From the Principal

Celebrating success

When I lived in Brisbane, I had a GABBA (sporting ground) membership which enabled me to watch all cricket and AFL matches. Family and work commitments sometimes precluded my attendance, but I always enjoyed the opportunity to watch high level sport. Unfortunately, the Brisbane Lions’ team at that time was struggling so crowds were low in number and low in enthusiasm. Now that the side is performing well, the situation is very different.

We all love a winner. At our College, it has been great to watch our athletes and coaches celebrate recent sporting successes. Our Associated and Catholic Colleges Cross-Country team recently won the ACC carnival for the first time since 1993. Given, there are 76 schools in the competition, it is a very meritorious performance. Earlier this year, our ACC swim team won the A division carnival for the first time since 1992. Congratulations to all our cross-country runners and swimmers and to our coaches associated with the teams. The enthusiasm of our Head of Sport, Ms Sara Kononen, and other coaches, both past and present, is infectious.

Good sporting teams often mention the importance of adhering to processes rather than worrying about the result. The argument is that if ‘athletes play their role’ and adhere to team plays, the results will look after themselves. Practising regularly and training hard are important requisites for sporting success and are equally applicable to academic and cultural pursuits. 

Success often does not come quickly. In December 2020, it was reported that the Queen’s Gambit, had been viewed by 62 million people. The producer, Allan Scott, indicated that it took 30 years, with nine rewrites, and every studio he showed it to said that no one would be interested in chess.

There is something to be said about perseverance. Best wishes to all our students as they work diligently at all their College activities. We aspire to a love of learning and a keen engagement in school activities. The occasional victory is nice to celebrate and acknowledge as well!

Robert Henderson

Principal