Athletic Development

This year we eventually saw an easing of the Covid restrictions put in place in both the fitness studio and weight room. Year groups were allowed to mix once more, and we got that healthy “fitness family” feeling back.

The athletic development offering at Kingswood is diverse and popular, and we welcomed the ability to make full use of the finite space available.

The Year 7, 8 and 9 pupils continued with their movement literacy classes in their core PE rotations. These classes provide pupils with the opportunity to develop their fundamental movement skills, learn about physical training methods, and aim to inspire pupils to keep active and enthused about physical activity. The strength and conditioning club was once again in great demand, with pupils from a range of years training under the guiding principle of “being better people who inspire others”. This has been clear to see in the quality of relationships within the environment and in how they celebrate each other’s progress whilst also supporting each other through challenges. The concept of ‘progressive overload’ which states that one must push oneself just beyond their comfort zone in order to grow, is a concept that I wish for our pupils to take beyond the gym. I am very proud to work with a community of pupils who are making this link.

There are multiple reasons why pupils choose to engage with the strength and conditioning programme at Kingswood. We aim to support everyone on their fitness journey, and we are proud of all pupils who are striving towards their goals. The performance benefits of a focussed strength and conditioning programme for ambitious sports people is well-covered in scientific literature. Naturally, we have a number of pupils who use the facility in pursuit of these sporting goals. Of this group, there is yet another tier of ambitious sports people who take their strength and conditioning, recovery, nutrition and analysis to the next level. Many of these pupils are involved in development pathway academies or compete at a national level. I am incredibly proud of their commitment, hunger to learn, and the way in which they invest in themselves. The late nights, early mornings, and the physical, mental, and emotional toll of pursuing optimal performance is not easy. Add in the fact that they are teenagers with numerous social and academic demands, it makes these pursuits even more admirable.

...they celebrate each other’s progress whilst also supporting each other through challenges.

Mr Digby Webb

(Athletic Development Co-ordinator)