Co-curricular - Junior Sport
Last week I was sitting in a Year 6 Pastoral Care Period (PCP) run by Mr Shore of 6 Gold. The session was on masculinity. The boys were asked to define a ‘good man’ and a’ real man’. Not surprisingly, and consistent with current research, the boys had two different interpretations of the two. The ‘good man’ was kind, generous, caring etc., while the ‘real man’ was strong, dominate, a leader and so on. Sitting in the Robson Auditorium listening to the array of questions, answers and discussion that began to develop the boys’ understanding, my thoughts went to sport and how we discuss and treat injuries, particularly in contact sports.
We often take the stereotypical view of the ‘real man’ when we talk about sports injuries. Most of the time boys are told, tell each other or themselves that “she’ll be right’ or toughen up, shake it off or play through it. Boys are seen as being soft or weaker if they show they are injured or hurt. None of these attitudes, as was discovered in the PCP session, are helpful or do anything positive, especially where injuries are concerned. What is needed is a cultural change, where boys/men are empowered to talk about their injuries and encouraged to get the appropriate treatment to prevent further injury and allow time for healing to be complete.
One area of injury that requires a swift change in attitude is concussion. All too often, a head knock is laughed off, brushed off or missed altogether. Only after the symptoms are in full swing do we realise that something is amiss. We need to understand that a concussion is a brain injury and one that needs appropriate treatment and time to heal. You would not take a cast off your broken arm two weeks into treatment because it felt better. However, there is often pressure and a desire to come back from a concussion as quickly as possible. This may have something to do with the fact that once the symptoms have subsided, it is very difficult to see the injury. Coming back too quickly from concussion makes the brain susceptible to further injury and more severe consequences may be experienced.
As awareness of concussion increases, it is important to stay informed. Especially if you or your son(s) are involved in contact sports (the most likely place for concussions to occur, but not limited to these sports). If your son is suspected of having a concussion, the College’s policy states that they should not return to school for 48 hours and should not present with any symptoms. Once back to school, there is a graduated return to a sport plan that must be followed. The process takes a minimum of 19 days to complete.
Regarding injuries, a reminder that boys should only be wearing the supporters’ uniform if they are injured, if a cast or brace prevents the College uniform from being worn or if the injury prevents the ability to put the uniform on, such as a hand injury. Otherwise, boys are expected to wear the College uniform. A note should be supplied to the Junior School Coordinator of Co-curricular and the Director of the Junior School if boys are required to be out of College uniform.
As stated in previous articles, the boys playing winter sport are currently continuing their trial period over the first three rounds of the season. Over the next week, there may be changes to team line-ups in Football and Rugby. This is to get the balance of teams correct and is based on their performance during games and at training.
We have had a great start to the winter season with many teams securing a win in the first two rounds. Traditionally, we celebrate our victories with a rendition of the College war cry however COVID-19 restricted this. Fortunately, we are now able to get back to this tradition. I would encourage all the boys in the Junior School to learn the College war cry and prepare for their next victory. The College War Cry can be found on page 19 of the diary.
Good luck to all teams playing in round three this weekend.
John Locke
Junior School Coordinator of Co-curricular