Fortunately, the recent poor weather held off long enough for our annual sports day event to go ahead at Stanley Park Sports Arena on Friday, with only a couple of spells of light drizzle attempting to dampen proceedings.
It was obvious from the outset that the overcast conditions could not diminish the enthusiasm of the students competing or those in the stands cheering them on; there was also a healthy turnout of parents, carers and well-wishers supporting all those taking part.
A vibrant display of athleticism, camaraderie, and healthy competition was in abundance across all the categories which consisted of 4x100m relay, 100m, 200m, 300m, 400m, 800m, 1500m track races and long jump, triple jump, high jump, discus, javelin and shotput.
Although there is a competitive edge to each race and discipline, the underlying message of our Sports Day is all about taking part and offering the perfect opportunity to encourage those students who may not ordinarily participate in sporting activities to do just that. Apart from the obvious benefits of physical and social development, Sports Day contributes to academic success by helping our young people nurture their self-esteem and confidence.
As the day progressed certificates and medals were awarded for first, second and third place shortly after each event by Mr Woods. Points were awarded for each placing in every event, the winning form in each year group being decided by the cumulative points total. There was also a Sports Person of the Year for both male and female in each year group who will each collect a trophy this week at the Achievement Ceremony; a full list of winners will be published at a later date on our website.
It has become the tradition at Aspire that we close the day with the staff 100 metre race, this year won by Mr Clayton, who narrowly beat Mr Dandy, followed by Mr Thompson in third place.
Sports Day 2023 will be remembered as another resounding success for Aspire Academy and our PE department which, without their hard work behind the scenes, this fun day just wouldn’t take place.
Mrs Elson, Director of the Extended Curriculum and Head of PE, said, “I can’t thank all the staff enough for helping out in their various roles around the sports ground, giving our students another great Sports Day. These events serve as a testament to the power of sports in bringing people together, fostering teamwork, and inspiring individuals to reach new heights.”
You can see a selection of photos from Sports Day 2023 by clicking here.
Or enjoy the staff race: