Sporting Effort and Attainment Celebrated with Awards.

As is customary at King’s Hawford, today we held our Sports Awards for our Prep School pupils. It has been a fantastic season of sport for our rugby and hockey players, and every pupil who has represented the School this season has shown great improvement. Our sports coaches and games staff have been incredibly impressed with the effort, enthusiasm, sportsmanship, and resilience that our pupils have demonstrated on the sports fields. Our Sports Awards reward pupils for their efforts this term and each year group has a Player of the Term and a Most Improved Player of the Term.

This year we had a very special treat at our Awards Ceremony, as we were able to welcome Sam and Will back to King’s Hawford. Both boys are Old Hawfordians, and last weekend were part of the King’s Worcester 1st XV that reclaimed the Modus Cup from old rivals, RGS. Sam and Will agreed to present our awards, much to the delight of our pupils!

Year 3 Most Improved Player – Rupert T

This boy can be quite quiet, but has worked very hard on his ball-handling skills and has gained confidence running with the ball. He is an athletic boy and as such is an elusive runner. This term has seen him develop his game, and his decision making has impressed Mr Marsland and Mr Hodgkins. Well done to Rupert T.

Year 3 Player of the Term   Cassian W

Player of the Term could have been given to any of the boys in Year 3, but the coaches have chosen someone who is strong running with the ball. He has excellent spatial awareness and a brilliant understanding of where he needs to be in attack and defence. Congratulations to Cassian W.

Year 3 Most Improved Hockey Player – Connie C

This young hockey player has impressed for several reasons.  She has made a substantial contribution when on the field, and has found her strengths in a defensive position. She tackles and distributes the ball well, and is solid in defence, showing real dominance and a desire for the ball. As the term has gone on, her confidence has grown and she has demonstrated some super communication, with one player going towards the ball carrier and the others picking up free players allowing her to clear the ball effectively from the goal line. A popular member of the Year Three hockey squad who never fails to make us laugh, such as the time she turned up to play with only one red sock on; she is always playing with a smile, works hard and listens. For her amazing progress this term, the award of Most Improved Player goes to Connie C!

Year 3 Hockey Player of The Term – Aurelia A

This young hockey player started in September, never having played hockey before, but has practiced, attended club, and has shown a tremendous willingness to learn the sport of hockey. This young lady continually demonstrates a variety of skills when playing hockey and has shown she can dribble the ball with confidence and dominate on the field in an attacking position.  She consistently attacks fiercely in front of goal and at times has shown reverse stick skills which we normally wouldn’t witness in a Year Three player. She is a popular member of the team who is extremely coachable and we are excited for her sporting future throughout her time at King’s. Hockey Player of the Term is awarded to Aurelia A!

Year 4 Most Improved Player  – Johannes K

This boy worked hard in Year Three to improve his ball handling and focus and this term he has been extremely switched on, with a huge desire to improve further. He is a strong, athletic boy who has started to use this in his game, and his improved decision making has further boosted his ability on the pitch. Well done to Johannes!

Year 4 Player of the Term – Jack J

This Year Four new starter has made a huge impact on the U9 team. He has massive presence on the pitch and is always at the centre of any action. He is a real powerhouse going forwards and a true asset to the team. Well done to Jack J!

Year 4 Most Improved Hockey Players – Maysie L and Izzy W.

We have two nominations for Most Improved Player in Year Four, both girls who have really impressed all the staff on Games. The first is a girl who has made huge progress in her hockey this term: she has developed her skill considerably and has shown a natural attacking instinct in fixtures. She always has a positive attitude and gives it everything she’s got. It has been a pleasure to watch her go from strength to strength this term and develop into a fantastic little Hockey player. The first award for Most Improved Player goes to Maysie L.

The second award for Most Improved Player goes to a girl who started the season quite quietly and was sometimes nervous in fixtures. Over time she has really grown in confidence and has started to enjoy her hockey; in fixtures she has really got stuck in, finishing the term with some really good performances. It has been a pleasure to watch her gain confidence in her own ability this term; the second award of Most Improved Player goes to Izzy W.

Year 4 Hockey Player of The Term – Jasmine O

This is an incredibly strong group of girls, who have played some fantastic hockey this season; it will be very exciting to watch these girls develop in hockey over the next few years. Choosing the Player of the Season was a particularly difficult decision, because there are a number of girls who have stood out. The girl chosen is a very promising player, who is very keen to learn new things and is able to learn new skills quickly and immediately wants to try them out in a competitive game situation. She has a high level of individual skill and an excellent understanding of game play in hockey. She plays with strength, grit and determination and has a wonderfully competitive edge. Player of the Term is Jasmine O.

Year 5 Most Improved Player – Thomas C

This year’s Most Improved Player at U10 level made the move from B to A team this year and has become an integral part of the team. His all-round game has improved massively. Congratulations go to Thomas C.

Year 5 Player of the Term – Arthur O

The coaches had a hard time choosing this player, but they chose a player who is the heartbeat of the team. He is an all-rounder and is always the first at the breakdown. He is the player who puts in the hardest tackles and is completely selfless with the ball. Well done to the Year Five Player of the Term, Arthur O.

Year 5 Most Improved Hockey Player – Olivia G

If we had to name all the things that this young lady has improved on this season, we would be here all day. Hockey is a quick, tactical, fast reaction game and this young lady can demonstrate all of this on a pitch. Her passing, hitting and flat stick tackling are very impressive, and she is an extremely valuable player in the U10 squad. To receive this award, you must work hard developing your skills but also be a team player. If you put the effort in to get better, you will be rewarded and the coaches have recognised this. The Girls Games staff came to the unanimous decision to award Olivia G, the Year Five Most improved Player!

Year 5 Hockey Player of the Term – Mary W

We won the U10 tournament at R.G.S and each girl who played in that tournament worked immensely hard. Year Five girls were chosen to play alongside the Year Six girls at IAPS, which was a tremendous honour. But the individual chosen has been the most supportive member of the Year Five team and has demonstrated some unbelievable skills, which have helped us to several impressive wins this season.

Being a great hockey player takes physical skill and endurance but ultimately it starts with a strong mind, a good attitude and being dedicated to the sport every time you step out onto the pitch. This will mean you will be recognised by your coaches. Don’t forget that coaches are also passionate about sport, whether its about the game itself, winning or teamwork. You totally deserve Year Five Hockey Player of the Term, Mary W!

Year 6 Most Improved Players – Oscar H and Teddy C

This player has long had the ability and skills needed, but has at times lacked confidence. For the first half of the season he played with Mr Marsland’s team before stepping up to Mr Cook’s. He has impressed his coaches with his ability and new found confidence. Well done to Oscar H.

Sharing the award for Most Improved Player is a someone who studied the U11 RFU rules and decided that the team needed to start introducing more kicking to their game. He then went about adapting his own playing style to support the team. He is a great runner, but again needed a confidence boost, which we hope he has now received! Well done Teddy!

Year 6 Player of the Term – George O

The U11 boys have had a great season but one player stood out for all the right reasons. This has been the first year he hasn’t been able to dominate the game physically, meaning that he has had to adapt and evolve his game. In the team’s attacking play, he tends to make the final pass and never misses a tackle. This year’s Year Six Player of the Term is George O.

Year 6 Most Improved Players – Chloe P and Ava I

We have two nominations for Most Improved Player in Year Six and all the teachers agreed that both deserved this recognition today. The first individual is a delight to teach: she puts 100% effort into every session and maximum commitment to every game. She is a reliable and determined member of the team who has shown strength in defence with well-timed tackles and decisive clearances. It has been a pleasure to see this young lady progress this season. The first award of Most Improved Player is made to Chloe P.

The next young lady is a character, a joy to teach and a pleasure to have on the pitch! She has a wonderfully positive and bubbly attitude and always plays with maximum enjoyment and enthusiasm. She is forever smiling, even when we are losing. She has an infectious laugh and energy that she passes on to those around her. She is constantly entertaining and an asset to her team. Our second Most Improved Player this season is Ava I.

Year 6 Player of the Term – Harriet B

This young lady has an outstanding level of skill and ability in hockey and has scored some tremendous goals this season. It is a real pleasure to watch her play but most of all she is coachable, always wanting to learn more, improve further and always working hard to perfect her skills. She gives 100% in everything she does, is always positive on the pitch, and a real team player, making her a wonderfully supportive captain and role model. Player of the Season for Year Six is Harriet B.