In my six and a half years at Calne, sport has gone from strength to strength, culminating in all the lacrosse teams reaching the last 16 in their respective age groups at last year’s National Schools’ Championships. I know from my own experience how important it can be to have encouragement from the older years – they spent hours with me and others at the practice goal when we were in the Fourth Form.
As Co-Captain of the St Mary’s current 1st XII Lacrosse Team, and in my role in the Head Girl’s Team as Head of Student Liaison and someone for whom lacrosse has been a big part of my life at Calne, I relished the opportunity to help out with the U14 Team in their match against Heathfield a couple of weekends ago. I started coaching the current UIV when their lacrosse careers began in LIV as part of my Duke of Edinburgh’s qualification and still take a particular interest in their development. It is, I think, something particular to St Mary’s girls how, lacking their normal member of staff, they rallied round taking instruction, direction and encouragement from one of their peers, albeit one a little older. Their response on the pitch mirrored their attitude off it and they came away with a well deserved win with some fantastic team play. It also gave me a chance to get to know some of the newer members of UIV and put names to a few faces.
I try to regularly visit each of the Junior houses, catching up with the girls over cups of hot chocolate and a few slices of toast, and hearing what they have to say on school life and any issues they have. I have loved going to St Prisca’s House and being shown the newer rooms and seeing how much it has changed since we were there not so long ago.
As I prepare for life beyond St Mary’s with university applications and interviews, EPQs and A Levels to prepare, being involved with the U14s again was a gentle reminder of all that I have gained here – sports staff who have encouraged me to perform both for school and up through the levels – but also an understanding of what friendship really means, of how people can support each other and how success can be measured in many different ways.
Iona, Senior Prefect and Head of Student Liaison (UVI)
