Secondary Sport

From the Head of Sport: What is failure in sport?

I think it is natural for a young athlete to experience the fear of failing in sport, after all, sports are usually held in a public areas with spectators full of parents, peers and friends. Results are often publicised and displayed for many to see, analyse and comment. Combine this with open public practices and training sessions. Sport is an activity where your effort, and your outcomes from that effort are visible for all to see.

However, how do we define “failure” in sport? And what does this mean to you?

Many see failure as an ‘uncomfortable’ word and closely associate it with losing or achieving a lower place than a previous year. These measurements of success or failure do not take into account the growth and development of a young athletes are generally based on external factors such as other competitors.

To me, the true definition of failure in sport is ‘not fulfilling your potential’.

A great quote by author Daniel H. Pink reflects this sentiment, “The greater risk is to fear failure more than mediocrity for yourself. To give up through fear of failure on being the best you can possibly be in your chosen pursuits.“

To know what your best is, to know how to improve your best and to continue to learn how to improve your best, is a true description of success.

This learning process is observable in the way many athletes approach their training.  There is a willing attitude and drive to perfect their abilities. If results, games or times are not as the athlete had hoped, a thinking process immediately begins. The best example of this pattern of thinking is seen in para-athletes, where traditional techniques of a sport or skill may not be appropriate for the individual’s particular learning environment. 

Athletes must be able to find a solution to their problems, and come to know how they can improve in the best way forward. If they cannot find an answer or solution, then they should start questioning the coach … relentlessly.

Athletes have a drive to invest effort in order to improve over and over. These are great qualities to have and can be developed through sport and applied to many other life skills.

Being a school based athlete is the perfect time and place to adopt this approach of learning and development. Perceived “failures” are important ingredients to growth.

Sport is not a level playing field and sometimes athletes may feel they are the best they can be and still lose the competition. However, the lessons learnt through self-exploration are more valuable than the medal or a ribbon.

“Success is not built on success. It’s built on failure. It’s built on frustration. Sometimes it’s built on catastrophe.”  Sumner Redstone.

Redlands Rhino – Weekly Fixtures
Representative Sport Nominations

If you are interested in nominating for the following ISA and CIS Representative Sports, please send your expression of interest along with playing history to sports@redlands.nsw.edu.au (to be eligible to represent ISA you need to play that sport at the school level). Please note: not all nominations will be asked to trial.  

  • ISA Netball – U15 and Open Girls
  • ISA Open Girls Hockey
  • ISA U16 and Open Boys Rugby
  • CIS U15 Boys AFL
Redlands Sport Staffing Update 

With Miss Jaimee Kennedy beginning her maternity, leave the following changes in the Redlands Sports department will be in place from Term 2 for the remainder of 2018.

  • Miss Kate Seebohm will become a temporary full time staff member and will be the Administrator in charge of Redlands Football program as well as her existing roles as the Sports Administrator for Basketball and non-rep Sport. 
  • Mr James Petering will be taking on the role as the Administrator of Hockey as well as his existing role as the Head of Rowing.   
  • Mr Jack Gooding will be taking on the role as the Administrator of Touch Football as well as his existing role as the Director of Coaching: Rugby and Athlete development.

For any queries regarding these Sports please contact the relevant staff member.

We will miss Jaimee and wish her all the best for the impending birth of her second child.

Cross Country

Information regarding the upcoming Cross Country season is now available on Redlands Pulse. Training will begin on Friday 4 May (Term 2, Week 1) and will take place on Friday mornings at Primrose Park.

Diving

Congratulations to Toby Griffiths (Yr 9) who competed in the U15 Boys Springboard at the CIS Diving Championships. Toby finished 8th in some really strong competition! 

Fitness Centre

The Redlands Fitness Centre will be open for all students in Week 1 of the holidays (Monday 16 – Friday 20 April). The Centre will be open from 9.00 – 11.00am each day.

Football

On Saturday , the Boys Football program travelled to Chevalier College for their gala day with a number of other travelling teams. The First XI had their first game against Redfield during the heat of the day and with only 11 players. The first game started with high hopes and good spirits and by the end of the game, we had secured our first win of the season, 2-0. Our second game was against Blue Mountains who were our opponents in the ISA Grand Final last year. The game was long and tiring for us all and ended in a stalemate of 0-0.

Hockey

The 1st XI and 2nd XI Hockey teams played a trial game against Barker College on Saturday. The 1sts played against a very strong Barker team, and despite going down in a loss, it was a well fought game by the girls. The 2nds had a great win over Barker College in what was a great team effort. It was a fantastic opportunity for the girls to play together before the start of the season next term. Congratulations to both teams.

Netball

The NSNA season began on Saturday. It was great to get the games underway in what was some hot conditions down at Willoughby Leisure Centre. A big thank you to Isobel Moseley (Yr 8) and Charlotte Harman (Yr 8) who helped out with the NSNA 9 Gold team on the weekend after their own game!    

Redlands Friends of Netball will be having their first meeting on Tuesday 8 May at 6.00pm (room L1.3). If you are interested in being part of the Friends of Netball please email Karen Kerr redlandsfon@gmail.com.

Best of luck to Jemma Donoghue (Yr 12) who will spend the first week of the holidays in Adelaide with the NSW U17 Netball team for the National Netball Championships. A fantastic effort to make the team and we look forward to hearing how she goes in Adelaide.

Rugby

On the weekend the Redlands Open Squad travelled to Bowral to take on Chevalier College and also Daramalan across two trial matches in what would be their first match contact for the preseason. In the first game against a strong touring side from Canberra, the Redlands squad did not disappoint showing all the structures that we have brought in over these last few weeks as the moved the ball quickly and effectively to win comfortably 4-0. Against a strong Chevalier side, some poor discipline and rushed decisions allowed Chevalier to have too much possession across the trial match with the Redlands squad suffering a loss 4-1. Ultimately, coming out of a trial weekend with the final score across the two games of 5-4, is a win for Redlands. The noticeable difference between the two squads across each game also was encouraging, seeing certain boys stamp their authority over the game almost demanding a starting 1st XV jersey. A great weekend for Redlands.

Surf Life Saving

Wishing all the best for Olivia Donoghue (Yr 9) who will be travelling to Scarborough beach in Perth to participate in the National Surf Life Saving Championships from 14 – 22 April.

Swimming

We had a number of great results at the NSWCIS Swimming Championships:

  • Laura Holtheuer (Yr 12)
    • 17-19 Girls 50m Freestyle – 6th
    • 17-19 Girls 50 Butterfly – 7th
    • 17 & Over Girls 200 IM – 9th
    • 17 & Over Girls 200m Freestyle – 6th
  • Jemma Donoghue (Yr 12)
    • 17 Girls 50 Freestyle – 8th
    • 17-19 Girls 50 Backstroke – 8th
  • Sean Russell (Yr 12)
    • 18-19 Boys 50 Backstroke – 10th
  • Olivia Donoghue (Yr 9)
    • 15 Girls 50 Freestyle – 6th
    • 15-16 Girls 200IM – 11th
  • Samuel Virtue (Yr 8)
    • 14 Boys 50 Freestyle – 12th
    • 14 Boys 50 Butterfly – 12th
    • 14 Boys 100 Freestyle – 12th
    • 12-14 Boys 100 Butterfly – 10th
  • Ella Palmet (Yr 8)
    • 14 Girls 50 Breaststroke – 9th
  • Sophie McGrath (Yr 7)
    • 12 Girls 50 Butterfly – swam a time of 42.08 which would have placed her in 11th place, she was however disqualified after the race for a false start.
  • Jemma Donoghue (Yr 12), Jodie Ah Chong (Yr 12), Laura Holtheuer (Yr 12) and Jasmine Chubb (Yr 11)
    • Open Girls 4x50m Medley Relay – 6th
  • Olivia Donoghue (Yr 9), Jasmine Chubb (Yr 11), Laura Holtheuer (Yr 12) and Jemma Donoghue (Yr 12)
    • Open Girls 4x50m Freestyle Relay – 4th

Mr Thomas Kindred
Head of Secondary School Sport
sports@redlands.nsw.edu.au

All Sports contacts can be found on Redlands Pulse.