Facing Pearson is always a demanding fixture, and while the results may not reflect the effort, our teams showed immense heart and resilience.
U16A lost 6-0
U14A lost 3-0
1st Team lost 5-0 Pearson capitalized on their set plays, scoring three goals from short corners, a penalty flick, and a well-worked field goal.
Despite the losses, I was incredibly proud of how the girls handled themselves. They showed grit, fought until the final whistle, and continued to play within our structures.
We feel truly privileged to have been able to attend the spectacular 𝗗𝗿𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗴 𝗕𝗼𝘆𝘀 𝗖𝗵𝗼𝗶𝗿 performance in Graaff-Reinet tonight.
𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘪𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥-𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘴 𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘫𝘰𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘴.
It was also an extraordinary honour for our little Union Preparatory School choir to share the stage and perform a song alongside such talented young artists – 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦!
A 𝗛𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗙𝗘𝗟𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗞 𝗬𝗢𝗨 to the choir for including Graaff-Reinet in their tour and to everyone who purchased tickets through the Union Schools for their support
Get ready for an unforgettable experience at the Wild Karoo Auction, a unique fundraising event hosted by Union Preparatory School, Graaff-Reinet.
𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘪𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘭𝘰𝘵𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦.
Visit the Wild Karoo Auction website at https://auctions.swiftvee.com/…/the-wild-karoo-auction… to explore the exciting items available for bidding. With new lots being uploaded at regular intervals, there’s always something fresh to discover. 𝗕𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝟭𝟬 𝗱𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗮𝗹𝗮 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁, 𝘀𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗲!
A highlight of the evening will be the exclusive live bidding on select lots during the gala. 𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭.
𝗧𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗮𝗹𝗮 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝘃𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 the Union Schools’ front offices and at Tyremart Graaff-Reinet on College Road. Get yours today!
As we gear up for the upcoming winter sports season, we are excited to a share that our first aiders participated in an exceptionally successful two-day 𝗙𝗜𝗥𝗦𝗧 𝗔𝗜𝗗 course held at Union High School, Graaff-Reinet this past weekend.
𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘧𝘦𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭-𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘴𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘥𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥.
The first day of the course was dedicated to theoretical training, where our first aiders absorbed vital knowledge on various medical protocols and emergency response strategies. 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻-𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵-𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘆 𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗱𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀.
On day two, the focus shifted to the practical side of managing sports injuries. Participants engaged in hands-on training, learning how to assess and treat common injuries that athletes may encounter, from sprains and fractures to more severe conditions.
As we prepare for the challenges of the winter sports season, it is important to remember the words, “𝘐𝘧 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶.” Our first aiders exemplify true leadership by stepping up to serve our athletes and community. Their dedication to learning and readiness to assist others is a testament to the values we uphold in our sports programmes.
𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗮 𝘀𝗮𝗳𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱!
This past weekend, our 1st XV rugby team traveled to East London to participate in the annual Hoërskool Ooskus Gimnasium Sports Fest.
In a thrilling final match of the day on Saturday, the boys faced off against the host team, Ooskus.
The first half presented some challenges for Union, as mistakes led to lost ball possession, allowing Ooskus to score the first points with a converted try. The host team further extended their lead by converting a penalty due to a lack of discipline on the field. 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝘁𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸𝘀, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝗼𝘆𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿, managing to stay in the game and trailing by only 10 points as they headed into halftime.
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗳 𝗯𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘄𝗲𝗱 𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗻, as they quickly began to apply pressure on the Ooskus defense. Their efforts paid off when Elvandre Meyer crossed the try line, with Makukhanye de Beer successfully converting the try, narrowing the score to 7-10.
However, Ooskus responded with another try, extending their lead to 15-7. Union fought back valiantly with a try by Jayden Odendaal, once again converted by de Beer, bringing the score to 14-15. Despite their relentless efforts, the boys were unable to reclaim the lead, and 𝗢𝗼𝘀𝗸𝘂𝘀 𝘀𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵, 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘃𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗮𝘁 𝟮𝟬-𝟭𝟰.
Our u/16A team also showcased their skills at the festival, facing Westering High School and securing a solid victory with a score of 19-3.
𝘖𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘭, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘭 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘦𝘧𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱.
Friday 7 March – Union U/13A vs Zastron
Union dominated the match, showcasing a powerful performance to secure a 29-0 victory against Zastron.
Saturday 8 March – Union U/13A vs Gonubie
In a tough encounter, Union faced a strong Gonubie side and despite a valiant effort, they went down 7-17.
This week, Union High School, Graaff-Reinet proudly welcomed back a cherished member of the Class of 2020, 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝘁𝘁 𝗔𝗺𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗱𝗮𝗺, who has returned to contribute to our academic community as a staff member.
𝘉𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘵’𝘴 𝘫𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦, 𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘤 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘴 𝘥𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬 𝘰𝘧 𝘊𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥-19. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘵 𝘢 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘦𝘹𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘧𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴.
Brett, a recent graduate with a Bachelor of Education in Senior and FET phase from the Nelson Mandela University, expressed his excitement about returning to his alma mater.
“𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘥 𝘢 𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘜𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯’𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘤𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘤 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘱𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵,” he said. “𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘣𝘶𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘦.”
During his time at Union, Brett demonstrated leadership and dedication, serving as the 1st team cricket captain and Deputy Head Boy.
𝗛𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗯𝘆 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗵𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗮𝘀𝗺 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀.
“Having been a learner at Union, I have a strong understanding of its values and culture,” Brett shared. “I am eager to foster an engaging and supportive learning environment for our learners.”
Brett’s love for cricket is evident, as he has played varsity cricket for the past four years, alongside representing his province in his first year. His dedication to sports extends beyond personal achievement; he is committed to assisting and adding value on the sports field in any capacity. “𝘐 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺 𝘢 𝘤𝘳𝘶𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘥𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬, 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘣𝘰𝘵𝘩 𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘳𝘰𝘰𝘮.”
As Brett embarks on this new chapter at Union, we are confident that his fresh perspective and enthusiasm will greatly enrich our school. We look forward to witnessing the positive impact he will have on our learners, inspiring them to overcome challenges and strive for excellence, just as he did.
On a beautiful Wednesday morning, 5 March, Union High School proudly hosted the much-anticipated 𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗗𝗜𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗖𝗧𝗦 𝗚𝗔𝗟𝗔, bringing together the Karoo, Albany and Amathola districts for an exciting day of competition.
𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘧𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘭𝘺 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘯𝘥, 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘸𝘪𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘶𝘮𝘱𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘒𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘰 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮, 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘩𝘺.
Congratulations to all swimmers who participated, especially those from Union who secured impressive placings:
● 𝗖𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗲 𝗗𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗻𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁: 1st in 50m Backstroke, 3rd in both 50m Breaststroke and 50m Butterfly
● 𝗚𝗲𝗺𝗺𝗮 𝗠𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗮𝘆: 1st in 50m Freestyle, 2nd in 50m Butterfly
● 𝗧𝗮𝘆𝗹𝗼𝗿 𝗝𝗮𝗰𝗼𝗯𝘀: 1st in both 50m Freestyle and 50m Backstroke
● 𝗔𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗾𝘂𝗲 𝗞𝘆𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮-𝗞𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘇𝗮: 3rd in 50m Backstroke
We’d also like to extend a shoutout to 𝗠𝗮𝗰𝗞𝗲𝗻𝘇𝗶𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗻 and 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝗮 𝗠𝗰𝗘𝘄𝗮𝗻, who played vital roles in the winning relay teams, contributing to the team’s overall success.
As we eagerly await the arrival of the boys’ new kit for the season, we want to take a moment to express our 𝗛𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗙𝗘𝗟𝗧 𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗧𝗨𝗗𝗘 to Mr Gustaf Ittershagen-Strauss of Build it Graaff-Reinet for generously sponsoring our 1st rugby team’s warm-up tops.
𝘏𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘢 𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘣𝘰𝘺𝘴’ 𝘫𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘧𝘶𝘭.
What a privilege it was for the Union Schools’ cricket boys to share an unforgettable afternoon with a legend of the sport, 𝗚𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗞𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻!
𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘢 𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘲𝘶𝘦 𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘢𝘮𝘦’𝘴 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘴, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘢 𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘶𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵.
The afternoon began with an air of excitement as the boys eagerly awaited their special guest. Gary Kirsten, known for his remarkable international career as a player and later as a successful coach, arrived with a warm smile that instantly put all the boys at ease.
The younger boys, particularly the u/7s, were a delightful highlight of the session. Their hilariously innocent questions brought laughter and joy to the room. 𝘎𝘢𝘳𝘺’𝘴 𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘣𝘶𝘥𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘵.
As the afternoon progressed, the tone shifted slightly as the senior players took their turn. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝘂𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗮𝗺𝗲, 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆, 𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸.
Each question was met with generous insights from Gary, who shared personal anecdotes and valuable advice accrued through years of experience on the world stage.
Throughout the session, Gary’s passion for cricket was evident. It was inspiring to witness how he effortlessly connected with the boys, fostering an environment where learning and laughter thrived. 𝗛𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿: 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗷𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝘀 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝘀 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗶𝗾𝘂𝗲.
Earlier this evening, Union High School, Graaff-Reinet‘s Tony Burrell Union transformed into a hub of inspiration and learning as we gathered to hear from the legendary 𝗚𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗞𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻.
The former South African cricket coach and batsman captivated us with his insightful session on “Parenting in Sport,” 𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗻’𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁, 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝗻𝗷𝗼𝘆𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁.
Kirsten, with his warm demeanor and engaging storytelling, transported us into his world – one shaped not only by the highs and lows of his cricket career but also by the lessons he learned as a coach and mentor.
𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘥𝘰𝘵𝘦 𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘥, 𝘪𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘺 𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘭𝘦𝘥𝘨𝘦; 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘴 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘫𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘯.
Kirsten’s central message resonated deeply: “We’ve forgotten that a school is a place where you go to learn. 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗮 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲.” This profound statement encourages us to shift our perspective from pushing for immediate results to fostering environments where our kids can thrive, learn and build confidence at their own pace.
He eloquently articulated that sport participation is about more than just winning; it’s a vehicle for building self-esteem and resilience in our children. “𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴’ 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘫𝘰𝘺𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘢 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦,” he emphasized. This mantra reaffirmed the idea that joy in sport should always come first, echoing in the hearts of all the parents present.
Throughout the evening, Kirsten called on us to embrace our roles as pillars of support for our child athletes. He encouraged us to educate ourselves about the sports our children engage in and to remain patient as they traverse their unique paths of growth and progress.
As we reflect on the evening, we would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who attended, especially Gary Kirsten for his insightful presentation.
A special 𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗞 𝗬𝗢𝗨 goes to the Old Unionite Association and Mr William Copeman for their efforts in hosting this memorable even