My sporting view
SPORTING VIEW
MY
The seasonal rhythms of school sport have been uninterrupted for decades. One of the most stable dimensions of education is the games which are played at different times of the year, and the progressions of the competitions which support them. The autumn term of 2020 has seen a unique disruption of this status quo. The disappearance of the summer term had given notice that change was likely, and holiday uncertainty surrounded government announcements about which sports might be allowed to be played.
In fact, last minute alignment of the guidance from different departments meant that most games had been restored, in some form or other, by the time the term actually started. The persistence of ISC and heads’ associations, which was necessary to achieve this, should not be underestimated. It was clear that inter-school competition would not resume as usual. However, recognisable sports would be available to schools, albeit in an austere climate of risk management.
This meant that, for the first time in living memory, schools embarked upon a term free from the immediate pressure to select and prepare their
A uniquely unusual term
by Neil Rollings
best players in a narrow range of traditional sports.
The race to produce teams on the first Saturday of term was off. This opened the possibility for wider thinking, and experimentation. It is ironic that, despite unprecedented restrictions caused by pandemic precautions, schools had unequalled freedom within their programme and delivery.
The absence of school competition pressure in hockey, netball and different codes of football had an unexpectedly liberating effect. There were additional positive outcomes.
An undoubted positive was the emergence of a greater level of sector collaboration than ever before. Throughout the summer, directors of sport had shared thoughts and plans as never previously. When no one knew what to expect, or what might be possible, there was comfort in solidarity. The herd mentality created a comfort of acting together at a time when the familiarity of normal operating processes had been removed. Without the zero sum game of school competition, the sharing of ideas, plans and precautions enabled everyone to benefit. Inevitably, some schools, and individuals, led the way, but discussion and sharing were the foundation of all plans.
Local and regional groups of schools were established, or restored, to enable collective planning; attendance at these meetings was at an all-time high.
There was also scope for both experimentation and creativity. Discarding the seasonal straitjacket allowed alternative sports to be introduced. September cricket had been discussed for decades - usually by teachers inspecting pitches that were too hard for rugby – without gaining much traction. The autumn of 2020 allowed it to be given a proper trial, enjoying the collaboration of supportive weather. Many schools incorporated varying degrees of cricket into their September programmes, some involving inter-school matches. Others exploited the fact that pupils had missed summer term activities, and that these were easily socially distanced. Tennis and athletics were regular activities, for pupils of all ages and both sexes, in many schools. The
conclusions were unreservedly positive. 70% of schools which conducted the experiment indicated their intention to continue with summer sports – in some form or other – in future autumn terms.
New activities and approaches abounded. Many schools have
deployed the energy, creativity and resources usually reserved for school sport, to establish new initiatives in PE. Many of these involve the
uncontroversial ambitions of making the subject more relevant, with a new focus on health and wellbeing. Again, all reports are positive.
Extra-curricular activities were probably the area of school life potentially most difficult to sustain. This was historically dominated by the activities of school teams. Much of the capacity of schools has always been taken up with the preparation for competition. In the absence of inter-school fixtures, and with the suspension of national cups, how this would operate was unclear. And yet, this has emerged as one of the most successful areas of pandemic provision.
Most schools who previously had a programme of weekend sport were, rightly, nervous of suspending that activity. There was a real fear that pupils, parents and staff might lose the habit of Saturday sport if it disappeared for a period of unpredictable duration. Schools offered what they could. Forms of traditional winter games sat alongside cricket matches. But the unexpected discovery was that levels of participation were
Continued on page 47 Issue No.81 January/February/March 2021 SCHOOL SPORT 25
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