Sport for all at King’s St Alban’s

At King’s St Alban’s, all pupils have the opportunity to represent the School in sporting fixtures. This week was no different, with all of our Prep School pupils taking part in matches against our friends over at King’s Hawford.

U8 & U9 Netball v King’s Hawford

All our Year 3 and 4 girls were in action on the netball courts again on Tuesday. They always enjoy playing against Hawford as many of them have friends in the School. All the girls had plenty of time on court and we had some very red cheeks by the end of the afternoon. Miss Jordan had most of the Year 4 girls outside and said she was impressed with how they are now adapting to the Stingers game of 5-a-side, with the set rotations and positions. She made special mention of Charlotte H, who has made excellent progress this term.

All the Year 3s did well, but Nell’s shooting was particularly impressive on Tuesday.

Well done, girls!

U11 Bs v King’s Hawford

We had two mixed teams that played against Hawford Bs on Monday. We played eight periods of play, so the girls played most of the positions on court. All the periods were close, and the ball went from end to end. Mila, Evie N and Ace all played well, marking their player tightly and trying to make use of the space on court. Congratulations to Evie N and Ace who both were awarded ‘Player of the Match’ by Hawford.

U11 A Netball v King’s Hawford

The girls had a super afternoon of netball on Monday. It was good practice for both sides, as both teams were heading to the IAPS netball tournament on Wednesday. We were strict on umpiring and the girls had definitely improved their footwork and distance away from their player. We followed the Bee netball rotations and, as we had seven players, we made seven rotations so each player could try out in every position. The match was extremely close, with the ball up and down each end. We were winning 9-7 in the last rotation, but the final score ended 9-9! Ella was the well-deserved Player of the Match; she showed some super interceptions. Well done!

U8 Football v King’s Hawford

The U8 boys played their first game of the football season this week at King’s Hawford and had a very enjoyable afternoon. Playing three ten-minute halves, the team improved well throughout the game, using their dribbling and passing skills well.

Zach, Albarn and Henry took it in turns in goal and also played well out of goal, making some great runs and tackles. Ben had a great game in defence, pushing forwards well when in possession off the ball. Jasper played up front, coming close to scoring on a few occasions and always working hard to defend. For the next game, the team needs to work on their positioning and movement off the ball. What a great start this was to the football after a very successful rugby season last term. Well done boys!

U9A Football v King’s Hawford

The U9 boys absolutely loved their first taste of competitive football this year. The boys started slowly and struggled with their shape and composure, but this is totally understandable in their first fixture. As the game went on, they listened to instructions and worked extremely hard to incorporate the different coaching points into their game. Mark F made some great saves in goal and distributed the ball well. Louie F and Ben J were solid in defence and made some crucial tackles to stop the opposition’s attack. Will B worked hard and carried the ball excellently, going past defenders with ease. Harry D, Luca E and Archie B did well going forward and created a number of attacks.

U9B Football v King’s Hawford

Our U9s enjoyed a challenging match against Hawford. George C started in goal, positioning himself well. Crispin N and Brody S completed the defence and both defenders made a few important tackles. Albert M-H impressed in the first half with some darting runs down the wing. After conceding some early goals, the boys had to organise a response. This response came through a goal from Harry B.  Harry B was particularly impressive up front; his work rate on the pitch was fantastic and Che-David R helped the strike force with some long passes. In the end, the boys had a good learning experience. They now know as a team which areas to work on in training, such as going towards the ball and spreading it wide. Well done boys!

U10A Football v King’s Hawford

It was great to see the U10 A team in action on Wednesday and they really impressed with the standard of football on display. They worked well as a team and passed the ball around impressively.  Theo had a great afternoon, controlling the midfield and then putting in a brilliant performance in goal, coming off his line well and making himself as big as possible to make a number of amazing saves! Sam T was a rock in defence, distributing the ball excellently and making some brilliantly timed tackles. It was a great team performance and we have highlighted a few things to work on during games and club next week. Well done, boys!

U10B Football v King’s Hawford

The U10s had a great afternoon at Hawford. In what turned out to be a tough game, the team’s efforts were very impressive. Arslan S starred in goal, making plenty of crucial saves. Helping Arslan at the back were Seb S, Jacob B and James A. The starting back three communicated well at times to stop the Hawford attack. After conceding a few early goals, it was imperative that the boys launched their own attack. This came through our nimble wingers, Humphrey D and Oliver A. After failing to organise an offence through the middle, the two wingers responded well to their coaches’ advice, attacking the wide channels thereafter. A standout performance in the midfield was made by Wilf S, who ran the game, showcasing an incredible work rate to cover the entire pitch. George B, our starting striker, positioned himself well, and as a result found himself on the ball often. The challenging game called for some substitutions, and so Rory S, Jasper M, Rory W and Isaac L all came onto the pitch, providing some well needed energy at the back and up top. After a difficult game, the boys should be proud of their determination and sportsmanship.

U11A Football v King’s Hawford

The Year 6 boys’ football team played King’s Hawford this week in a very close game that ended in a very narrow defeat. The boys displayed excellent teamwork and effort levels in a very exciting game.

Jack displayed a big improvement in goals, making some excellent saves, and Ivan had another great game in defence using his strength and speed. Will and Harry were effective going forwards and getting back on the left side of the pitch, and Mortimer and Charlie worked hard on the right wing. Barnaby had a good game showing an improvement in his passing skills and supported his teammates well. Leo, carrying on his excellent movement off the ball, did well up front, and Conor displayed great resilience when defending. Ralphie was a constant threat on the ball and Peter, who controlled the midfield, scored a brilliant twenty-yard shot. Well done boys!