COLLEGE STILL PLAYING SPORT

St Joseph’s commits to athletic pursuits

ST JOSEPH’S COLLEGE remains fully committed to the health, well-being and sporting aspirations of its students.

Addressing a social media outcry suggesting the college had stopped all school sport, principal Nicholas Lynch said that simply was not true.

“Our students are still and will continue to be heavily involved in school sport,” Lynch said.

“We have league, soccer, netball, touch football, Aussie rules and hockey teams to name a few.

“Many of our teams compete in Toowoomba competitions including Friday night basketball and touch football. Our league team plays in the Confraternity Shield, our netballers in QUISSN and we’re in the Bill Turner Cup (soccer).

“We have an equestrian team and students involved involved in individual sports such as golf, tennis, athletics and swimming.

“We are also looking at Twenty20 cricket as an option as well.”

Lynch believes the social media outcry might stem from a simple miscommunication.

“It is true that right now we are not involved in the traditional Wednesday afternoon school sport,” Lynch said.

“It was something we have always been happy to participate in, but unfortunately the commitment of other schools to that program over the years has diminished.

“Regularly last year we were sending teams to various locations only to have the other team forfeit and in other cases you could see the interest of the players was not there.

“We have talked to some schools though about organising some Wednesday sport in the future.”

With that in mind, the college decided to change its approach to sport – a decision that was overwhelmingly supported by many parents through a school survey.

“Last year we surveyed our parents, the greater majority of who were supportive of our new program,” Lynch said.

“Now we have our Passion Project or Genius Hour. It’s about engaging more of our students. They’re encouraged to find something they are passionate about and that is what they will do on Wednesday.

“That could be sport in the form of extra training or learning new skills.

“It could also be something else entirely. It’s really up to the student.

“It’s about the mental and physical well-being of each student, something we are very passionate about.”

Photo: Nev Madsen ON COURT: St Joseph’s College players James Nugent (right) drives to the key during his side’s Friday Night Basketball Competition match against Toowoomba Grammar School.