Keeping up with the WHPS Sports Department

It has been a very different experience for the sports department, as we are used to seeing the fields, courts and turfs filled with excited children practising and enjoying the chosen sport on offer. We would have been in the middle of rugby season now, and I miss so many things about it. I miss hearing the crunching of the studs on the bricks, when the boys are coming from their classrooms to the fields. I miss the sounds of whistles, as the coaches put the boys through their paces. I miss the grunting and groaning from the boys during a tough fitness session. I miss seeing the boys kicking for poles at every opportunity they get. The sound I definitely miss the most, is the war cries, “2; 3 WHPS”, from teams after a tough session or match, as each team tries to perform their war cry louder than the other. The sound of a brotherhood and boys declaring their love for their school. I miss Saturdays, getting up early for mini sport, on a chilli Autumn morning with the smell of coffee brewing from the tuck shop wafting across the fields. This followed by the typical traditional South African Rugby Derby and the smell of boerewors cooking. I miss the tunnels the boys make chanting “WHPS; WHPS …….maroon and grey”, as their fellow WHPSians take the field to go to battle against the opposition. This followed by a cold beverage in WILFS reliving the matches.

It is easy to take for granted what we once had, and often we only realise how great something was when it’s taken away from us or is no longer available to us. I encourage you to take this opportunity to reflect and realise how fortunate we are to have all these experiences on offer at WHPS and to ensure that when we take to the fields, turfs, or courts again,  to enjoy every minute, and most importantly give of your very best. It’s important to remember that when you play, you are not   playing for anyone else but your fellow WHPSians.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank my sports department for their support and their vision and ambition, during this difficult situation. I hope you are enjoying the challenges and the Live Streaming of the Football and Hockey sessions by Mr Holmwood and Mr Lembethe respectively.

This situation we are faced with, is very similar to playing a tough fixture against a local rival. We need to work as a team. We need to help each other and show courage and determination. We need to be there for one another and help each other when things get tough. Focus on the positives and always remember to be kind.  Remember to always “Work Hard, Play Straight”.

– Garth Turvey