Co-curricular

Senior School Athletics Squad

The College is now only a fortnight away from contesting the Annual ISA Athletics Championships at Sydney Olympic Park Athletics Centre (SOPAC) and as such, I am calling upon talented athletes to come out and share their God-given gifts with the College’s athletics fraternity. 

St Patrick’s has a proud record in Athletics and continually performs well at invitation carnivals and the championships. Our success is not only dependant on individual brilliance but just as importantly, depth. This season, we find ourselves operating with a squad that is only two thirds the size of our usual squad and as such, boys are not being pushed to perform at a higher level.

I strongly encourage boys of all abilities, particularly current Year 12 students, to get involved, spend time with their mates and help our squad lead the way in ISA Athletics. Parents of boys interested in taking part are asked to send me an email as soon as possible at steven.fochesato@spc.nsw.edu.au. 

Summer Sports Trials - Clarification of Selection Process

As many would be aware, the Senior School Summer Sports Trials will commence soon. In order 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 while 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 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 to ensure that this occurs where and when it’s required.
   
• Parents/carers should also note that coaches are instructed not to consider 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 trial. The relevant coach will then decide as to whether that boy should be recommended for promotion or demotion or is not selected for a team.  In essence, selection to a team is based on what is witnessed during 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 13s age group.

It is also important to note that 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 on the 31 December of this year. Therefore, if a boy is 14 on that date, he plays in the 14s and not the 15s age group. The current practice at St Patrick’s is that a boy plays in his age group or the Firsts and ordinarily, the only exception to this is when a player weighs down in relevant sports. 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 parental approval.  

Having lived the experience for the past 25 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 “the cream always floats to the top”.

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

Senior School Winter Sports Presentation Evenings 

Parents/carers and boys are reminded that the Senior School Winter Sports Presentation Evenings will be held at the following times in Week 9: 

Attendance by all students involved with these activities is a clear expectation. Any requests for leave should be forwarded to Mr Fochesato or Mr Calavassy.

In terms of parking, the College requests that no one parks their car in Hydebrae Street (which runs at ninety degrees from Francis Street and the Senior Library) at any time. Its narrowness makes resident parking difficult and non-resident parking can present a safety risk by preventing the access of emergency vehicles. Due to the current building work taking place and lack of parking on the ‘old tennis courts’, I would encourage parents/carers and students to carpool where possible. 

Please note that the aim is to have the Presentation Evenings conclude by no later than 9:30 PM. Given that, please organise transport arrangements in accordance with this time, particularly when it comes to picking up your son/s.

Steven Fochesato 

Director of Co-curricular