like agility, reflexes, and explosive power. Our season so far has been precarious, with a few draws and a few losses but the team's drive remains no matter how the game is going, and collaborative effort on the field is nothing short of exceptional! 

Abi Homewood and Sibina Sibinovska, Year 9, University Campus 

Over these past few weeks, Ivanhoe Grammar School has transitioned from summer to winter sports, which means netball has finally come into season. The year 9 Netball B team had an amazing win against Assumption and showed their camaraderie throughout the game. Students were bussed out to Assumption and had a great match, resulting in a 38-4 win! The energy was really high on the way home with ‘We are the Champions’ getting blasted throughout. The year 9C team also had a great game and travelled all the way out to Geelong. The team did their best and although they did not win, they still had lots of fun playing together and trying their best. Here’s to a great rest of the season! 

 Kieran Turner, Year 9, University Campus

Even in Year 9, the soccer program is the biggest sport and is a great experience at the University Campus. From training on the Latrobe University pitches, to games all around Melbourne with the team, I have enjoyed it immensely. So far, my team is undefeated with 3 wins and a draw, and we hope to remain winning throughout the season. I have enjoyed playing soccer for the school and feel immense pride in representing it. Thank you to all the coaches and teachers who take up their time to come and coach or supervise us in training and games.