Articles
Having completed their Interview Process for the London Paralympic Games, 9 Leaders from the Therfield School Sports Leadership Group have received notification that they have been SUCCESSFUL in their Application to become a team of “Young Games Makers” at the London 2012 Paralympic Games. The Leaders from Year 11 to Year 13 along with Miss Rennie and Mrs Elphick are now excitedly awaiting the next phase of their “Journey to the Paralympic Games!”
As part of the Volunteering opportunities at the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Therfield had submitted an application to be YGM at the 7-a-side Paralympic Football Competition, and having completed a gruelling three hour interview in December, have now been informed that they will in fact be volunteering at the Greatest Show on Earth.
The School have been notified of the students successful interview result and are now required to complete a long list of paperwork responses, to allow the students to then progress onto the Training Phase of their YGM journey. The 9 strong Team will act as Ball Boys and Ball Girls, being on duty throughout the whole 7-a-side Paralympic Football competition in the upcoming Paralympics, from Saturday 1st to Sunday 9th September 2012. In the next few months, the students will undergo training sessions and security work, each student and both teachers will be required to undertake Orientation Training, Event Specific Training and Venue Training, along with Accreditation Visits and uniform collection Sessions.
The Therfield Team will work in shifts with a team from another school, to cover all 20 matches in the Football competition; one of two Football variations played at the Paralympic Games, it is a fast-moving and fiercely competitive sport played by athletes with cerebral palsy, or those who have suffered a stroke or an acquired brain injury. At London 2012, the Riverbank Arena which will also stage the Olympic Hockey Tournament will host eight men’s teams in a 20-match tournament, culminating in the gold medal match on 9th September 2012; this will actually be the last gold medal to be competed for and presented at the whole of the London 2012 Games. This is an added extra moment of pride for all those involved; their final match will trigger the closing Ceremony of the whole London 2012 Games experience.
Student Rory Hogan said “It’s amazing, it really is; I really don’t think it has actually settled in yet, I can’t believe we’re actually going!”
Gayle Rennie Head of PE & Sport Faculty “This is such a fantastic achievement, for the students and for Therfield. We gained Sports College Status 2 days before London were awarded the Olympic Games in July 2005; and we placed Leadership at the heart of our Sports College Status. 7 years of dedicated work from everyone has resulted in our students representing Therfield at the Greatest Show on Earth. I can remember exactly where I was when London received the notification, I said that day it would be a dream for me to lead a team of our students; I could never have believed that dream would become a reality!”
We are required to complete data entry by 27th January 2012 and we will then go on to accept a hugely prestigious position and one of importance to the school and to the Paralympic Games. The Team will then receive notification of their training, collection of their uniform and accreditation details so as to be ready to be on duty throughout the whole 7-a-side Paralympic Football Event. All the Team, including Miss Rennie and Mrs Elphick are now even more excited than ever at playing our own very special part during the most amazing month of sport in any of our life times… We promise again to keep you all updated!...
