PLYMOUTH COLLEGE
Team Sport We believe in the value of sport in a balanced life and we strive for all pupils to gain the maximum benefit from their sporting experience at Plymouth College. We recognise the role that playing sport and taking part in physical activities plays in improving personal wellbeing and we structure our school timetable to allow all pupils to be active every single day, whether it be a games lesson, team practice, fun swim or a strength and conditioning session. Our ambition is to nurture sporting culture where all have fun, strive industriously and all excel at whatever level to which they aspire; where individuals can pursue their own sporting interests alongside representing the College in mainstream competition and where the most talented are challenged to reach their potential.We want our pupils to take from school the attitudes, knowledge and enthusiasm that will support a happy, productive adult life and this is as true of sport as it is of other aspects of their education. For some, this will be the experience of being part of a team and representing the College in a sport that really matters to them. For others, it will be in reaching an elite level of competition, representing school, club, region and country before moving onto a career in sport. We also have a responsibility to ensure that all pupils leave school with a positive experience of exercise and of one or more sports or activities which they will pursue into adulthood. The link between good physical and mental health is well established yet very few health conscious graduates play rugby, hockey or netball in their spare time. Many more play squash, badminton, tennis, row, sail, cycle, run, dance, practise yoga or go to the gym. Facilities and a sports offering that support the physical education and mental fitness of pupils beyond the confines of team competitions will ensure that sport is part of an education that will enhance pupils’ lives long after they have left school. CRICKET Cricket is played by both girls and boys and and follows a year-round programme built on high quality coaching. A strong fixture card and clear provision of pathways to the professional game via district, county, university centres of excellence and first class cricket.The school has toured both South Africa and Sri Lanka in recent years. Specialist coaching covers all three disciplines – batting, wicket keeping and bowling. Our winter programme includes strength and conditioning support combined with tactical and technical input. FOOTBALL Football runs as a recreational club in the autumn term and as the main sport for boys in the spring term. Regular fixtures are played against local schools, with a mid-week programme enabling students to participate in both Football and Rugby Sevens should they so wish. Close links with Plymouth Argyle ensure that talented pupils are able to access their development programmes in and around the City and that the most able can fulfil their dreams of making a career out of the game.
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