A handful of St Catherine’s graduates have come together to share their memories of being young sports competitors and the joy they now find in watching their daughters compete for their School too. Over the coming weeks we share stories from these Old Girls and their daughters. This week we feature Ms Melissa Sweetland (’86) and her daughters: Lily Taylor Year 12 and Annabel Taylor Year 10.

Ms Melissa Sweetland (’86) 

What sports did both you and your daughters play at St Catherine’s School?  
Athletics, Basketball, Swimming, Hockey, Softball, Gymnastics, Cross-Country and Netball.  

The girls also rowed but sadly it wasn’t available at St Cath’s when I was there.  

How has playing the same sport helped strengthen your bond as a mother and daughter?  
Genuinely understanding their passion for their sport helps when the alarm goes off at 5.00am, or when I need to juggle work or other commitments to watch them compete. I don’t think I have missed a House or Interschool Swimming or Athletics Competition or a GSV Finals match – I know it matters to them if I am there, and they know it matters to me.      

We spend time chatting through training, goals, and team dynamics, but mostly about how to balance work, social, and sports. Talking about sports is a great way to sneak a few life lessons into a conversation.  

Having played a lot of sports too also helps me to understand the importance of managing their food, and sleep routine – protein vs carbs, sleep vs training vs homework vs social. When work commitments mean I’m a little absent from home and they have to manage alone, I can see the impact on their energy levels. With so much of their week taken up with sport, we need the rest of their life to be repeatable, it must just happen without thinking. Understanding that planning is key to getting them happily through study and sport has been invaluable.      

Have you noticed any differences in the way you and your daughter approach the sport and how the sport is now played?  
They are both much better at their chosen sports than me! This year, Lily ran at Nationals and Annabel swam at Nationals.  

The commitment to the whole person at even the most junior level of sport is new. Our children are being taught the importance of strength and nutrition, of mental health – and the pathways to elite sport are clearer and more available.  

The Athlete Development Academy and the new Strength and Conditioning Studio at St Catherine’s are terrific testaments to the importance of the whole person. The strength work the girls do regardless of sport, the nutritional advice, the quiet words of support, and the bonds they form across the sports are invaluable.     

While some sports have many participants (swimming, rowing, and hockey), others, like athletics, can be much more solitary in Australia. It’s terrific for Lily to be able to do her gym component at St Cath’s with friends – friends who ski, dance, or row – but who also all need to be strong to compete.  

One thing that hasn’t changed is the dedication and commitment of the sporting teachers and parents. Their genuine joy at success remains unchanged.  

Has playing the same sport as your daughter allowed you to support and motivate her during both the triumphs and setbacks in the sport?  
It’s fortunate we played the same sports – it makes the conversation simpler and empathy so much easier. That said, the greatest challenge in any sport is the mental challenge, not technical. Knowing the highs and lows that sport brings at such a young age has been really helpful. Sport matters a lot to many from an early age and being able to embrace and celebrate that attitude from the girls has not only helped them feel validated, but I think has helped build their resilience.  

That said, I watch in awe as non-sporty parents embrace their daughter’s love of sport. I hear the joy as they explain they never did this as a child but love the exhilaration of watching her compete. Their pride in her commitment and achievements always reminds me of the galvanising role sport plays in our lives – across families, across friends, and across generations.  

What do you believe are the benefits of playing sport at school?  
At its most fundamental, sport is essential for their health – it keeps them fit, keeps them busy, and releases endorphins. It makes them happy.  

But as I look to their future, sport also plays a critical role for women. Many recent surveys have pointed to the fact that an overwhelming percentage of male CEOs played competitive sport to a university level – the surveys have also highlighted that the percentage is even greater for women leaders.  

The skills our children learn playing sports will help them navigate life, whether that be in the boardroom, the operating theatre, waiting tables, being a parent or friend, dealing with adversity, or celebrating success. Sport provides children with early access to challenges, emotions, and success so there is time to nurture that growth before they are faced with more complex life events.  

Playing sport helps our girls learn how to win and lose yet still be friends afterwards. It builds resilience, it shows the importance of routine, commitment, and hard work. It reminds them of the importance of a diverse team with different skills and capabilities, it helps to set goals and make difficult decisions. Importantly, it helps them to learn to accept feedback and try new ways of doing things.  

As a parent, it’s a terrific way to get to know other parents. While a cocktail party or information night is always a great introduction, there is nothing more bonding than standing on the sidelines cheering, celebrating, or consoling. It’s an important bond as we gently steer our children through their teen years.      

When the Year 12s came runners-up in the Softball competition this year there wasn’t a dry eye – not on the field, in the coaching box, or on the sidelines. Our girls aren’t club softballers, but for the past six years, they had been a team that had become friends, who looked out for each other and celebrated and commiserated together. They’d been here before.     

Cheering our children on is something St Catherine’s parents do well – at that Softball match, there were a dozen St Catherine’s parents and supporters, the opposition had one, and it’s usually the way.  While mid-week games are hard to get to, we’d made the effort, we had all taken time off work and were still juggling work calls just to be there – it wasn’t easy, but so worth it. 

As Lily finishes up at School, it is cheering from the sidelines that I know I will miss the most. I know her grandfather will too – he has barely missed a sporting event in the time the girls have been at St Cath’s. The multi-generational bonds are often difficult to nurture through their teen years – sport brings them together many times each week.  

Can you share some insights or fond memories of your time playing sport at St Catherine’s?   
In my final two years of school, we won the Interschool Athletics Carnival and came second in the Swimming. The friendships across the different Years between those two teams were special. In those final two years, the School also introduced new sporting camps. They bussed us up to the newly opened AIS in Canberra for a training camp – we met elite athletes, we competed against the best and we had fun together. I have no doubt that the camps played a pivotal role in such a small school stepping up and winning.     

Another other special memory was the Melbourne Grammar vs St Cath’s Senior Hockey match. We played at St Cath’s on the grass where the netball courts stand today. I think we may have ended up with about 20 on our team including a few teachers and we still lost to the boys, but it was so much fun with a great cheer squad.   

Lily Taylor, Year 12 

What do you enjoy about sharing these sports experiences with your Mum?
Growing up Mum always made sure my sister and I tried a number of different sports and because of this both Annabel and I have sports that both us and Mum played. This means that Mum is able to understand how much commitment we have to the sport as well as how important playing sport is to us. Being able to share so many sporting experiences with Mum creates a fun competition within our family, and often Annabel and I come out on top (of course).  

What do you enjoy about participating in sports at St Catherine’s?
The ambition and determination the girls have when playing sport is truly what makes it such an enjoyable experience. No matter how experienced or inexperienced we are, we are always willing to give everything we have.  

What are some of your best sporting memories so far from St Cath’s?
It’s hard to choose just one because pretty much every sporting memory I have is amazing, from winning the Hockey Grand Final multiple times to near Softball wins, to an incredible performance from our Medley Relay Team in the 2023 Swimming Finals night that landed us a first-place medal. However, I think if I had to choose one it would be this year’s Athletics Finals night. Both of my parents were runners and being able to share the experiences with both of them was such a memorable moment. Walking away from that night with a win in the 100m and 200m is definitely something I’ll never forget.    

Annabel Taylor, Year 10 

How has having your Mum also being a St Catherine’s athlete helped you in your chosen sports?
Mum introduced us to competitive sport early – and while she says it was because she wanted us to avoid “after school care,” I think a little competitive streak in her was keen to cheer us on. I loved that we tried so many sports and that she and Dad could also help out. Mum has been my team’s manager, coach, timekeeper, scorer, and loudest cheerleader (embarrassingly) – and I enjoy competing just that little bit more when she can watch.  

Now that I train 20 hours a week for swimming and also play GSV, I appreciate that she understands the commitment that it takes. She knows I get tired, that I have little spare time, that food is important, and it helps that she is always cheery on the way to the 5.00am drop-offs at the pool.  

During COVID it was hard – we were at home on our farm in NSW so we couldn’t see school friends. The School Sporting Program continued, and Mum encouraged us to keep joining in. It was a great way to stay connected with friends – and at one stage the entire School Athletics Team ran a virtual relay the 400kms from School to our farm.  

What do you enjoy about sharing these sports experiences with your Mum?
Her constant support and encouragement no matter the circumstances. I suffer from a little bit of “white line fever,” I tend to get super competitive once I hit the sporting field – and while I try to be balanced, sometimes it’s hard to be happy when you don’t perform well. Mum understands that. We talk about it, and she tries to remind me of the good – but she also understands I need space to work through it.  

What do you enjoy about participating in sports at St Catherine’s?
I love the community the different sports create as you get to know your peers and also the girls from other Year levels. I also love that I can play so many different sports – some well, some not so well – but there is always a place in a team for me.  

What are some of your best sporting memories so far from St Cath’s?
I think my best sporting memory so far was setting the State record in the 50m Freestyle Relay in Year 6. It was in the SSV Competition, so every school in Victoria competed and a little St Catherine’s Team won. It was incredible. All our parents were there, I think it was the first time I had competed at an event that was live-streamed. I also feel a little sense of pride that every year when the SSV Competition comes around my Mum will check to see if we still hold the record. 

I also loved the loud and supportive atmosphere at the Vic All Schools Swimming Relay Championships earlier this year. MSAC was full and the crowd electric. After that event, the St Catherine’s cheer squad at the GSV Swimming Finals Night was even bigger – and louder. My grandmother was watching the live stream from Sydney and said even the commentators mentioned how supportive the St Catherine’s cheer squad was.