Dear Parents

Unbelievably, we find ourselves at the Half-Term break already. It has been an incredibly positive and busy start to the year, with so many wonderful moments experienced by so many of our inspiring pupils. As we start to draw toward the end of a very successful summer sporting season, I would like to take a moment to reflect on the power of team sports like cricket, tennis, and water polo. In the South African school setup, sport is an important pillar, and in many schools, it forms a big part of their identity. However, South African school sports, in my opinion, are coming under fire. Organised team sport, particularly at school level, is facing increasing pressure, and it is something we are having to pay close attention to at Woodridge. We very much have a holistic approach to education, and specialisation at a school level in sport does not benefit an athlete in the long run. At our recent summit, Dave Wessels (General Manager for High Performance Rugby at SA Rugby) shared powerful insights that helped frame this challenge clearly. According to him, the issue is not a lack of talent, passion, or commitment from young people. Rather, it lies in systems that have begun to confuse development with elite performance.

When school sport starts to mirror....

To continue reading, please download the newsletter HERE.