Especean

Co-curricular

Co-Curricular - Senior School Commencement of Summer Sport 

As previously indicated, the students in Years 7 to12 will commence Summer Sport trials next week at a time that is quite fluid in relation to the current COVID-19 restrictions. As such, it is vitally important that parents/carers and boys read information disseminated via the Especean, College emails and Team App on a regular basis.

 

It is important to note that the following advice has been developed by AISNSW for NSW Independent Schools wishing to conduct intra-school and/or inter-school sporting activities, based on the Public Health (COVID-19 General) Order 2021 (NSW) (PHO) and the NSW Office of Sport’s community sport advice.

 

Parents/carers are to note that the PHO requirements for community sport also apply to school sport. In essence, all adults (aged 16 years and over) must be fully vaccinated or have a medical contraindication certificate. Unvaccinated children 15 and under may attend and participate. Furthermore, Netball Central and other outside facilities have indicated to the College that they will need to sight proof upon arrival of student’s (16 years and over) and coach’s vaccination status, ie. they are doubly vaccinated. Failure to do so will result in students and/or coaches not gaining admission to the venue. 

 

To avoid unnecessary embarrassment, Dr Lavorato will soon contact parents/carers of students wishing to participate in sporting trials and activities. In order to comply with NSW Guidelines, we will be asking parents/carers to confidentially disclose the vaccination status of their son/s if they are currently 16 years and over or turning 16 between now and the end of Term 3, 2022.  As such, either a COVID-19 digital certificate from the Australian Immunisation Register or a medical exemption (which includes either a medical contraindication certificate or a medical clearance form) is required. You may feel uncomfortable about this and this is respected however, your son/s will not be able to participate in sport until we have fulfilled our NSW Health obligations.

 

In the meantime, Mr Calavassy and relevant MIC’s will be distributing information pertaining to the expectations and requirements of each of the Summer Sports that boys have chosen to participate in. Parents/carers of boys trialling for Basketball and Baseball will note that there is a strong likelihood that sessions this side of Christmas will take place at Netball Central or Major’s Bay Reserve. 

 

Given the unique situation we find ourselves in, boys will be asked to wear only the following items to the College on days they train off-site as opposed to wearing their College Summer Uniform:

  • Supporter’s shirt, black crested shorts, white socks and sandshoes (College tracksuit in colder weather). 
  • College cap is the only one to be worn. Boys will be issued with a coloured wrist band prior to trials commencing in order to distinguish who has been granted permission to wear College sports gear to the College on specific days.

Boys will have the opportunity to change into a Basketball singlet or Baseball shirt once they board the bus for transportation to the venue. Clearly, boys making their own way home after the session will need to change back into their Supporter’s shirt if they are not being picked up by their parents/carers.

 

Parents/carers should also note that they are not permitted to attend training/trial sessions until further notice. As such, please make suitable pick-up and drop-off arrangements with your son/s.

Summer Sports Trials - Clarification of Selection Process

As indicated, the Senior School Summer Sports Trials will commence next week. To assist parents/carers and boys, particularly those new to the Senior School, I share the following procedures the College has in place around the selection of boys to specific teams. 

 

It should be noted that the aim of the College’s Sport Program is to provide our students with an opportunity to participate in meaningful sporting activities that do much to supplement the holistic educational experience St Patrick’s offers its young men. Involvement in the Sports Program enables our students to experience and strengthen their sense of camaraderie, competition, teamwork, good sportsmanship and school pride whilst also providing pathways for those seeking higher representative honours. It also enables our boys to extend their networking to include boys from other privileged schools which in time, can bring numerous and obvious benefits to them once their school days have concluded. 

 

It is important to note that these selections are for one week only and should not be seen as a definite placement for the entire season. In terms of the trial process, ordinarily:

  • Boys have the opportunity to participate in drills and play internal trial matches on at least two occasions prior to being put into various pools based on their performances to date.
     
  • At this point, trials continue whereupon, coaches are then in a better position to see how boys perform in 'a like for like' trial situation. It is often the case that some boys will then be moved from a higher graded pool to a lower graded pool and vice versa.
     
  • The reality is that it will often take up to three rounds of Saturday fixtures for coaches to be confident that they have arrived upon an accurately graded team. Notwithstanding that, the College encourages promotion and demotion based on attitude and performance throughout the season. Coaches are informed that they are to regularly liaise with other coaches from their age group in order to ensure that this occurs where and when it’s required.
     
  • Parents/carers should also note that coaches are instructed not to take into account which team/s boys played in the previous year including outside clubs. The only exception to this is for those boys who are injured at the time of trials and as such will be placed in a team one grade down from the previous year when they are fit enough to resume. The relevant coach will then make a determination as to whether or not that boy should be recommended for promotion or demotion. In essence, selection to a team is based on what is witnessed during the course of this season, thus enabling those who have worked hard on their game during the off-season and/or improved their fitness, to shine.

I would also ask parents/carers to keep in mind that boys are placed in relevant age groups and as such we have a blending of year groups. It is not uncommon for Year 7 boys who have played in the higher grades in the Junior School to now be contesting for a position with boys in Year 8 who are still in the 13’s age group.

 

Having lived the experience for the past 24 years, I would strongly urge parents/carers and boys to be patient with the process given the time constraints that school sport encounters. Boys will be graded correctly according to the consensus of all coaches in each age group and ultimately 'the cream always floats to the top'.

 

The College expects every student to play in their correct age group. The correct age grouping is often determined by the association running a competition. For example, boys playing Basketball in the ISA competition are advised that their age group is determined by how old they are on 31 December of this year. Therefore, if a boy is 14 on that date, he plays in the 14’s and not the 15’s age group. The current practice at St Patrick’s College is that a boy plays in his age group or the First’s and ordinarily, the only exception to this is when a player weighs down in Rugby. On rare occasions, boys may be invited to play up an age group if we are short of numbers, but not before the College receives approval from parents/carers. 

 

Please feel free to contact either Mr Calavassy, Mr Locke, Mr Dunne or me by email or phone if you have any queries. Please note that boys taking part in Cricket, Basketball, Swimming or Baseball will soon be issued letters outlining relevant expectations. 

Co-curricular Uniform – Travelling on Public Transport

As of February 2016, boys have been permitted to wear the following College attire whilst making their way home on Public Transport at the conclusion of an afternoon’s training session:

  • full Summer or Winter College Uniform depending on the season as per current expectation or
  • the College Supporter’s shirt, College Crested Black shorts, white socks and runners/sandshoes. The College Tracksuit is optional yet highly recommended to be worn during the winter season.

You are to note that the College is being quite specific and as such, no boy should be wearing House t-shirts, Rugby socks, Football boots, etc., on public transport. These expectations are also in place for boys travelling to school for an early morning Co-curricular training session. 

 

Failure to adhere to these conditions will result in the following consequences:

  • First offence – College detention and the above-mentioned privilege will be taken from you for a period of two weeks.
  • Second offence – College detention and the above-mentioned privilege will be taken from you for a period of six months.

Training off site – Protocol

Given the large number of Summer and Winter Sports teams currently representing the College, certain teams have been allocated training sessions at nearby Hudson and Airey Parks along with the Marie Bashir School Playing Field/Basketball Court on Albert Road. In order to ensure boys make their way to and from the grounds safely, they are instructed to meet with their coaches at 3:25 PM so that they are supervised along the journey. 

 

Ordinarily boys making the return trip to school will leave their school bag at the College for the duration of the training session. I would ask you to remind boys that they should take their valuables, such as wallets and phones with them or leave them in their secured lockers (once the current restrictions in relation to the bays have ceased). Clearly, boys being picked up at these grounds will need to take their school bags with them.

 

Parents/carers wishing to pick up their son/s from outside venues may do so once they have reported to the relevant Coach at 4:50 PM, at which point teams will commence their return trip to the College. Please note that under no circumstance will a boy be permitted to remain at the training venue in order to wait for his parent/s or carer/s. Furthermore, students are not permitted to drive to and from these venues on training days. 

 

In some instances, parents/carers may wish for their sons to be left at the venue to attend their outside training commitments. In order for that to occur, parents/carers will need to inform the relevant MIC and Coach prior to the training session of whom will be at the venue to assume the supervisory responsibility for their son/s from 4:50 PM onwards.

 

The College’s duty of care ceases at either 4:50 PM when the boys are handed over to the parent and/or approved adult or when the boys return to the College Campus at approximately 5:00 PM.

 

Steve Fochesato 

Director of Co-curricular