As part of our Community of Readers programme in which we aim to get everyone involved in reading again, we are showcasing excellent writing across a range of subjects and recently held our PE Book Week. To gain excellence in any field, reading, writing and communication are key and we demonstrated that one attribute of talented sports people is their wide reading and excellent communication skills.

The week opened with a fantastic talk to our Year 8s from Steven Sylvester, Chartered Psychologist and Author of Detox Your Ego. Steven also spent two hours with a group of twelve of the school’s most elite sportsmen, all of whom are currently competing at national level in a variety of sports. The seminar focused on the ideas he proposes in his book about changing ones perspective on winning and losing.

Steven Sylvester came in to talk about sport psychology and meaning within sport. We started the session off by first introducing each one of us, talking about the sports we enjoyed and the subjects we enjoyed academically. Steven talked to us and questioned our goals and targets for the future and what we would like to achieve with the talents we have. We then went in to further detail about sport and psychologically how we feel during sport and what we really want to accomplish. Whilst some people were talking about the glories and happiness of winning Steven talked to us about the other side of sport and how to handle and take losing. About how losing is not really much different to losing apart from the actual accomplishment and how losing is taken as a success when doing sport. Steven then went in to further detail about what we really wanted to achieve from our sport we do, whether we do it for ourselves or for other people around us. Whether it is only us who want to be great or wanting to be great for family or friends for example. Heroic icons such as Muhammad Ali was a great example about how Steven emphasised the idea of unselfishness within our sport. This discussion was really interesting and fascinating to learn about and made me change the way I think about my sport and what I really want from it. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience!

Dilan Markanday 10S1 (Footballer, Tottenham Hotspur)

 

Ex cricketer and footballer, Steven Sylvester came in to talk to 11 of the tip athletes in the school about winning and losing. Most of the 11 boys were found to think winning was one of the most important things in a sports career but it was found that this was not so. Steven invited us as sportsmen to give reasons why he felt that way and why we felt that way. 

He then went on to talk about his past career and how he felt that it was all about himself and that changed when he became a psychologist to seven world champions. These seven became world champions because they were ultimately selfless and cared about giving back to the sport and improving the sport in many ways. This helped to boost the amount of skills they had and the techniques they had in many of their sports. Selflessness in a sport, as we found out was major to becoming an elite sportsman.

Tolu Elesin 9R2 (National Swimmer)

 

Steven Sylvester shared with us his view on sport that he has built up after over 30 years involved in sport. He began as a cricketer, with a decorated career playing for his county, before moving on to become a psychologist. His ideas were that we needed to detach ourselves, and our selfish desires, when competing and winning. He likened winning selfishly to smoking; toxic and harmful. He taught us that we needed to think of others when competing, and to realise the “mastery” of the things we were doing. He encouraged us to think of the bigger picture, and look to ways of improving the sport and others before looking to ourselves. He drew comparisons to the late Muhammad Ali, and how he took on the fight of prejudice in America and how he campaigned against the Vietnam War, costing him three years of training and competition. This was the greater picture that he spoke so passionately about and encouraged us to find. He used his work with Peter Ebdon and his world championship in 2002 to illustrate how he would focus himself on other people to ensure he would get through the final frame. He would think about his family and friends as he potted each ball, and eventually managed to win the game without even realising. He was so engrossed, so focused on others, he forgot about his own achievement. This was how to play he explained to us, and more importantly, this was how to win.

Oliver Hocking 10R1 (National Rugby 7’s)

 

Throughout the week, a variety of the PE Department’s favourite sports literature has been on display in both the school library and on the big screen in the Sports Centre.  
On the final day of the week we welcomed Old Haberdasher (1998) and Chief Cricket Correspondent for the Dailey Mirror, Dean Wilson. Dean spoke to the Year 10s about Sports Journalism and ghost writing for Ian Botham. 
 
Dean Wilson came to talk about his involvement in sports, most particularly cricket. Being an elite cricketer himself and a natural sportsman during his tenure at Habs, he always had a passion for sports; and now he is the head correspondent of cricket for the Daily Mirror.

I’m sure many lessons were learnt during his talk, including making sure you enjoy what you want to do with your life to get the most out of it. Dean was going through a list of all the major cricketing events and moments that have passed during the last 10 years and how he was there for all of them. He was also explaining what exactly his role is for the Daily Mirror; from sorting out meetings to analysing performances and interviewing players. It was evident that this all had to be done in time for the next day’s newspaper, clarifying the importance of organisation!

His talk was inspiring to all, even those who did not have a significant interest in sports as his story related to all. His message was that there is always something for everyone, and as long as you stick by it and keep motivated happiness will come of it.
After his talk the boys watched the rest of the thrilling England vs Wales match. During half time, there was a Q & A with Dean. The boys wanted to understand how the press dealt with producing negative feedback on players. He clearly explained that the information on the articles were purely for the audience’s sake and that most performers choose to ignore it; knowing that it is only a pure reflection on their performances and nothing else.
The football match ended in England’s favour courtesy of a thrilling stoppage time goal, which was most definitely a fitting end to a great afternoon.

Taif Choudhury Yr10 GCSE Sports Science Student 

 

On Thursday 16 June Dean Wilson, chief cricket correspondent for the Daily Mirror spoke to us about his experiences in journalism. Dean explained how his passion for the game has influenced his choices in life. During his time at Habs, Dean Wilson amassed 2391 runs, which has only been beaten by one Habs boy. On leaving Habs, he was unsure about which career he should take up. Luckily, he was able to get a job with the Daily Mirror and then worked his way up, becoming their chief cricket correspondent. Dean believes that his job is second only to that of a professional cricketer and he has had first-hand experience of some of crickets greatest matches over the last 10 years, from the controversial 3 run victory at Edgbaston to the recent heroics at the World T20 Final.

Harry Cobb Yr10 GCSE Sports Science Student 

 
We hope that the week has been enjoyed by pupils and staff alike and has made people aware of the wide range of excellent writing associated with sport. Furthermore, we hope that this week will motivate more pupils to pick up sports books and broaden their understanding of the academic side of sport and sports science.