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LGGSSPORT JANUARY 2022

SPORTS’ PROFILE RACHEL MOKETE

_____________________________

PE KIT … THE FUTURE AN UPDATE AND YOUR VIEWS _____________________________

TECHNO GYM New to LGGS

WELCOME TO LGGSSPORT Welcome back and a huge thank you for your interest in our sports newsletter. We had seen a pause in our normal full sports newsletter,

CONTENTS

whilst we dealt with the pandemic and everything that it had to throw at us, so we are more than buzzing to be back. This autumn term was a whirlwind - plans made, plans cancelled, opportunities organised, then re-arranged; I therefore wanted to take this chance to thank you for your support and patience. During the second half-term we managed to re-start fixtures in netball and football against local schools from the Lancaster, Morecambe and Heysham districts as well as the Lancashire Schools’ tournaments. The number of new LGGS pupils in Years 7, 8 and 12, combined with longstanding LGGS’ers, that have represented the school for the first time has been phenomenal. We have been delighted in the way that they have all waved the LGGS flag at these different fixtures. We had our fixture meeting during the first week of 2022 and we have organised further fixtures in netball, hockey and football, taking us up to the Easter holiday. During PE lessons we have completed schemes of work in hockey and gymnastics in Year 7 and hockey and dance in Year 8. All groups have celebrated their progress and demonstrated their knowledge in final performances both indoors and outdoors. They will have completed an evaluation task as well as received a final teacher grade for the ability they demonstrated throughout the course of the last term. Students have also, and most importantly, been provided with an attitude to learning grade. In January both year groups will be taking part in football, championing mind-set topics.

In Year 9 we have come to the end of our tag-rugby and champion mind-set/yoga opportunities. We are moving on to indoor Dance, with a theme around the musical ‘Jamie’, we are also playing football outdoors. Year 10 groups have started their Sports Leadership sessions; leading their peers, in pairs or groups of three, in a chosen sport. Students get peer and teacher feedback after each of these sessions. We have had some extremely creative sessions so far and the participants are being won round by chocolate or sweet bribery, I wish I could use that tactic! In Year 11, with the assessments and mocks on the horizon, lessons are focused around building mental health and managing pressure. Many students have enjoyed the outside team, games-based lessons, the use of the Technogym for a self-designed personalised training session and also problem solving. This newsletter includes further insight into the PE curriculum design and, as always, highlights the celebrations of individuals. It also contains helpful LGGS sports specific articles. I really hope that you enjoy our latest edition and shall look forward to telling you more in our Easter sports’ newsletter. I hope you and your families had a relaxing Christmas break. Best wishes for 2022.

Miss L Sharples Head of PE

SPRING TERM Welcome

Who is Who

Sports Attendance p3

Awards

Reindeer Rush

Techno Gym

Sports’ Kit

Sports Curriculum p8 Cross Country

Fixture List

Profile

p10

Spike-Ball

p11

Periods & Sport

p12

Self-defence

p13

Tokyo

p14

Individual Sports

p15

WHO IS WHO SPORTS STAFF Head of Department Second in Department PE Teacher PE Teacher Deputy Headteacher PE Technician

Miss L Sharples Mrs L Russell Miss A Broadfield Mrs R Marrin Miss S Bellin Miss E Coates

SIXTH FORM SPORTS LEADERSHIP TEAM 2021-2022 Sports Captain Deputy Sports Captain Year 7 Ambassador Assistant to the Deputy Sports Captain Year 7 Ambassador Deputy Sports Captain for Increasing Participation (KS3) Assistant to the Deputy Sports Captain for Increasing Participation (KS4) Assistant to the Deputy Sports Captain for Increasing Participation (KS5) Deputy Sports Captain for Student Wellbeing

Emma Gibb Olivia Bowker Katy Smith Ella Lewis Natasha Luthra Nikita Gadani Ellie Chappell

SPORTS CLUBS - JAN 2022 LUNCH

MONDAY

Dodgeball: Year 8 - Week A Dodgeball: Year 9 - Week B

AFTER

SCHOOL

Swimming (Pre-booked)

Dance: Year 8 Hockey: Years 9, 10, 11 and Sixth Form

TUESDAY

Dance Club / Year 10 & Year 11 Netball: Years 7 & 8

WEDNESDAY

Gymnastics: Year 8 - Week A Gymnastics: Year 7 - Week B Dance Skills & Conditioning: Years 9

Benchball

Activ8 Self-defence (Pre-booked)

Hockey: Year 7 & Year 8

THURSDAY FRIDAY

Dance: Year 7 Netball: Years 9, 10, 11 and Sixth Form

Dance Dodgeball

Running Club All years: All Years GCSE PE Drop-in: Room 17 Table Tennis Football: All Years

SPORTSATTENDANCE The PE Department’s Award Scheme which recognises and rewards individuals for attending extra-curricular sport started afresh in September. For any individual that attends an LGGS sports club or LGGS fixture, they receive one ‘tick’. Over the course of the year, these ‘ticks’ are calculated into a final total in July and anyone that matches or surpasses a milestone, will be awarded a certificate and badge that they can purchase to sew on to their PE hoodie or t-shirt. BRONZE 30 clubs SILVER 60 clubs GOLD 90 clubs At the end of the year pupils will received a badge for their PE hoodie based on how many clubs they have attended during the year.

YEAR 7 BRONZE AWARD E. Dickinson E. Bryan L. Ennis L. Leech S. Semple G. Leech O. Eccles

YEAR 8 I. Z. King S. Neil

Well done, you are all amazing. All your achievements are incredible!

REINDEERRUSH

During Christmas 2020, local schools helped raise an amazing £15,000 for St. John’s Hospice by taking part in the 2020 ‘Elf Run’. LGGS raised a whooping

£2,093 of this total in a virtual running event. This year, we were proud to be supporting their 2021 seasonal sponsored run, ‘Reindeer Rush’, in a bid to top this

mammoth total! The format continued to be a sponsored run or walk, but we were able to take part by either joining the LGGS Reindeer Rush, at lunchtime on the

15th December or to run / walk a distance of our choice and location, with friends / family during December. Please find a selection of images provided by just some of the many staff and students who entered. All donations were made online via: LGGS JustGiving

TECHNOGYM We are very proud and excited to launch our new LGGS Technogym. Our fitness suite had been redesigned into a classroom to facilitate lessons during the pandemic and as a result all the fitness equipment had been rehomed. Nearly two years on, we now have an incredible space for KS4 and KS5 students to use both during timetabled PE lessons and we also offer a paid membership for use before, during and after school. LGGS have taken the time to investigate the re-design of the space and the equipment. Previously we had 12 pieces of cardio equipment, 3 rowers, 3 treadmills, 3 bikes and 3 cross trainers. Now the space boasts 15 cardio machines; 3 Ski-Ergs, 3 Treadmills, 3 Bikes, 3 Spin Bikes and 3 SkillRow. As well as a specially designed techno bench with free weights and resistance bands. Technogym is one of the leading companies in the field of commercial and home gym equipment. They are an Italian company who have built their fitness brand around being a ‘Wellness Company’, which definitely fits in with our LGGS philosophy of using physical activity to improve physical, mental and social health and well-being. Interest in membership has been gauged for Years 10 - 13 and inductions have started to take place ready for memberships to go live. We will be using a live booking system where students will be able to book their Technogym slot either before school 7.50 - 8.20am, during lunchtime 12.30 - 1.10pm or after school 3.30 - 4.30pm. Sixth form students will be able to book slots in their free periods.

SPORTSKIT Understanding young people’s attitudes, motivations, barriers and behaviours is the key to increasing their participation in sport and physical activity. Listening to our pupils has played, and will always continue to play, a large role in many of the PE Department’s decisions. We regularly gauge individuals’ thoughts and feelings through representation. Representatives include, the Sports Leadership Team, the School Council - which gives each of our year groups an opportunity to contribute to our school. We also encourage pupils to express their opinions through use of the Equality Box, a system which allows students to present their views in writing to the School Council or to speak directly to PE staff.

Pupils don’t like the Skort and how short it can become when running around and jumping ‘we would prefer to not wear the skort at all’. We have always followed England Hockey and England Netball League rules as well as local league competition expectations in regard to kit. When playing these sports in outdoor PE lessons our uniform code reflects theirs. Their kit policies stated a skort should either be worn on its own or with a pair of leggings for hockey, netball or tennis. Our decision is therefore to keep the skort, but it will be an option as to whether pupils choose to wear it for outside sport. The skort itself is going to

When Miss Sharples and Mrs Russell were Year 7 students, they had to wear PE gym knickers! Generations before them, had to wear leotards! From this experience, they completely understand how uncomfortable it felt back then to wear kits that would now be considered unsuitable. It is therefore really important to move with the times and accommodate student views. Hopefully, as a result, everyone can feel as self-confident as possible and we know this has a direct link to engagement and enjoyment of sporting activities. Our decision is to add a football short to the kit list and also a standard LGGS PE tracksuit bottom. Introducing these new items of kit, which will be optional to wear, will enable all students to choose what makes them feel most comfortable when taking part in indoor or outdoor PE activities, such as dance, gymnastics or football.

be slightly changed to include a longer skirt and a shorts section. Leggings are not comfortable for anyone suffering from gender dysphoria, if they are body conscious or choose not to wear tight clothing due to culture and religion. Around 5 years ago we changed the kit policy to include black leggings OR black cycling shorts. We discovered that one of the barriers to engagement in PE is the PE kit itself. There were multiple reasons put forward but, most importantly, some pupils felt it was not inclusive. Below are some of the students’ concerns and, having met with our kit supplier, some changes will be implemented for the next academic year.

All pupils were invited to express their opinion prior to a meeting with our kit supplier. These views were presented by Miss Broadfield, a Year 9 Student Council representative and Mrs Cahalin, Headteacher. This has ensured that any decisions made were the right ones for the whole of our LGGS sporting community.

SPORTCURRICULUM

Our curriculum is designed around fundamental objectives. Each physical activity or sport selected for each year group focuses around the core objectives, which suggest the thread of the life lessons that the department try to equip students with by the end of the year. Simply put, Year 7 have started their PE journey with hockey and gymnastics – obviously we teach physical skills within these lessons, dribbling, passing, balancing and rolling, but we teach these in a way that provide opportunities for all students to build resilience, responsibility and collaboration skills. On the surface therefore, the lessons learnt surpass any simple physical skill that is taught and is a holistic approach to developing well rounded individuals who when leave our small world upon on the hill are prepared for the wider world that awaits them. (I can only apologise for my cringy reference to the school song lyrics!)

Looking forward to the this term and the following KS3 year groups are moving on to the following activities: YEAR 7

YEAR 9

Indoor

Outdoor

Indoor

Outdoor

Indoor

Outdoor

Champion Mindset

Football

Champion Mindset

Football

Dance

Football

Netball

Theory on Somatotype and HIIT

Netball

Theory on Training Methods and Fitness Testing

Netball

Skipping and Healthy Diet and Nutrition Theory

YEAR 8

CROSSCOUNTRY CROSS COUNTRY TOTAL POINTS FOR YEAR 7 1st 7.4 (186)

2nd

3rd

7.3 (164)

7.1 (111)

2nd

3rd

8.3 (195)

8.2 (166)

2nd

3rd

9.4 (166)

CROSS COUNTRY TOTAL POINTS FOR YEAR 8 1st 8.1 (236) CROSS COUNTRY TOTAL POINTS FOR YEAR 9 1st 9.2 (249) TOP YEAR 7 TOP YEAR 8 TOP YEAR 9 TOP 3 ACROSS KS3 1st

Congratulations to the following

2nd

3rd

FIXTURERESULTS NETBALL 04.11.21 Year 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 v Morecambe Bay Academy (BLA) Year 7 lost 2-9 POM M. Borwick Year 8 won 24-0 POM C. Benter and S. Neil Year 9 won 12-10 POM J. Joseph Year 10 won 23-7 POM K. Hutton Year 11 won 32-2 POM H. Brown 10.11.21 U12 and U14 v Bay Leadership Academy U12 (Year 7) won 3-1 U14 (Year 9) won 2-1 17.11.21 Year 8 x4 teams v Ripley St. Thomas A Team won 32-14 POM C.Benter B Team won 7-2 POM K. Odon

C Team won 8-2 POM T. Russell D Team won 9-5 POM J. Elbana 18.11.21 U16 Lancashire Netball Tournament A huge congratulations to E. Butler, H. Brown, L. Atherton, G. Bateman, J. Argall, D. Clear, A. Banchero, F. Oladejo, E. Gore and S. Liver who played in the Lancashire Netball Tournament at Stanley Park. There was some extremely tough competition throughout all 10 games, but LGGS showed fantastic teamwork and resilience in all games and they should all be very proud of themselves and their team. 6.12.21 Sixth Form Netball v LRGS First match of the season and the LGGS team played

well with a standout performance from F. Bird (Captain). The team lost 15-42 to an outstanding well drilled team. FOOTBALL 24.11.21 U12 District Football Tournament Congratulations to E. Bryan, E. Dickinson, G. Cook, O. Eccles, K. Jayaprakash, A. Woodruff, D. Armstrong, F. Hall, S. Semple and A. Khan, who all played extremely well winning two games, drawing two games and losing one. We finished third overall, and I was very proud of the fantastic teamwork demonstrated. Well done. v Ripley B won 3-1 v Our Lady’s won 1-0 v Morecambe drew 1-1 v BLA drew 0-0

PROFILE A snippet of the PE interview with Head Girl Rachel Mokete on Diversity and Inclusion ARE THERE CERTAIN SPORTS CLUBS THAT HAVE A MORE DIVERSE RANGE OF PEOPLE THAN OTHERS? IF SO, WHY DO YOU THINK THIS IS? I believe we have the most diverse range of people attending activ8 self-defence classes. This activity isn’t delivered in our timetabled curriculum so is popular because it is an outside company leading the sessions. People of all age ranges attend the session so it’s a great opportunity for all year groups to learn together and it is open to any shape, size and experience; which is something that is appealing to pupils. Self defence is something that all individuals should be prepared for and aware of how to use if needed and sessions are geared towards giving pupils knowledge and confidence in acting responsibly when planning journeys home in the dark or finding themselves in a situation that they might be in danger. We have had over 50 pupils take part in a 6 week course, which started in November. Netball is the most popular sport at school, with people of all abilities and cultures taking part. This is probably because it is quite easy to pick up and get involved with, unlike other sports where previous experience may allow people to get involved more easily. Before Christmas, 146 people attended netball clubs at lunchtimes (81 Years 7 and 8, 65 Years 9+), and at after-school netball before the autumn half term we would get 4 full courts on a Monday and a Thursday.

DO YOU FEEL THE PE CURRICULUM AT LGGS IS INCLUSIVE OF ALL ABILITIES AND CULTURES, AND WHY/WHY NOT? I am going to put my head above the parapet and say yes. I think there is always scope for offering more - I would LOVE to offer badminton, vaulting in gymnastics, trampolining, volleyball and basketball - but

with the facilities that we have to work with and the timetable we have to design our curriculum around, I genuinely believe and hope that the curriculum is bespoke enough to say it is inclusive of all. The current curriculum has undergone a re-design as a result of the big events that have happened over the last couple of years. The foundations of our discussions this year centred

around designing a curriculum to get LGGS students moving again, support mental health and well-being and develop fundamental skills. When deciding on the activities being offered we take into consideration the different needs of all individuals – some love indoor aesthetic sport, some hate it, some love outdoor team games, others dislike it, some have strengths in creativity, some in theory and it is our absolute goal to make sure that the curriculum, across each academic year, key stage, and their LGGS school experience prepares any LGGS pupil; inclusive of race, culture, sexual orientation or gender the

opportunity to find a strength and enjoyment in an aspect of physical activity and sport so they have the skills and ability to take part in lifelong sporting participation. Our aim is to offer as much variety in our extra-curricular programme as possible. Essentially when we offer an extra-curricular programme we are a 3 person department - therefore to maximise our resources and offer a full and enriched programme we have utilised external coaches in dancing, self defence and yoga this term. We also have incredibly willing LGGS staff from other

departments that run clubs, e.g. running club, but most importantly we utilise our sports leaders in year 10/11/12 and 13 (we have sports clubs solely run by LGGS sports leaders in dance and table tennis as well as leaders supporting year group clubs at netball, hockey, football and gymnastics). Currently we offer 14 lunchtime clubs, across 5 days of the week and 6 after school opportunities across 4, not including fixtures against local schools weekly. Those activities that we can’t offer due to time and staffing will be timetabled when we change our programme every term (e.g. tag rugby and swimming).

SPIKEBALL Have you tried Spikeball, also known as Roundball? Do you want to get more active as a family or with your friends at home? Let us introduce to you a sport that has taken the world by storm and see if it takes your fancy… It can be played 1v2 or in teams of 2, with 1 ball and a round low small trampoline-like net. The sport is inspired by volleyball and can often be seen on a beach on holiday, but you can also play it outside in the garden! Please find a brief summary of the rules below.

HOW TO PLAY 2 VS 2 Team A starts a point by hitting the ball down onto the net so it ricochets up towards Team B.

3 TOUCHES Teams have up to three alternating touches (thick bump, set, spike) to return the ball to the net.

SCORING 360 PLAY Once the ball has been served, players can move and hit the ball in any direction. There are no boundaries.

If the team can’t return the ball onto the net with their three touches, their opponent scores a point. A shot that hits the ground, rim, or bounces more than once on the net is no good.

BREAKINGTABOOS Girls face numerous problems in sport when on their period: "It's really horrifying, when you're on your period, to be thinking: 'Oh, am I sweating or have I leaked?' You're running to the toilet between matches. It's not something you want to think about but it is in your mind." "A lot of us will double up with a tampon and a pad. It's not great.

If you get the wrong day… you're running around a lot and then in the in-between bits, you're standing still a lot. You have time to think about it.’’ The Girls Active initiative by the Youth Sports Trust found that girls aged 11-18 years old, exercise less regularly and for less time than boys. Did you know that only 8% of girls meet the recommendation that young people aged 5 -18 should do 60 minutes of physical activity every day. The figure for boys is double that at 16%! 42% of 14-18 year old girls state that Periods are one of the barriers to their engagement and involvement in PE and Sport. We want to keep parents

informed of the barriers young women can face in terms of physical exercise and how you at home can offer support as to make them feel more confident when it comes around to the time of the month. Why physical activity is encouraged during a period? While it may seem a surprise to most, and you may not feel like

doing it; exercise and being active is a really good way of reducing symptoms and helping girls to feel better! Here are 4 reasons why working out on your period is good for you: 1) boosts your mood and combats Pre-Menstrual Syndrome 2) enhances blood circulation and eases menstrual cramps 3) beats fatigue and headaches 4) regulates irregular periods naturally So … what can girls do to manage symptoms when it comes to taking part in PE lessons or getting active outside of school?

Try to reduce stress levels. Stress can come from a whole range of things during puberty such as excessive school work, low self-esteem, body image and trying to ‘fit in’ with others. It is important to avoid putting undue pressure on yourself or others. Lower-impact exercise like Pilates and yoga have been shown to be beneficial for females that experience premenstrual syndrome. Good sleep is important. Sleep disturbances are often common just before menstruation, so emphasis should be on a sleep routine and good sleep hygiene. Focus on a healthy, balanced diet. Foods high in sugar and saturated fat can worsen symptoms, so encourage a focus on fruit, vegetables and fibre. Eating foods high in iron such as red meat, spinach and almonds is important during menstruation to make up for iron losses from menstrual blood loss. Take control: Orecco have just created a free app called FitrWoman, which allows women and girls to track their menstrual cycle so that they know when their period may come, what is happening in their body and provides information about how they can exercise and what they should eat throughout their menstrual cycle. How we aim to support girls at LGGS when it is their time of the month… Understanding young people’s attitudes, motivations, barriers and behaviours is the key to increasing participation in sport and physical activity. We understand that periods are a huge barrier to enjoyment and

performance in PE and the wider world of sport and therefore it is part of our role as PE teachers to show empathy, support and to encourage and educate individuals in managing this monthly occurrence. We would always hope that individuals feel comfortable enough to mention to us during a PE lesson if they are struggling with cramps or discomfort. We have heard it all before so don’t think you are the first and you definitely wont be the last. Over the holidays the changes to the pavilion have meant that there have been two additional toilets added to the existing two which means there are more facilities, each with sanitary bins. Two of those toilets have more space and more privacy to make everyone more comfortable. All of our toilet facilities at the pavilion have a stock pile of sanitary products in the cubicles and these are free for you to use if you need them. If you notice these have run out, mentioning it to your PE teacher will mean we can re-stock.

Free products are regularly given out in school and available in student reception if needed. The PE kit has been designed to make you feel as comfortable as possible with black leggings, shorts or skorts - but this is something that we are working to improve alongside the Student Council. Are you interested in finding out more? ‘Always’ have launched a campaign which focuses on

‘unleashing girls and women’s confidence’ called ‘Our Epic Battle’ #LikeAGirl and their website has some incredible tips and advice. You will articles about understanding the menstrual cycle to how to choose the best menstrual pad. If you have a sore ankle or have a headache, you'd tell your coach or teacher about that. So, why not your period? … there is no shame attached to this conversation.

SELFDEFENCE For several years we have been lucky enough to have strong links with Activ8; one of the leading trainers in personal and self-defence awareness courses for children and young adults in the North West. This term they have offered a short course on a Monday and a Wednesday 3.45-4.45pm in the gym. Over 50 LGGS individuals signed up to the sessions, with

a new course starting in January 2022. The sessions are open to any year group or ability. One of our Year 13 students commented: ‘I would really recommend activ8 for anyone who wants to learn to defend themselves. It’s especially good for anyone who is looking to go to university as it prepares you for almost any situation. Activ8 has really helped me gain more confidence as I live on my own during the week. The instructors are really helpful and take on any suggestions of what

we would like to learn. It’s a great course and I would really recommend it for anyone who needs a boost in confidence!’ E. Chappell, Year 13

TOKYO2021

Tokyo Olympic Games taught us many lessons - Here are two inspirational stories, to take away from the 2021 games. ‘Tokyo offered many moments for us to redefine what success, sportsmanship and spirit means as well as highlighting that the Olympics is not all about the medals …’ Simone Biles Simone Biles is a four-time Olympic gold medal winner and World Champion. Some consider her to be one of gymnastics’ greatest of all time. Long story short - Biles realised during the team performance that she was experiencing doubt in herself and this in turn was affecting her performance. As a result of this realisation and the fear of letting her team mates down she decided to withdraw, allowing her team to compete the duration of the event. Biles could have been selfish and continued in a bid to add another medal to her tally, but she pulled out to put her mental health first and also show her faith in her fellow USA teammates. Takeaways for any young gymnast or sports person: Support those around you and elevate their voices when you have the opportunity.

Mental health and wellness comes first, so learn to listen to the voice inside you. You are in control of your story, so have fun and always be

yourself. Improving your self-esteem and the way you think about your body is an important part of development. The confidence you gain when you develop your self-esteem is applicable to gymnastics and all other aspects of life. When you win, measure your success alongside the competitors that came before you. In this way, you’ll be able to re-frame your accomplishments from being “the best” to simply being one of many great competitors. Not only will this practice keep you humble, it will help keep the pressure off for your next competition. When you push yourself to continue learning, great things can happen. Even if you struggle to perfect new skills, your efforts will be rewarded with personal growth. Sky Brown, 13 years of age, became Team GB’s youngestever medallist at the summer Olympic Games after landing a

bronze in skateboarding. Brown was outside the medal spots before her third and final run but produced a cool, calm and collected performance to drag herself onto the podium. What can we learn from Sky at the games? Sky has always put her passion in skateboarding first - putting parties and sometimes friendships secondary - if you want something, dream big and work hard to achieve it and let nothing and nobody stand in your way Seize every opportunity - she had one run to go and had fallen in the previous two in the final. She rose to the occasion and used every ounce of experience to steady her nerves. Sky suffered a life-threatening crash while skating last year she didn’t let this phase her and carried on despite the risk. She has always prioritised school - when she is away competing, she always accesses online lessons and keeps up with her learning.

MAJOR SPORTS EVENTS 2022 CALENDAR Major events for this year include: Fifa World Cup, Qatar | Winter Olympics in Beijing, China | Uefa Women’s Euro 2022, England | Women’s Rugby World Cup, New Zealand | ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup | Rugby League World Cup, England

LOOKING BACK

AUTUMN 2021

Many of students are very keen sports competitors outside of school and you can read about just some of their impressive and varied achievements …

INDIVIDUAL SPORTS 15

LOOKING BACK

ATHLETICS Isla Roberts On the 5th of September 2021, I participated in a Youth Development League (YDL) athletics competition in Blackpool. I competed in high jump, something that I realised I really enjoyed in PE lessons last year, and came in 1st place and achieved a new PB of 1.32m! This meant that I was 12th in the North West, 68th in the UK for my U13 age category and received a grade 3 high jump award.

ATHLETICS Elliot Hahn I have attended Lancaster and Morecambe Athletics Club for a few years and started competing in the Youth Development League and Mid Lancashire League this year. In YDL I have represented my club in long jump, javelin, sprints and relays, often winning or coming second. I achieved a high enough grading to qualify for the Lancashire County Championships in August. My favourite event is long jump and I have been selected by my coaches to specialise in jumps. My PB long jump distance is 4.12m and, earlier this year, this placed me 65th in the UK for U13s. Javelin is my second favourite event, with a PB of 15.50m, and I have a UK ranking in this event also.

CRICKET Heidi Yates I play cricket for Shireshead and Forton Cricket Clubs. I play with the U11’s and am the only girl that plays hardball in my age group, so I always play with the boys. This year at our cricket dinner I won the U11’s Bowling Award for the most wickets taken this season. I was the first girl to gain the award. I was also the Captain of the U11’s

softball team when we won the U11’s Softball Southern League. CRICKET Iona Munford At the start of September, I played a cricket match at Heysham with my cricket club, Sedgewick U13s. We played against Torrisholme, in a 16 over playoff, because our team had won our South Lakes’ area league earlier in the season, and Torrishome had won their Lancaster area league. The weather was lovely, and the ground was quite hard for playing

LOOKING BACK on. Our team lost the toss, so we batted first, and although some of us did not get to bat we encouraged everyone else whilst sitting in the shade! Our fielding was good, but their fielding had been excellent, so it was quite close at the end. I played mid-on and made a good catch in the second half after a break for drinks, and we managed to win! We all received a small award for winning our league and a trophy for winning the play off, and one for the league at the ceremony.

finishing position. This helped me to win the Helm Hill Whippet Junior Award 2021 in December, for dedication and achievement in racing. I plan to continue racing next year and look forward to new challenges.

also the only competitor to receive a balloon with the words 'Santa's Special Gymnast' on it. I received this helium balloon for my bravery during my vault.

FELL RUNNING Izzy Sanderson One of my favourite sports is Fell Running and this year I have competed in a number of fell

FOOTBALL Jasmine Landy After four trials, Jasmine has been selected as one of the final 22 players to make up the Lancashire Schools FA Girls U14 County Squad for the 2021/2022 season, representing her school and football club (PNEWJFC). The team will be competing in the ESFA National Champions Cup and Northern Counties Competitions.

running races. This includes the British Open Fell Running Association races. One of the races I took part in was Helm Hill Club race event, my club. I competed in the U13 category and I came second which I was very proud of. I didn’t realise I would do that well as I was expecting a less exciting

GYMNASTICS Nayo Basur On 2 December 2021, I attended a gymnastics competition on Thursday in Warrington representing City of Lancaster Gymnastics Club. The competition was called Winter Wonderland and I came third place in my floor routine, and sixth place in my vault. I was

GYMNASTICS Freya Hindle After nearly 2 years of no competitions due to COVID-19, I was excited to get back to gymnastic competitions this autumn. I was pleased to represent my club, Garstang School of Gymnastics, and win Bronze on beam in the Lancashire Red Rose competition in November. In December I travelled to the Isle of Man to a competition and won Gold on vault. I can't wait to see what 2022 brings! GYMNASTICS Emily Yu In sport so far, I have been an artistic gymnast for the past 5 years! I started when I was 6 years old to now at 11 years old. I have been to 5 North west competitions, and I have won over 10 trophies and more than 50 medals! I entered the Women’s Artistic Voluntary, Level 4 on November 21st.

LOOKING BACK I won 1st on everything in Lancashire, 1st on beam, 2nd on vault and bar, 3rd on floor and 2nd overall in the North West! Even earlier on, I entered the Women’s Artistic National,

Grade 4 in September! I ended up getting 2nd overall, against more than 40 gymnasts! I train 20 hours a week spread between 5 days a week, meaning I train 3 and a half - 4 hours a day! But gymnastics is something I am extremely passionate about. I have also done athletics’ competitions for primary school where I jumped a whopping 65cm in a vertical jump! I also did running, triple jump, long jump, and obstacle. We won 1st place for every activity!

GYMNASTICS Angela Kioko Angela's continues to shine in her gymnastics, winning Gold in her last 3 competitions for Vault, as well as other medals on bars, floor and overall. She is looking forward to competing in Malta next June.

SWIMMING Minnie Kennedy Parr Minnie Kennedy Parr, Year 9, swam 200 metres butterfly on 5th December 2021 for Preston Swimming Club in a competition called ‘The Christmas Countdown’ and won a Gold medal. It’s a very gruelling race because it’s 8 lengths of butterfly. She was exhausted KARATE Ella Andrews Out of school I practice the martial art Karate at Hadashi Senshi Do, Lancaster. I am currently a member of the National HDKI GB Squad. As a squad member I enter Karate competitions throughout the year, the latest being the HDKI Nationals in Birmingham which were held in October 2021. I entered three categories and achieved a silver medal for team Kata (a sequence of moves) and a bronze medal for Kumite (sparring). I attended the HDKI Christmas Course in Birmingham recently completed my 1st Dan black belt grading for karate receiving a Shodan pass.

after the swim as a few weeks prior to the competition she couldn’t train or do any sports. She showed real determination.

SWIMMING Lojain Gengehy I am a competitor swimmer for Carnforth Otters amateur swimming team. We recently competed in the Cumbria Winter Meet 2021 which took place in Kendal Leisure Centre. I have managed to gain lots of PBs in different styles and I have got a Bronze medal in 50m butterfly with 34.73. It was a big achievement for me as I had not competed for almost 2 years.

LOOKING BACK (personal best) every time. It’s brilliant to win medals and see how much you are improving. SWIMMING Eve Molloy At the swimming club Gala this weekend, Eve achieved Gold in 100 individual medley, 50 butterfly and 50 breaststroke. She also got Silver in 50 freestyle and 50 backstroke.

SWIMMING Rosie Lowerson I have been swimming ever since I was a baby and I have now been training at Lancaster City (Salt Ayre) for 5 years with my sister (Poppy Lowerson).

We participate in arena league competitions, microleagues and galas. We travel around the North West to race against different clubs. The highlight of the year is always the Christmas Gala when you race against your age group trying to get a PB

TENNIS Katherine Lukas ’ve been playing tennis since I was about 4 years old, initially in Australia, and I’m currently ranked 209 in the U18 Girls and 318 amongst all Open Tennis women players in the UK. During August 2021 I defended my title as the U18 Girls’ Singles County Champion in Cumbria and also won through to become the Women’s Singles County Champion. The women’s final was the last match of the tournament and so we had quite a crowd watching the tense 3 set match! However, I hung on to defeat the reigning champion 6-4, 4-6, 10-3. The County Championships were the end of a great summer season for me. I also won an U18 Girls’ Singles Tournament in Holcombe Brook and a Women’s Singles event in Chatsworth. Additionally, I reached the semi-finals in a Grade 3 at Wigan.

TRIATHLON Elizabeth Wareing Hat-trick! Run, Triathlon & Swim In 2021 I qualified for three national competitions! The first being English Schools’ Track and Field Championships where I ran for Lancashire in the 1500m. Then it was the National School Games based at Loughborough

LOOKING BACK University. Inspired by the Olympics this involved the coming together of hundreds of young athletes from a vast range of sports such as hockey, cycling, laser run and BMX. It was a busy weekend with lots of racing, watching of other sports, opening ceremonies and workshops in lecture halls! I represented the North West in the triathlon discipline, and my highlight was the mixed relay as I loved the fun team spirit. I was inspired by the success of the British squad of Alex Yee, Georgia Taylor-Brown, Jonny Brownlee and Jess Learmonth at the Tokyo Olympics. Finally, at the beginning of December I competed in the Swim England Winter Nationals in Sheffield. I raced in the 50m and 100m breaststroke, achieving a personal best in the 50 metres. WATER SPORTS Maryam Shoab After a few random experiences with water sports, last May, I completed a course and started Kayaking regularly. I went every

Thursday for around 3 hours with Lancaster District Canoe club, until eventually in August we kayaked down some rapids and steep water, and also went out into Windermere for a trip WATER FOOTBALL?? Hannah Giles As a goalkeeper in the England U19 squad, being able to commence the BWPL season as

normal has been a fantastic development opportunity. Playing for Liverpool, who have a team in each woman’s division, the

Liverbirds (who I play with) are a mainly junior team in the second division. Placed high in the division for the first phase, we have the second phase to look forward to where we will play against the lower teams from the first division. Although we cannot be promoted (because the Liverpool Lizards are in the first division), this is a great

opportunity to play some of the top national seniors while strengthening the team and tactics. I am looking forward to our match weekends, with an expectancy to grow from the experience while aiding my individual national journeys.

We love to hear about and share your sporting achievements from outside, as well as inside, school! 20