Secondary Sport
Redlands Rhino – Weekly Fixtures
Please note: Redlands Rhino has the most up-to-date weekly fixtures. This is uploaded every Tuesday afternoon at 4.00pm. Please ensure you check this with regards to game times, venues and oppositions.
Head of Secondary Sport
Leadership in Sports
At the End of Term 3, we announced and inducted our student leaders for the Class of 2019. This was a significant moment within the school community, where the transfer of leadership from one student Year Group to the next was affirmed in front of the student body. In Redlands Sport, we aim for our students to feel empowered and engaged with the decisions and direction of the sport they participate in. The roles of the student leaders are critical in achieving this. Recently, at our Pre-Season Sport Camp, our 1sts Basketball girls and boys teams undertook a goal setting session with Mr Tom Garlepp (former Sydney Kings Captain and NBL All Star). One of the critical questions Tom asked the boys and girls to answer was, to “outline what they wanted their team to be remembered for?” This question was confronting for many of the students. The majority of the team felt they should just be told the answer by staff and coaches however, it is important for our students to feel a level of engagement in the direction and leadership of their teams. Some of our students were easily confused by the notions – Who is empowered? What does engagement mean? Is someone getting married?
All through professional sporting teams, as well as in the media, we are seeing the concept of leadership ‘groups’ within a team; not just one appointed leader. Gone are the days where coaches coached, managers managed and players played. Now we are seeing teams embracing a leadership model based on empowerment of the collective group. Even the media now reports on the actions and decisions (right or wrong) of leadership groups and has shown respect to the roles they now play within sports. Whether it is pre-meditated ball tampering in Cricket or the positive mentoring of new players into the culture of an AFL club, more and more leadership groups are now being seen as the ‘best practice in developing effective teams’.
There are several good reasons as to why we have adopted this mentality in sport –
- Society demands accountability and in order to achieve this we need consultation and communication with the collective. Dictatorships and autocratic leadership is no longer viewed as productive or conducive to reaching a goal.
- Teams need to develop the ability to make decisions and problem solve independently of a coach or live data. Leadership groups must obtain the confidence to action their decisions and use the people around them to make the most informed decision possible for their desired outcome.
- Sport itself has changed. The impact of commercial activities and profits are inextricably linked to sport. So much so, this commercialisation has changed the way games are played, officiated and consumed. A growing need for sport to be dynamic, fast paced and free flowing now requires athletes to make quick decisions about how and when to play the game in many varying contexts.
A key element of a successful leadership is acknowledging we must all learn to lead. A position or title does not automatically create leadership. Individuals and teams are encouraged to learn how to lead and what actions and behaviours they require to reflect their desired outcomes in any given situation. Luckily, sport is conducive to this type of learning. Having opportunities for all students to engage in team sports enables them to experience leadership and change – skills that are invaluable to them both now and into the future.
Basketball
Congratulations to both our 1st Boys and Girls Basketball teams who competed in the pre-season tournaments over the weekend. The 1st Boys managed to finish top of their pool after beating St Pat’s, BMGS and SACS in a clean sweep. A tough crossover against CCGS saw Redlands down by ten points at the final siren. The final game against Oakhill was another tough game, but finishing in 4th was a great result for the day. The 1st Girls won their first two games against SACS and St Pauls, before falling short in the game against CCGS. A great final game against BMGS saw the team finishing in 3rd place for the day.
Round 1 commences this Saturday 27 October. Please check Redlands Pulse for the game details this weekend. Best of luck to all teams in Round 1.
Rowing
Last weekend saw the Rowing program take the opportunity to acknowledge a number of people who have made a significant contribution over a number of years. We were able to name a number of the single sculls after previous Captains of Rowing including Natascha Barac and Gabe O’Sullivan who are completing the Yr 12 IB and HSC respectively. All of these students have been high achievers on the water along with all other areas of their school life including academics. James Townsend (Boys Captain of Rowing – 2016) privately tutored a number of students during and after Yr 12, and while he coached with Redlands briefly, he has recently moved to Armidale, where he is studying Medicine at the University of New England.
We were also able to name our newest quad after Lisa MacDonald. Lisa served as the President of the Friends of Rowing group for two years along with organising our corporate Rowing program for three seasons where she oversaw the program more than doubling in size. She is currently in her 4th year of service on the Redlands Parent and Friends Association including the past two years as the Chairperson.
A huge thank you to our current Friends of Rowing committee for organising the BBQ for our families and students!
This weekend we will be attending our first regatta of the season with the whole program heading to the Hunter Valley Grammar School regatta held at Berry Park. Please refer to the information found on the Rowing page of Redlands Pulse for further details.
Mr Tom Kindred
Head of Secondary School Sport
sports@redlands.nsw.edu.au
All Sports contacts can be found on Redlands Pulse.