Written By Jan Sims
SPORTS - Medway High School is gearing up for the spring sports season after a successful fall and winter. Highlights of the past months include:
●The Girls’ Hockey team were TVRA and WOSSAA champions and went on to win silver at OFSAA last week.
●Andie Watson won silver at OFSAA in wrestling. Andie also won the Gerry Bayley Award for Female Wrestler of the WOSSAA Tournament.
●Maggie McKenzie won the Bill Salter Outstanding Female Wrestler for the TVRA Michienzi Division in Wrestling
●Junior Girls Volleyball team were silver medallists at TVRA and WOSSAA
●The Boys’ Curling team were TVRA Central Champs and won bronze at WOSSAA.
Indoor training began in March for teams that compete in the spring, with the Badminton team starting in February. School teams competing in Thames Valley Regional Athletics also include Tennis, Badminton, Baseball, Track & Field, Boys’ Rugby, Girls’ Rugby, Girls’ Soccer, Boys’ Soccer and Girls’ Softball.
As well, Medway has teams competing in Ultimate Frisbee, Archery and Pickleball. “Often teams practice off-site at larger indoor facilities or fields that are open before TVDSB fields are available. Most teams will practice 4-5 times per week with club teams practicing less frequently. This is an immense time commitment for both players and coaches considering that seasons often run late into May or early June,” says Medway Athletic Director Pauline Fidler.
Most teams will compete in tournaments in the London area. However, Boys Rugby will be taking on squads outside the area, because of the smaller number of teams in the sport that compete locally. Fidler praises the efforts of athletes and coaches for helping to make sports a memorable and rewarding experience for the Medway community. “Sports provide an avenue for teachers to get to know students better and build positive relationships outside of the classroom. These coaches are positive adult role models and mentors for students, teaching them valuable life lessons that are an extension of the classroom, or that aren’t necessarily taught in the classroom.” says Fidler.
“We are very fortunate to have such dedicated teacher coaches who value sports and are willing to volunteer their time and expertise with our athletes, providing these opportunities for our students and establishing an excellent foundation for students to engage in activities throughout their lifetime,” adds Fidler.
