5 minute read
A Life In Sport - Sean King
Q&A with our Head of Performance Sport, Mr King
Please tell us about your role as Head of Performance Sport. What does it involve?
I am responsible for the organisation of our sports assessments during the admissions process, as well as the awarding of our Sports Scholarship programme.
Along with Mr Beresford-Miller, I also manage our Sports Scholars and High Performance athletes to ensure they are receiving the right amount of support that they need to thrive firstly in the classroom but also on the field or in the pool.
How long have you been working at Trinity and is there anything in particular you are most proud of that you have achieved during your time here?
Since leaving, as a student, I have been back at Trinity since September 2013, initially on a work experience placement; so, for nine years in total.
I’m fortunate to have experienced lots of highs but winning the 1st Water Polo National Title as Head Coach in 2018 - having come close on several occasions - was particularly special. I was also very proud to be there at Twickenham this year when our 1st XV Rugby team were crowned national champions.
What advice do you give to students who are particularly keen sportsmen or women?
The key to being successful in your studies but also in your sport is to be very organised. I always use Kathy Rogers, who left in 2017, as a fantastic example for our students: She went on to secure a four-year scholarship at the University of Michigan and last season played professionally in Greece.
I was always amazed at how she used any down time to ensure she kept on top of her studies, which enabled her to give her training and sport her full attention and focus.
Can you outline how the high-performance pathway works and what’s on offer?
Our High Performance programme starts in Year 11 and students are invited based on the level they are competing at in at least one sport.
It is essentially more bespoke support for each individual and we try to tie it in with their external clubs and coaches to ensure that we are all working towards what is best for the individual student.
Have you noticed any interesting trends in terms of popularity of key sports, both in school and outside?
Girls’ sport at Trinity is going from strength to strength and we are very excited about the new cohort joining us in September, who join an already very strong Upper Sixth group.
What are your short and long term goals in terms of the performance sport programme at Trinity?
Our Sports Scholarship programme and High Performance programmes are there to support our talented boys and girls who are competing at the highest level, and we are therefore constantly looking at how we can improve.
I am delighted that Mr Beresford-Miller will be working closely with those athletes moving forward. He brings a huge amount of experience not only in sport but also from having been a pastoral lead for the past four years.
As Head of Aquatics, too, what are you most proud of?
It sounds crazy but both Swimming and Water Polo really grew in participation following the remote working period.
We, as a school, were permitted to run before school, during lunchtimes and after school sessions - despite not being able to play fixtures against other schools.
Single year group sessions meant that many students continued to both swim and play Water Polo regularly when they may have struggled to do so in normal circumstances. It has meant that we have continued to have huge numbers attending morning swim sessions, and junior and senior Water Polo sessions. Due to the large number of students playing Water Polo, we’ve been able to offer A and B teams in some age groups, as well as A to C fixtures at U12. We’ve also had a hugely successful season in terms of results, with our Years 7 and 8 swimmers being crowned London Champions and our U13 Water Polo team following that up with the ESSA National Title. Our U16s and U18s were also crowned Schools League Champions.
Do you have a favourite sport?
I enjoy watching both Rugby (union and league) and Football (I am a big Chelsea fan) in my spare time, but Water Polo remains my favourite sport. I still watch as many high-level games as I can as some of my ex-teammates and good friends are still playing or coaching at that level. I (try to!) play occasionally still.
Do you see impressive participation levels in sport at Trinity?
I think our participation levels are very encouraging and have increased year on year in the nine years I’ve been working at Trinity. I’ve especially enjoyed seeing the growth of sports such as Basketball, Fencing, Handball and Golf. Basketball and Handball in particular had very encouraging results in their respective national competitions, which is very pleasing to see, especially given it was our first time entering.
What are you most looking forward to in the academic year 2022/23?
I always look forward to welcoming the 250 new students and families into the Trinity community, as well as unearthing the next generation of Water Polo stars!
