Standing on the shoulders of giants

ATHLETICS has seen great milestones over the past few years in South Africa. But yet athletics at a school level is not seen as a must.

Inter-house athletics had been a prominent among the so-called coloured schools. Through the years much has changed where many schools have moved away from this and focused only on inter-school.

South Peninsula High has not deterred from this path of interhouse.

This year, we celebrated our 59th inter-house athletics. From war cries to field and track events, the legacy left by many WP athletes from years past have been founded on the grounds of inter-house.

This form of athletics started in 1954 under the defunct Western Province Senior Schools Sports Union (WPSSSU).

At this time, the first school principal AD de Villiers instilled a tradition not just for excellence in academia, but also excellence on the sports field. Throughout the years, SP has had challenges and good rivalries with many schools from Trafalgar High, Livingstone High and one of the biggest rivals Alexander Sinton. During this period, two top coaches Dennis MacKay (Alexander Sinton) and Richard Rive (SP) were instrumental in the starting of the WPSSSU.

This continued under the South African Senior Schools Sports Association from 1963. During this time, R Hepburn and MN Moerat were principals. These were also the years which the apartheid régime started segregating and removing non-whites from their home communities to places such as Lavender Hill, Manenberg, Hanover Park, etc. This was a very tough period for many so-called “coloureds”, but the one thing they had to keep on to was athletics and the spirit which came with it. The comradery as well as the cheers from the stands to the athletes on the field. SP’s principals during this time pushed politics, but never allowed the spirit of athletics to die.

In 1971, the South African Council On Sport was founded and led a new age for athletics. During this period at SP, MN Moerat and BB Isaacs were principals. Still standing firm on the legacy of De Villiers to promote excellence in education and sport, they pulled through these years coming out on top against top rivals. From 1994 to 2015, USAASA was the athletics governing body and SP in these years pushed to once again reach the mountain top. Year in and out, athletes tried to one up many schools, from Steenberg High to Mondale High.

But in 2018 after many years, Mondale High moved from the A section to the Super A leaving a vacant 1st place. With then acting principal on the front lines cheering his athletes on like previous years, SP made history and reached the mountain top of the A section again.

With this victory, it opened a door for SP to challenge in the Super A today at Green Point. Taking the same passion and heart with them to what is now known as “The best of the best”. All of this would never have been possible if not for the leadership of principals, teachers and past students that paved the way to get SP to move upward.