Student Achievement
2022 Senior Students' Sporting Success
A number of our year 11 students have enjoyed success in their chosen sports this year. These students are:
Noah Ryan - Recently joined A-League club Western United, but has spent most of this season playing for Melbourne City.
Jalal Abou-Eid and Moudy Taha - Participating in the The Bachar Houli Academy, which is a high-performance football talent program for emerging junior male players aged between twelve to eighteen who come from an Islamic background. Both students were selected to represent the Academy in a match on the MCG the day after the grand final.
Moudy has also been consistently playing for under 18 NAB League side Calder Cannons where he won best first year player for 2022, was selected and played for the Vic U17’s squad and trained with the U18’s Vic Metro squad, was selected in the AFL U17’s squad which represents the best 48 players around Australia and played on the MCG on grand final day. This complements his role in the James Hird Academy where he trains once a week at the Essendon football club.
Moudy playing for Vic Metro under 17’s
Hady Hegazy - Nominated as one of the best under 21 players as a 16 year old in the highly competitive Victorian Turf Cricket Association. A recent Herald-Sun article had this to say: ‘Hady played every game for the first XI for his side (St Andrews Pascoe Vale) as well playing a key role in an under 16 premiership.’ It should also be noted that Hady was the leading run scorer across the whole league in under 16s. Hady has also received a lot of attention from premier cricket clubs around Victoria, including Essendon and Greenvale, and was invited and had the chance to train with the famous Melbourne Cricket Club.
Here are some of their thoughts about the opportunities they have had this year:
How has playing sport at a high level, impacted (in positive ways) on your health & wellbeing?
Jalal: Playing footy outside of school has helped my health and wellbeing as it lowers my stress doing something I love. Being surrounded by other great players of both the current and old generation gives me the opportunity to improve my physical health as we keep our training to a high standard.
Hady: Having the chance to be exposed to some of the highest levels of cricket at my age and not just play and compete in these competitions ,but also meet many different people from all different backgrounds hasn’t just made me a better cricketer and better physically, but it has also motivated me to become a healthier person mentally and a better person socially. .
Noah: Playing soccer at a high level has provided another means of education and enjoyment throughout my life. Focusing on soccer outside of school has allowed me to improve my concentration and lower my stress levels by allowing my brain to concentrate on a different task. The physical exercise which I carry out while playing soccer produces fitness and discipline and allows me to align my physical health with my mental and thus improve my wellbeing and overall health.
Moudy: Being exposed to high level football, facilities and meeting people from all professions and walks of life has given me greater confidence and motivation to become a better person, both physically and mentally.
Who have been your role models and key support people in playing sport at a high level?
Jalal: My parents from day 1 have always been supportive and helpful in a variety of ways whether it's feeding me the right food, taking me to and from training or even a few motivating words. The Bachar Houli foundation also do an immense amount of work to help support us young muslim footballers as they provide us with everything we need to get the best out of ourselves in not only football but also every aspect of life.
Hady: My parents have been my key role models growing up, not just in my sport and my cricket, but overall in life. They have been very supportive in my quest to make it to the highest level of cricket. I have also had many coaches and professional cricket players coaching me taken me under their wing and led me to become not just the best cricketer I can be but also a better person. My siblings have also been very supportive of me in whatever I am doing.
Noah: My parents have been the key support people in playing soccer as they have dedicated themselves consistently to support me financially, emotionally and physically. My key role model has and still is the Islamic Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him) due to his dedication in providing education, moral excellence in correcting the ways of the people to treat and respect others and continuous perseverance to fulfill his purpose and wishes.
Moudy: My role models vary from a variety of sports. Ranging from junior coaches to teammates as well as professional footballers and elite sportspeople in various fields. I have a close knit support of people from local footy, mentors, my parents and siblings as well.
What important values has playing team sport taught you?
Jalal: Discipline and keeping humble are two big values I learnt from sport. Many kids are competing for the same spot and so staying disciplined and sticking to your training is key to staying at the top level. Being surrounded by other players at the top level keeps me humble as you learn there is always a new goal to achieve whether its making a certain squad or winning certain medals.
Hady: Camaraderie, friendship, dedication, and humbleness. What I have learnt from playing high level cricket and doing whatever I can in my power to achieve my goals is that I can translate these values into my everyday life to become the best version of myself.
Noah: Perseverance & dedication: The necessity to work very hard in life in order to achieve your goals. Compassion: understanding of those around you and willing to help others. Kindness: Use of positive and constructive language and acts to help others and all achieve a shared goal. Collaboration: The willingness to work together and put aside personal interests to maximise the potential and efficiency of the team
Moudy: Humility, hard work, dedication and not to take anything for granted. You get what you put in, you are treated the way you treat people. Now being the older cohort in the teams, the values of hard work and leadership are very important to me.
What are your goals for the future?
Jalal: My goals are to become the best version of myself both on and off the field and to keep taking larger and larger steps to potentially get drafted to an AFL club and possibly line up against “The Moud” in an AFL match one day In Shaa Allah.
Hady: My main goals are to play for a premiership club, and make the Vic State Team, and development programs, with the overall goal being to play for Australia and become a very successful batsmen at the highest level.
Noah: To become the world’s best soccer player for a consistent time period, Start a happy and healthy family, Spread kindness and good morals, and give back to a community which enabled my education and personal achievements.
Moudy: My larger goals for 2023 is to become captain for the Calder Cannons, get selected for the Victoria U18’s squad with the hope of being drafted in the AFL November 2023 draft. Improving my strength and endurance are critical this year.