FOSTERING COMMUNITY

ST CATHERINE’S School head of sport Nick Racina says they employ many former students who make fantastic role models as coaches in the sport program.

“It is very much a cultural thing and we try to use those former students who have been the driver of that culture and then bring them back in as coaches to build upon,” Mr Racina says.

Sport also fosters community, often amplified in rural towns where local teams are an integral and uniting mainstay, but so too within school settings.

Our first eight rowing crew won the Nationals in term one. The sense of school pride that it brings having success like that when we had it up on the big screen and showed the race and all the other members of the school community got behind them is incredible,” Mr Racina says.

BROADENING HORIZONS

SPORT transcends age barriers and year levels in many instances, allowing for a wider friendship circle.

“If you have a new student or a student who is not overly engaged with the co-curricular life of the school or who doesn’t have as many friends, then they can come into the sport program and develop some as they have a shared interest,” Mr Racina says.

“Our footy team spans Years 9-12 so you have that really nice cross year level connection so when students are walking through the school grounds they have connections with older students.

“Playing team sports together can easily double the number of social interactions and people they know.”

Sport takes you on a shared journey of ups and downs, Mr Racina says, whether than be sharing 5am training sessions, a crucial win or commiserating a loss.

“Going through that with another person and sharing those struggles and the success, it fosters that sense of mateship and team spirit that friendships are built on.

“Sport is a good microcosm of what life is like.

“The challenges, the supporting each other, it all lends itself to developing relationships.”