SPORT
Phil Greenaway reflects on the many and various sporting activities which have taken place over the past year
I say this every year, but has it really been a whole 12 months since I Iast wrote a foreword for the sporting section of the Alleynian ? Such is the busy nature of teaching, and at Dulwich in particular, that during the year we rarely get a chance to look over our shoulder and reflect on the good, the bad and the ugly. The pace of a school such as ours means we don't get to celebrate the successes with too much pomp, and the set-backs aren't able to be focused on with hours of doom- and-gloom analysis. I hope the following reports do, however, give you a sense of how much we value each and every boy's physical wellbeing and sporting experience. Parents, boys and staff alike will look back on certain episodes with pride, disappointment, reflection and, I sincerely hope, the odd smile. Sport should be enjoyable; it must be enjoyable if we are going to inspire all Alleynians to live a healthy and active lifestyle. That we enjoy sport does not mean that we don't take it seriously, though. The life lessons sport can teach our boys and the benefits it brings during times of stress and anxiety cannot and should not be underestimated; but it is right that we don't over-egg the winning celebrations, nor should we get too down about the disappointments. We need to keep things in perspective, and that involves celebrating the processes of learning, of giving our best and of developing character. Among our leavers this year we have some outstanding young men about to embark on fantastic careers within sport,
and we wish them all the very best. We are equally proud of the boys who leave us to play sport at whatever level. In particular, I would like to encourage all boys to engage with the various Old Alleynians sports clubs that exist. Connecting through sport with OAs across the world is something that you are lucky to be able to take advantage of, as is the opportunity to meet your future business partner, best man, or partner for life by joining the university squash club, local cricket club, tennis ladder, athletics clubs or nearest park run community. Good luck, boys, and thank you for all you have given in the name of Dulwich College Sport. Finally, I would like to thank all of the staff at the College who are involved in sport in any capacity. We wouldn't have managed to put on over 2,000 sporting fixtures, involving over 1,250 boys across the College, without you. In particular, my thanks go to Mr Wheble, Mr Thomas, Mr Bishop, Mr Craig and Mr Whaymand, who leave us for pastures new. We look forward to welcoming them all back in years to come. The other staff I would like to give a huge thank you to, who often go unnoticed, are the operational staff at the College, who work tirelessly to support the boys and our sporting programme. From the grounds team to the catering staff, from Mrs Groves to procurement, from the maintenance staff to the sports club team, and everyone in between: please accept our sincere thanks.
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