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After smashing the opposition at the District Sportshall Athletics Championships, The Wilnecote School Year 8 Sportshall Athletics team went onto represent Tamworth District at the County Championships.
After last year’s bronze medal, the girls were determined to at least match this achievement. This time they were accompanied by our boys’ team, who had the advantage of hearing all about the girls’ experiences and were able to take the advice the girls offered to relax the nervous before taking to the track and field.
Since the District event just before Christmas, the teams had been training hard, strengthening their skills and developing their fitness to improve their performances. The group attend training regularly, support each other to improve and enjoy the competitive nature of the sport.
This year the group had a secret weapon… the expertise of a national speed bounce champion Brooke Burton. Brooke, an ex-student, is studying sport at Sutton College, she was happy to coach the group specifically at improving their techniques on the reversaboards, standing long jump and speed bounce. Brooke was invaluable in providing some insider information to increase the point score on each event. In return, Brooke was able to use the training sessions as part of the coaching element of her course.
The competition at Stoke was extremely challenging; with each district in Staffordshire being represented. With extra time for training due to the event being postponed earlier in the year, it seemed that everyone had made huge improvements in their fitness and technique too.
With a few changes to the original team sheet due to injury, The Wilnecote School team hit the track and field with a fierce determination.
It is extremely difficult to work out where the teams stood in terms of placings; the competition is held in two groups with each competitor required to compete for their event as a final, knowing that every extra centimetre and every seconded counted to the teams overall score meant that every individual had to be in their best form. Running, jumping, bouncing and throwing to their maximum.
As the teams gathered at the end of the event for the overall results, the sense of anticipation was electric, the tension was felt by everyone. The team was justly rewarded for their efforts, with both the girls’ and boys’ teams being presented with silver medals! They were ecstatic… practice might not always make perfect but it provides reassurance, gives confidence and enables technique to be mastered.
Many photos and selfie’s were taken, each with the biggest of smiles.
A big thank you to Brooke… your hard work clearly gave the teams the edge they needed.
A huge well done to everyone, you really were amazing. So very proud of you.
Who knows, maybe they’ll hold a Year 9 event, so we can get that elusive gold!
