Invicta Vlogs
Wimbledon fortnight has come to an end!
Wimbledon fortnight has come to an end! The 2016 European Football Championships have been completed! We near the end of our academic year too! Having watched a number of important matches – be it tennis or football - over the last fortnight, it has made me think that when talking about sport there is a tendency simply to list achievements, over-analyse individual triumphs and agonise over close losses. Highlights and lowlights have inevitably gone hand in hand throughout this sporting period and indeed, we have had similar experiences throughout the course of this academic year across many aspects of school life – be it sport, music, art, drama, academia or personal development.
At school, in Sports, we have of course had successes, with teams winning titles and qualifying for tournaments. These have been alongside many individuals pushing themselves toward club, county, regional, national and international representation in their respective sports and these individuals and teams have been rightly celebrated along the way. Equally important, however, is the need to take a brief pause every now and then, for thought and reflection; to consider the vast scale of sport and its respective achievements – both at Invicta and in the wider community; the ways in which it has helped shape us as individuals.
Sport has a perpetual nature; the constant planning and performing often leave little time for regular reflection, particularly on how sport has developed us. The injuries, bumps and bruises, the wins, draws and losses, the elation, despair, triumph and tragedy all develop the character required to be successful the next time. They shape the desire to be part of a strong, proud developing team whilst also being individually successful. I not so sure that Andy Murray is reflecting on this today, but one thing for sure, is that he will do so, over the course of the next few weeks – attributing his success to a team approach and a determination to succeed.
The fact that there is sport at Invicta is no coincidence. It is to ensure that we, as individuals, teams and a school, grow, develop, enjoy, learn and continue to strive for progress and success. If everyone involved in Invicta has managed some of this at some stage throughout the academic year then, leaving aside the trophies, titles and individual successes, we will have had a very productive year indeed. So, as we embark on our second Sports Day, and close this academic year with an assembly of our achievements, I will with pride, celebrate the bumps, bruises, and most importantly, the individual and team successes of our whole school – not just our sports, but the individual challenges we all set ourselves at the start of the year, which I know we will have embraced wholeheartedly because that is what makes Invicta the special place it is.
On this note, I would like to thank all our students, staff and parents for their commitment to sharing our ethos of being ‘individual’ and developing the character to be successful - not necessarily today, but certainly in the future! Have a lovely holiday reflecting and refreshing!
