THE ALLEYNIAN 708 | OUT OF THE ORDINARY
THE ALLEYNIAN 708 | OUT OF THE ORDINARY
As is the case with most of the stories you will read in the individual sports sections, the curtailing of the football season, and in particular the cancelling of the U11s national finals at St Georges, was a huge disappointment, but we mustn’t lose sight of the incredible season that the U11s had in getting to the finals. The 1st XI have also had a wonderful year, and hearing that our U15s had beaten Millfield in the ISFA National Cup put a major spring in the step. It was a privilege to see the journey of our 1st XI hockey boys as they narrowly lost to an excellent Eastbourne side in the final match before what would have been a fantastic day out at the National Hockey Finals. We are excited about what Will Gurney-Champion and the rest of the team can do next year. One of the best things to come out of this academic year has been the emergence of two new committees that we have set up in order to continue to try and evolve sport at the College. Both the student and parent committees have begun life by making positive contributions to a number of aspects surrounding sport at Dulwich. Long may that continue, and I would like to thank everyone for their input and involvement. We are the better for it. I wish I were reporting on winning starts to the Summer term for Cricket, Athletics, Tennis and Rowing, but sadly that is not the case. The work of the winter from Messrs Clark, Coughtrie and Riley will not go to waste, however, as their innovation has been inspirational in breathing new life into Cricket. Mr Annett and Mr Wood have had similar impacts in Tennis and Athletics, and the new rowing team will be excited by what the autumn
brings following a year of embedding new programmes, as well as a new structure to the boat house. The Summer term has also seen several initiatives come to the fore, and the 2.6 challenge has epitomised the sense of resilience in adapting to a different way of living. It has been an honour and a privilege to support the supervision of the children of Key Workers in recent weeks, and to see the College community coming together in support of so many worthwhile causes. So what will September look like? Well, who knows? Will we be playing cricket, rugby, football or all three? We await the government and national governing bodies’ decisions, but hope you rest assured that whatever the outcome, we will continue to try to inspire your boys. Whatever the programme looks like, we hope that you will all be there to support us and the boys, as you have done this year. Your support is invaluable to us. Seeing friendly faces on touchlines at away fixtures, or chewing the fat over a cup of tea is always a highlight. My final words are to those Year 13s who we hope will be better prepared for the path ahead of them because of their sporting life at Dulwich, and in a weird way, because of the situation we now find ourselves in. I sympathise with you all, but beg that you approach life as you have represented the College: with pride, with an open mind, and with a willingness to learn; by being brave enough to ask questions, by working hard and by enjoying the journey. It is, after all, the journey where the learning takes place, where we grow as people and where we have the most fun. Good luck, and thank you.
SPORT
SPORTS E D I T O R I A L
PHIL GREENAWAY
F irstly, I hope that you are all safe and healthy. The current situation has provided huge challenges and disappointments in recent times, with the Lent term sports suffering an early end to their seasons, the Summer term sports failing (at time of writing) to get competitive programmes up and running, and the loss of some major dates in the calendar. For the first time since the war the MCC flag will not fly above the Pavilion this summer, and the National Schools Rowing Regatta won’t see the Dulwich gazebo buzzing with excitement ahead of a day’s racing. In addition, with the cancellation of the Rosslyn Park 7s we missed the sight of 10,000 young rugby players descending onto their fields, desperate for a shot at becoming a national champion. However, the Covid-19 situation has allowed us to take stock, to place an emphasis on skill development and physical fitness, and to evolve our online learning. In no way should this replace our competitive programme but when we do return, I genuinely believe our boys will be better served in the provision that we can offer as a result. What will we return to, in terms of a competitive sports programme? Who knows, but more on that later. We have had a phenomenal year of sport at Dulwich and we must not let the current situation take away that shine. The boys have put in a huge amount of effort and I hope that they can take pride in, and reflect on their efforts. This year 1,236 boys have represented the College in sport of one form or another, which is just over 77% of the College. I would have hoped, with a full Summer term
under our belts, that this would have pushed over 80%. Those numbers don’t tell the full story, but they give a great indication as to the engagement of our boys in sport, and the value they place on the programme. It is also a reflection of the value that the Dulwich community places on sport, as our College Leadership Team continue to give their wholehearted support to the PE & Games Department. The Master and other members of the team are often seen prowling the touchlines, desperate to see the boys succeed. One of the highlights of the year must be the swim team’s incredible victory in the Bath Cup in March at the Olympic pool. Sadly, spectators weren’t allowed in to watch, but rarely have I seen Miss Palmer lost for words. She returned with a beaming grin, testament to a huge sense of relief, satisfaction and joy at the boys’ performance. Massive congratulations go to all the boys involved, and especially to Mr Wakely, who has supported swimming at the College for so long. This year has also seen the re-emergence of badminton as a major force at Dulwich. Wins against Whitgift and a place in the national semi-final have given hope for what the future might hold. Felix Wright has undoubtedly stolen the show with numerous outstanding performances in county cup competitions, but equally, if not more, pleasing has been the number of boys turning up for the badminton sessions during lunch and after school. Another unsung hero amongst the academic staff is Mr Ottewill, who has been a stalwart of badminton at Dulwich for longer than I care to remember.
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