June 9th 2017
Sport plays a very important role in Moulsford life. The school aims to ensure that boys get plenty of opportunity to represent the school in fixtures. We believe that the whole experience of being selected for a team, hosting the opposition, and learning to win or lose in a competitive environment teaches boys many extremely valuable life lessons. Consistent feedback, either through surveys or anecdotally, suggests that parents are totally supportive of this policy.
Tomorrow we had fourteen cricket fixtures scheduled against Caldicott. However, there are forty boys in Years 5 to 8 who are unavailable to play in these matches for one reason or another, with little notice given to the school in many instances. We are extremely reluctant as a school to cancel any matches, but we have been left with no other option as we are unable to put out either an U11D or 6th XI team, which is extremely disappointing.
These fixtures have been published in the school calendar since March, and the team sheets were posted for parents to see immediately prior to half term with a pointer in the Week Ahead to encourage parents to look. We understand that on occasion there will be special events which boys should attend in priority of a school match, and the school is sympathetic to this. However, please could I make it absolutely clear to parents that this should be the exception and not the rule.
Boys being unavailable for matches has the following consequences: first, we may have to cancel fixtures, and it is invariably the lower teams which suffer - this is unfair on boys who want and are able to play; second, there is a knock-on effect on the standard of all the other teams, making a miss-match much more likely; third, such situations are extremely damaging to the school’s reputation and standing amongst other schools on the circuit, and schools will question the viability of the Moulsford fixture in the future. Please could I ask parents to fully support school on the matter of Saturday fixtures, and to check the calendar well in advance.
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