ENSURING BETTER FORTUNES FOLLOW THE SMALL BEGINNINGS
THE Durban Preparatory High School (DPHS) motto, From Small Beginnings Better Fortune Follows, is closely mirrored in the school belief of participation for all in sport.
Regardless of ability, all boys at DPHS, from Grade 0 through to Grade 7, are encouraged to take part in a wide-range of sporting activities offered at the school. A lot of schools encourage participation, but what makes the 98-year-old school stand out is its commitment to the philosophy, and its ability to draw on the large DPHS family to achieve the goal of giving every boy a chance to be part of a sports team.
From Grade 0 pupils are encouraged to take part in exercises, swimming and ball skills activities, all of which provide a foundation for proficiency in a wide variety of sports later in life.
In Grades 1 and 2, the hugely successful “mini sport” concept ensures pupils are given a carefully controlled grounding in rugby, cricket and hockey when they are coached by an army of enthusiastic parents. Having 40 parents each term assisting the junior primary staff with the coaching duties on Friday evenings or Saturday mornings brings many benefits, not least of all a multi-faceted bonding between the parents, their children, other parents and the school staff.
The emphasis on having the parents participate in the coaching process also goes hand in hand with Headmaster Richard Neave’s stand against parents, coaches and spectators who put unreasonable expectations on players or offer disparaging remarks against officials.
“For many years the mini sport coaching has been a very simple way to have parents and spectators appreciate that every DPHS boy, allowing for his individual talent or limitations as a sportsman or athlete, is doing his utmost not to let the team down,” said Neave. “It’s a win-win solution that not only ensures a good coach-to-player ratio, but also allows parents to grasp just how difficult it is for young boys to fully succeed at games like cricket, rugby and hockey.”
Neave has been outspoken in his desire to have the pupils at DPHS play sport in the spirit in which it is intended. “We view sport as more than simply competition between two teams,” he said. “It is a vehicle for education, life skills, discipline and leadership and the mini sport concept allows us to instil these values before they are get involved in the more competitive inter-schools matches.”
Once the pupils reach the under 10 age group they are exposed to competition with other schoosl and the benefits of the early coaching ensures good results, but more importantly a large pool of confident boys are keen to represent their school each weekend and enjoy sport with the right attitude.
The respected Headmaster also does not believe in sitting in his ivory tower and simply reaping the benefits of a qualified coaching staff. Neave takes time from the pressure of running one of Durban’s top primary schools to get out and coach the golf section.
“I feel the importance of golf is that it is a skill-based sport that can be learnt at a young age, but can be played throughout your life,” said Neave. “Golf is one of the few sports that operate on many levels. It can be an intensely competitive game and it can be used in business or recreation.
“However, the fundamental lessons and attributes of golf, such as honesty, etiquette and self reliance, are qualities that assist boys in all aspects of life and contribute to being successful adults.”
And those are the pillars on which DPHS and its sport hope to make sure its alumni enjoy better fortunes, long after they have moved to high school and into the working environment.
And those are the pillars on which DPHS and its sport hope to make sure its alumni enjoy better fortunes, long after they have moved to high school and into the working environment. |
