Whenever our students lift themselves or others up, are inspiring or enabling, they display small moments of leadership that cannot be underestimated. One of the highlights of this huge term of sport is the way our students have gathered to support each other. As they would describe it, the ‘vibe’ around the grounds and at School, has been awesome. From outstanding results in IPSHA and IGSA Swimming, to the Head of the River Rowing, Tildesley Tennis and Interschools Sailing, through to our record number of summer teams participants—this is where our everyday game changers and next generation of leaders are developed. These are the students who focus on uplifting others.
Sport provides a unique platform for girls to cultivate essential leadership qualities both on and off the field. Now more than ever, we must come together to break down barriers and challenge social, cultural and procedural obstacles that prevent girls and women from reaching their true leadership potential.
A safe environment can be found in sport for young people to learn how to overcome mistakes and failures. This is a crucial aspect of personal growth and leadership development. Students learn to analyse what went wrong, make adjustments and try again with renewed determination and grit. Trusting the process (rather than the result) and seeing pressure as a privilege are often the keys to unlocking high performance—whether that be on the sports field or in the classroom. Sport enables regular experience in high-stakes environments, which encourages a practice of focusing on what you can control. Our students are encouraged to embrace a positive or growth mindset, breaking goals down into smaller, action-based statements.
There is often a misconception that leaders must do everything themselves, but what sport can teach our students is how important it is to work as a team and how each individual plays a role in setting others up for success. It can be as small as a high-five when a peer does something well or those shout-outs at the end of the game or during assembly. These demonstrate pride and create connectedness between students. Collaboration and the ability to utilise others’ strengths ultimately brings a competitive edge to any team.
Through our Sisters in Sport Network and Leadership programs within the School, we encourage our students to have a vision and make their mark.
This week we are delighted to launch our brand-new video of the second Sisters in Sport Leadership Day, which you can view below. Enjoy!
By: Alex Butt | Head of Sport
