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Sports & games
There is often much emphasis on sports and games in independent schools and
there may be pressure to play the team sport of the term eg rugby/netball
(autumn), hockey (spring) and cricket/tennis (summer). In some, 5 or 6 afternoons
a week (plus other times) are devoted to them and most independent schools
have excellent facilities on-site or nearby, frequently including sports
halls and floodlit astroturf pitches.
The principal and most popular field games are: rugby union, cricket, hockey,
soccer, lacrosse, handball, softball, rounders and forms of baseball. Some
Irish schools provide hurling and Gaelic football. The main court games are:
lawn tennis, hard-court tennis, netball, badminton, basketball, squash, rackets,
volleyball, and croquet; plus Eton fives and Rugby fives. A few schools provide
real tennis.
Of the course games, golf is easily the most popular. Quite a lot of schools
have 9-hole courses on their estates, or have access to courses nearby.
Athletics are very popular and most schools can provide a full range of field
and track events (quite a few schools have all-weather running tracks) and
cross-country running. Some martial arts are available including judo, karate,
kendo and kung-fu. Fencing is popular, but school boxing is a thing of the
past.
Target sports (eg archery, clay pigeon shooting, rifle-shooting - small and
fullbore) are available in quite a lot of schools and are often linked with
activities in the CCF.
Water sports (especially swimming, water polo, surfing, canoeing, sailing,
rowing and diving) are always popular. Schools situated near the sea, a river
or lake tend to make good use of water. Most schools have their own swimming
pool.
Gymnastic sports are extremely popular and most schools have good facilities
for these.
Some schools (particularly an increasing number of girls' schools) can provide
riding and some show jumping; quite a number have facilities for pupils to
bring their own horses or ponies.
Outdoor pursuits are often closely associated with sport (or are sports in
their own right), and include sailing, canoeing, skiing, rock climbing, fell
walking, cliff scaling, gliding and parachuting. Country schools (especially
those in Scotland and the North of England) have a very full range of outdoor
pursuits/sports and a number have outdoor pursuit centres which pupils can
visit for a few days at a time. Such activities have links with various
enterprises in the Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme.
The mens sana in corpore sano philosophy - no doubt a continuation of the
Victorian cult of athletic prowess and muscular Christianity - is still
widespread and many schools see team and individual sports and games as valuable
character-building influences. Most schools have a hard core of dedicated
sports/games enthusiasts on the staff (some Heads are fanatics) who are qualified
to coach, referee and umpire and who are prepared to devote an enormous amount
of time and effort to their chosen activity. The majority of schools run
sports and games on a competitive basis, with inter-house competitions and
numerous fixtures with other schools.
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