St Catherine’s Sports program saw a fantastic start to Term 3, with our GSV Soccer, Badminton and Track and Field teams hitting the training track in large numbers and in excited anticipation for the upcoming season. We welcomed Strati Xynas to the role of Head Soccer Coach and were amazed by the impact he had on our teams in a short period of time. Strati is a UEFA B licensed coach with experience at an elite, international level and is currently the technical director at Malvern City FC. We look forward to him working with our teams in the future.

During the first week of term, our Years 9 and 10 Hockey team luckily got the chance to finish off their incomplete Term 2 season by playing fellow zone winner Strathcona in an ‘unofficial’ Grand Final. It was a tight first half with Strathcona scoring to take a 1-0 lead into the break. Our girls found another gear in the second half, with goals to Lucy Dunlop, Phoebe Russell, Chloe (Coco) Butterfield and Charlotte Wood giving St Catherine’s a 4-1 win and ensuring they defended their 2019 GSV Premiership. Here’s to the dynasty continuing next year!

Showing the resilience and determination that we have come to expect from our athletes, the St Catherine’s students then took up the challenge to remain active, despite the barriers posed by the current restrictions. With Girls’ Sport Victoria planning a re-scheduled Track and Field carnival in Term 4, our team has kept up their training through the sessions provided by our Heads of Athletics, Mr Lloyd Knight and Ms Susan Hobson. Likewise, our rowers have commenced their campaign for the 2021/2022 season, with the girls hungry to build on their outstanding previous season. The students have replaced on-water sessions with online ergos, strength and conditioning and recovery sessions to ensure they are in great shape when they return to the water.

The members of the St Catherine’s Netball Club have continued their training with online sessions run by Netfit, while a number of our budding Soccer stars have completed online skills-based sessions. Our amazing in-house Yoga instructor (and future School Captain) Madeleine Powell has led weekly Yoga sessions incorporating mindfulness, deep breathing and flexibility; a great way to start the day!

The Sport Department is incredibly proud of the efforts shown by the students and staff to remain active. A huge number of the community took up last Wednesday’s challenge to get out for a walk, run or ride and log their kilometres to see which House could cumulatively walk the furthest.

Looking ahead to Term 4, we are hoping for a return to sport at School and students have already registered for our Cricket and Basketball teams, as well as a number of engagement activities. More specific information regarding Term 4 will be provided in due course. Over the holidays, we encourage students to continue to remain active and to connect with their peers and family through physical activity.