Sports Development Programme   Close

At Windlesham, our view is that sports are all about games - and games should be fun! And our approach is that if a child works their socks off, but the outcome isn’t quite what they’d hoped for, we look at the value in the process and not focus on the target that wasn’t hit.

At Windlesham we love children who show initiative and ask questions. As coaches and teachers we help a child to be proactive and decisive, we do this through challenging them, educating them and holding them accountable for their actions. Our mission is to help children become task-oriented and not time-oriented – we like to get the job done!

We like to encourage our children to play multiple sports and feel that early sports specialization isn’t always the best route forward. A well-rounded sports experience fosters better athleticism and is a great way to teach kids to mix with different social circles as well. We provide the opportunity for all pupils to play at the best and most appropriate level for themselves. This may be at inter-house, inter-school, county or at national level. Sports tours are a regular feature of our games programme, giving pupils the chance to experience competition and camaraderie that these events bring to life.

On a serious note, with more and more tournaments on offer, we have a generation of children who are being desensitized to losing. Losing is part of life, but that doesn’t mean that we should be satisfied with it! The PE and Games Department looks to motivate children to work harder so that it doesn’t happen again. We hope to educate children that the true reward is the satisfaction that comes from knowing that they did ‘the best’ they could do. A trophy should be a reminder of hard work, teamwork and a job well done. It must not diminish the value of exceptional performance or service – we don’t deserve a party every time we accomplish something!

Our exceptional grounds and ever-improving facilities provide endless opportunities for self-development. Top sporting awards won at the major public schools are testament to Windlesham’s ability to bring youngsters on.

As educators, we have to also remind parents, that a huge proportion of children who participate in sport will not become professional athletes. That said, we believe that sport is a fabulous vehicle to instil a range of positive qualities aside from athleticism - and give important lessons for life!