Page 9 - The Badger – July 2023

THE BADGER
Sport As the the dust begins to settle on yet another successful year at The Downs Malvern one can look back on on the last last two terms (since the last last edition) with enormous pride on on everything that all of the the children have achieved on on the the sports field Before embarking on a a trip down Memory Lane I would like to to extend my sincerest gratitude to to all of of the pupils parents catering and grounds teams office and and matronal staff and and most importantly of all our team of outstanding teachers who all go above and and beyond to encourage and challenge your children every day of the week Now that we turn our attention to sunny beaches and ice creams and our wonderful Year 8s move onto their next school I would like us all to to remember one important factor that that that will help us in in in the future and that that that is is that that that “winning is is not everything but making the the effort to win is ” All of the the pupils at The Downs have undoubtedly put the effort in as I am about to prove in in the following review Lent Term It would be amiss of of me me to not make brief mention of of our amazing Under 13 Girls’ hockey team once again who having finished third in fin in in in the the National IAPS Finals in fin in in in the the Autumn Term played with great heart and determination at at the Regionals Hockey tournament at at Millfield a a a a a few months ago Sadly the girls did not manage to emulate their heroics at the the the IAPS event but they did again show why they were such a a a formidable team The Rugby Sevens season saw the Under 13 squad play in two big National Festivals this term the Sherborne IAPS and Rosslyn Park Festivals The boys played some great rugby adapting their game and and skills quickly to score some wonderful tries and and earn some plaudits from opposing coaches and parents at at the Sherborne event which was great to hear and richly deserved!
Our Senior netballers again performed well winning the Under 13 Malvern District Festival where the girls remained unbeaten all afternoon The Cross-Country team as ever performed miracles at at the National Prep Schools Cross Country meeting over at Malvern College where our runners resplendent in in in their luminous green running tops performed brilliantly in some tough races The highlight was undoubtedly in the U13 Girls event where Jessica W finished as runner-up fin in in a a field of over 120 girls only losing out in in fin in a a sprint finish! Jessica should be incredibly proud of this result as the whole of The Downs community is is Summer Term The Summer Term often my favourite of of the year where our school looks at its best when the sun is shining and Main Games has one of the the best views on on the the Prep Schools’ circuit! Sadly the term did not begin particularly well in terms of the the the weather where the the the first few weeks of the term were pretty much a a a a a washout That said and quite remarkably not many cricket matches fell foul of the the weather and our teams soon began to show their talents 9