Edenglen High School

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SPORTS REPORT 2011

2011 was a year filled with both achievements and disappointments on the sports field. However, I would like to start by sharing some general information with regards to sport at Edenglen High School. By the end of August, the school had spent R182500 on transporting teams to various venues for sporting activities. From January to date the school spent R82000 on sporting equipment such as team wear for first teams, balls, agility equipment and refurbishing the scrum machine. All four tennis courts, as well as the three netball courts, were re-surfaced, the athletics track was widened and the bottom field cricket pitch is receiving a total make-over. We have also invested in a new pitch cover for the main cricket field.

But money spent must coincide with developing sporting codes. I am happy to report that for the first time ever, Edenglen fielded a second XV in rugby as well as a B-team in athletics. At one time earlier this year we had six U/14 cricket teams and 4 U/14 netball teams practising. It must also be noted that at the beginning of the year, 12 learners received their National Colours for various sporting codes while 26 received Provincial Colours. 73 learners were awarded Half Colours and 77 received Full Colours during the four Colour Assemblies we have held this year. I am also glad to report that Ms Marais, one of our rugby coaches, completed her Level 2 coaching course during the year.

Disappointing though is the fact that too many coaches have left Edenglen or the teaching profession, and this is leaving a widening gap amongst the coaching staff. As a school we will be investing in coaches for the future. We have already started using coaches that are not employed as staff members and will certainly invest more funds into this effort.

SUMMER SPORTS

Our swimmers had a short but very productive season. At the gala at the Deutsche Schule, our team finished second, beating both Boksburg High and Bryanston High B-team. At the Inter High meeting our swimmers achieved seven first and eleven second places. As the season is very short we have decided to participate in the relay events later in term 4, to allow swimmers to prepare for the season next year. Although Eastleigh Primary allowed our swimmers to use their facilities for practises, for which we are extremely grateful, we should start investigating the possibility of building our own swimming pool if we want the sport to develop further.

The squash season was shortened due to the fact that participating schools were divided into pools. Our first team did well by finishing high enough on the log to participate in the Top Schools Tournament. They also contested the semi-finals in their league. The fact that we had five teams participating means, that this is a growing sport with potential for development.

As mentioned earlier, cricket is also developing into one of the main sporting codes. The one factor that prohibits developing our players, however, is weather. During the first term a total of 10 matches had to be cancelled due to inclement weather. Hopefully the new covers will alleviate this situation. Highlights for the season were the U/16-team beating Edenvale and the first XI beating Queens High on their own field. Two of our First team players have recently been selected to represent East Area. The cricket teams have already started training for this term and we expect a great season ahead.

Our athletes excelled this season. We had a total of 239 learners participating in the A and B-teams. During the league we won the meetings held at Mondeor and Greenside, which is to be noted, because we have never been able to beat those teams on their home soil before. At the Inter High meetings the A-team finished second and the B-team fifth, losing by only 5 points to Edenvale High B. At the prestige meeting our athletes won four gold, 2 silver and 4 bronze medals.

Our cross country team started their season with much hard work. Ms Westoby proved herself to be the fittest teacher on the staff, as she always finished first during the training runs. We hosted several inter house meetings where many athletes had an opportunity to show their speed and stamina. Three of our athletes participated in the District Championships and although we did well, there is still room for improvement.

Once again our first aiders performed their duties to a very high standard. If you consider the fact that hiring first aid can cost anything between R1000 and R2000 per match, they have saved the school a considerable amount of money, while they assisted players on and off the field. Many players from Edenglen as well as our opponents can thank the first aiders for helping them get back on the field feeling refreshed and ready to continue the game. I am happy to report that many of the first aiders have completed courses in first aid and we expect this developing trend to continue into the future.

WINTER SPORTS

Our rugby players competed exceptionally well this year. Although we did not compete in any leagues, their commitment to winning and playing well, remained intact. Our First XV was very successful, with wins over Saheti, King David Linksfield, Reddam and Edenvale allowing them to boast that they are the “Kings of the East”. Other teams they beat were Hyde Park, Bryanston and Rand Park. Our second XV also performed well, winning 3 of the 5 games they played. The first team had a winning ratio of 64%, but the U/16 beat them by winning 67% of their games. We enjoyed many achievements, but for me personally, beating Edenvale High 24-10 in front of a home crowd was the highlight of the season.

Over the past year tennis has become a very popular sport especially after the courts were resurfaced and the number of junior players has increased tremendously. Edenglen boasted a very successful season this year with both girl teams winning their respective leagues and playing in the District Semi-finals. To the boys - remember it is the spirit in which the game is played, rather than the victory that is important.

Drummies remains one of the most successful sporting codes where provincial and national colors are concerned. This year we can boast that no less than 15 drummies have Provincial Colours and 6 have National Colors. The team performed exceptionally well, finishing third in Champion of Champions at provincial level allowing them entry into Nationals in the Elite Category. They finished fourth overall at the Nationals in Durban. Also at the National Championships they finished third in Baton Group and Leader Small Drill.

The netball season proved to be difficult for most players as they faced some really tough opposition. However the girls displayed excellent sportsmanship in their play and continued to encourage each other during the season. It was pleasing to note that we had four U/14 teams practising which promises a great future for the sport in general. The highlight of the season was the Sports Day at St Peters College, where all six our teams were able to beat them convincingly. All the coaches were graded as umpires at the beginning of the season and we expect this sport to grow to even bigger heights next year.

The hockey season was full of excitement. The Junior boys won most of their matches and have shown that a lot can be expected of our young players. The Junior girls were a dedicated and passionate team. The senior girls committed themselves to the season and three of the girls made it to the second round of trials. The senior boys also played with dedication and three of our players went through to the second round of trials. All in all it was a good season but there is room for improvement.

Soccer kicked off with a bang and our teams did really well. The Junior Girls were undefeated and won both the semi-finals of the North Rand Football Association against Edenvale High and the finals against King David Linksfield. Some of their scores sounded more like cricket results than soccer results. Our Senior boys also managed to do exceptionally well, finishing second in their league. They then proceeded to beat King David Linksfield in the semi-finals and Edenvale High in the finals. They managed to beat one of their rivals 10-2 - however I think we should not embarrass that particular school by naming it.

We had a wonderful softball season with the boys winning three of their four games and the girls winning 6 of the 14 games they contested. Although softball is constantly growing amongst girls, boys seem to lose interest in the game, hence the discrepancy in the number of games played against teams from other schools. Five of our boys were selected in the Easterns training squad.

Edenglen Sports Teams

Cricket:

1st, 2nd, U/16A, U/15A, U/15B, U/14A to E

Swim:

A-team

Squash:

5 teams 1st to 5th

Rugby:

1st, 2nd, U/16A, U/16B, U/15A, U/14A & U/14B

Netball:

1st, 2nd, U/17A, U/16A, U/16B, U/15A, U/15B, U/14A & U/14B

Hockey Boys:

1st, U/16A & U/14A

Hockey Girls:

1st, U/16A, U/15A & U/14A

Tennis Boys:

1st, 2nd & 3rd

Tennis Girls:

1st & 2nd

Cross country:

Boys A & Girls A

Softball Boys:

1st & 2nd

Softball Girls:

1st & 2nd

Soccer Boys:

1st, U/16A, U/15A & U/14A

Soccer Girls:

1st & Jnr team

Athletics:

A-team & B-team

A. Blou - Most Promising Netball Player	A. Buffa	A. Martinescu - Most Promising Boy Sqush Player	A. Simbine- Best Boy Athlete	B. Ojetimi- Best Boy Hockey Player	B. Redmond - Best Boy Swimmer & Sportsman of The Year
C. Carreira- Best Drummie	C. Kuperus - Best Girl Swimmer	C. Napier -Sports Trophy for Commitment	D. Van Loenen - Most promising Rugby Player	E. Chetty - Best First Aider	E. Roberts- Best Boy Softball Player
J. Khonana - Most Promising cross country Athlete	J. Minnaar - Best Girl Athlete	J. Penny -Best Squash Player of The Year	J. Selala-Best Netball Player	K. Lopes -Most Promising Girl Tennis Player	K. Malahela- Dancer of The Year
L. Grobler - Best Girl Hockey Player	L. Mott - Best Rugby Player	M. Cox - Best Tennis Player Girl	M. Masilela - Best Boy Soccer Player	M. Meyer - Best Cross Country Athlete	Q. Yelani - Most Promising Girl Cross Country Athlete
R. Lewis- Best Girl Softball Player	R. Makamu - most Promising Girl Swimmer	R. Ramcharan- Most Promising Cricket player	R. Singh - Best Cricket Player	S. Elliott - Most Promising softball player & Most Promising Squash player	S. Farrows - Most Promising Tennis Player
S. Gibson- Most Promising Boy Swimmer	S. Vanker - Most Promising Boy Athlete	T. McMurray - Sportswoman of The Year	T. Mongale - Most Promising Boys Soccer Player	T. Nxumalo -Most Promising Girl Hockey Player	T. Swartbooi - Most Promising Soccer Player

Athletics - Boys			Athletics - Girls			Cross Country

First Team - Boys			First Team - Girls

Congratulations to the following who went through to represent our school at the prestige gala 2011:

1. Danika Van Wyk
2. Skye Gibson
3. Brett Redmond
4. Tamlyn Wright
5. Chantelle Kuperus
6. Jesse Hartig

Tennis - Boys			Tennis - Girls			Squash