Sport

2021 started like no other year in living memory as we found ourselves at home with nothing but a computer screen for company during much of the ‘ normal’ school day. Communication and lessons through Teams and OneNote were new additions to our practices and it was clear that the daily routine for our boys was going to be very different. Hockey and football fixtures were cancelled and the

‘ winter ’ pitches on Careys remained empty for the first time in living memory.

Sport 2021

However, we were determined to learn from the lessons of the previous lockdown in Trinity 2020, and set about providing the boys with a remote provision programme to excite and enthuse them even though they might be many miles away. The sports staff, both academic and our dedicated coaching team prepared pre-recorded activities for the boys to follow and even put on live HIIT sessions which were well attended. There were sports specific challenges and also House based competitions including the Sherborne Scavenger Hunt. Some found it difficult to commit but most were engaged and enjoyed the interaction as well as the physical, mental and social support.

Good news appeared when we returned to school in time for a semi-normal summer term. There were restrictions for hosting and social interaction but the important thing was that we were able to provide the boys with an external competitive playing programme which included some traditional block fixtures. On the tennis court, the cricket pitch and in every activity possible we worked hard to get back to some normality including the inter-house Sports Day.

Following the summer break school started in September with most COVID restrictions lifted. For sport that meant a full programme of fixtures including the much missed hosting and hospitality. Despite recent articles in the media, rugby remains as popular as ever with over 350 boys playing regularly for the School and a growing number extending their experience through representative pathways with Bath and other academies. In addition, there have been numerous fixtures in squash, badminton, sailing, golf, football, water polo etc and amongst the numerous inter-school matches there have also been some impressive individual performances.

COVID may not have disappeared but we are learning to live with it and manage the risks to ensure that life can go on including Sport at Sherborne.

DAVID GuY director of Sport