Written by Miss McGonigle, Director of Sport
Usually the summer term is a little lighter for fixtures and competitions due to the exam season, but this year it has been jam packed!
We started the half term with the U18 football team competing in the ISFA (Independent Schools Football Association) National Trophy Finals Day, where they won their semi-final in emphatic style and then played an end to end thriller in the final, which was level at the end of extra time, so it was time for penalties! Penalties are such a lottery at any age and any level, and the team equipped themselves extremely well, but sadly lost in the shootout. Placing 2nd in the National Trophy is an incredible achievement and we are so proud of them. Lots of them are now flying the nest, and so we thank them for the dedication to our sports teams and wish them well for the future.
We then really got our summer sports started, with athletics, tennis, cricket and rounders in full swing with plenty of co-curricular cubs accessible to all. Tennis is one of our main summer sports, and alongside playing friendly fixtures, we play in the LTA (Lawn Tennis Association) League entering in Division 1 and Division 2. The teams in both divisions have had superb seasons so far, with the teams in division 1 currently on an unbeaten run. We are extremely excited to see how they will finish up! The friendly fixtures are also going well – just an excellent opportunity for students to enjoy some sport in the sunshine with their peers.
Cricket has also been fairly busy, despite the rainy start, where lots of fixtures were cancelled! There have also been plenty of friendly fixtures both in softball and hardball, as the students’ love of the game continues to grow.
In athletics our teams have competed in the Oxfordshire Championships, the ESAA Track and Field Cup and the GDST Rally so far. All competitions have gone well with students really giving their all, with a number of first time competitors taking part and lots of students getting personal bests, as well as some superb team results. The most notable result was our Year 10 team winning the GDST Rally for their age group – a really incredible achievement.
Alongside the traditional summer sports, the football season seems to have continued longer than expected with our U13 team competing in the Sisters in Sport National Plate and our U15 team just finishing an incredible run in the ISFA National Cup and Trophy. They got knocked out of the Cup after a very rain delayed, 5 hour long, game vs Millfield that went all the way to penalties, with us losing by one penalty. This result, put the team into the National Trophy where their strong form continued to the quarter-final stage. The quarter-final was a tense affair; 1-1 at the end of normal time, 2-2 at the end of extra time, penalties again! Sadly for the team, they lost out on penalties. Nonetheless an incredible season for the U15 football team, well done!
We have another half term ahead where all our clubs, fixtures and competitions will continue, and we of course have the highlight of the summer term, our very own Sports Day on Tuesday 4th July 2023. Parents are very welcome and actively encouraged. There even refreshment stalls for spectators. We look forward to seeing lots of you there!
A huge thank you and well done to all our students taking part in co-curricular clubs, fixtures and competitions this half term – you have represented Oxford High extremely well!
