2 weeks Ago By [email protected] (Rachel Rutherford)
A prestigious independent boarding school in Wales is seeing its girls set new standards in sport and lead the way with remarkable achievements across various disciplines. Although a small co-educational school, Christ College has always provided many opportunities for both boys and girls to participate in sports. In recent years, opportunities for girls' sports have expanded significantly in response to growing demand.
Providing an all-round education, Christ College offers a varied co-curricular programme alongside its academic studies. Pupils can participate in activities such as mountain biking, horse riding, paddle-boarding, and climbing, as well as the main team sports of hockey, netball, and cricket. The school actively supports and encourages its pupils' sporting commitments through its Elite Player Pathway (EPP) program.
The EPP offers tiered levels of support, from bronze to platinum, including group sessions, one-to-one training, nutritional guidance, and strength and conditioning sessions. Sarah Hardman, assistant director of sport, said: "I am so proud of what our girls continue to achieve within our school sports programme and beyond. For a small school, we continue to punch well above our weight whilst maintaining an inclusive atmosphere where sport is for all.
" Its recent partnership with Hockey Wales means that Christ College has become a hub for county hockey in Powys, providing access to representative hockey for pupils in and around Brecon. Numerous pupils at Christ College are currently representing Powys and Regional Hockey (RPC), with a few girls going through to Wales National Age Groups (NAGS). Sixth form pupil Tilly commented: "Since joining Christ College, I have been able to develop my hockey as well as having the opportunity to participate in sports that were new to me, such as cricket and netball.
"The sports community at Christ College is inclusive and enjoyable. The specialist coaching is encouraging and has helped me achieve my potential by representing Wales." In netball, Christ College won the South Powys tournament again this year in the U16 and U18 age groups, progressing to the next stage in the national competition.
This follows last year's success with the U18 reaching the national finals in Cardiff. During the summer, Christ College hosted two national cricket festivals. The stunning views, historic pavilion, and excellent cricket facilities are major assets for the school, with many girls within Cricket Wales and Glamorgan Cricket development pathways.
In the South Powys cross country league, Christ College girls are leading their age groups with one race left in the series. Christ College takes full advantage of its generous surroundings, offering trail running as one of its extra-curricular sports. Outside of school, several girls at Christ College have been involved in national championships, including sailing, mountain biking, equestrian and wakeboarding.
With the school's support, they are able to balance their academic studies while pursuing their dreams of excelling in their chosen sport. Sixth form pupil Laragh said: "From my experience, everyone at Christ College has been incredibly friendly and inclusive from the beginning. I've found there is a huge selection of sports here and plenty of opportunities to try new things.
"The program to support more experienced athletes is incredible, with access to sports mentors and fitness sessions designed to be the most efficient for your sport, I feel that I have the support to excel in sports inside and outside of school.".
