As a child with a very sporty father, sport was not an activity but a way of life. I was surrounded by sport growing up and I’d either be in a rugby club or a cricket club. When I got older, it seemed natural for me to be drawn to netball and athletics but I also played everything, from hockey to volleyball.
Sport to me has been more than just learning about ball skills and the right footwork. Physically, I’ve enjoyed the health benefits of doing sport and emotionally I’ve gained resilience as I’ve worked hard to become successful. I’ve loved being part of something bigger than myself and, socially, most of my friends have come from playing sport. When I moved around a lot, from Halifax, to Bedford, to the Midlands, for me sport was a lifesaver and introduced me to readymade friendship groups.
One of the reasons I became a PE teacher was to pass on my love and passion for something which can benefit people for the rest of their lives. I think it’s a big selling point we have here at Bradford Grammar School – we get our children to a level that they’re comfortable with so they can go out and join clubs at university. We talk about performance, and we have a few children who can make it to a high level, but performance to me is about helping all pupils try and make sport integral to them.
I have so many former students getting in touch to let me know which club they’ve joined at university. I love hearing from them and knowing that they are making sport part of their lives and enjoying all the benefits from it that I’ve enjoyed over the years.
I still love playing netball now (aside from me having a longer recovery time!) and I still have a group of friends through netball. I have a busy life and it’s something I do just for me. A lot of the girls I taught are starting to come back from university and I play alongside one of them. Aside from occasionally being introduced as ‘this is my old PE teacher,’ I know I’ve succeeded when I see the way former pupils are embracing a love of sport. Passing on my passion for sport, as it was passed on to me, is a great privilege. Watching the next generation experience the life enhancing merits of sport is a wonderful thing.
“One of the reasons I became a PE teacher was to pass on my love and passion for something which can benefit people for the rest of their lives. I think it’s a big selling point we have here at Bradford Grammar School – we get our children to a level that they’re comfortable with so they can go out and join clubs at university.
We talk about performance, and we have a few children who can make it to a high level, but performance to me is about helping all pupils try and make sport integral to them.”
Be Social!