PUBLISHED 25 February 2020
AKS Prep School Sports Teams have gone from strength to strength this Spring Term with medals galore at the AJIS Indoor Athletics and championship victories in Hockey for both the boys and girls U11 Teams.
Indoor Athletics
At this year's AJIS Athletics Festival held at Wigan Robin Park, Team AKS smashed the record books in no fewer than 4 events with Gracie G and Anna V claiming individual and team records and Lucy W claiming the fourth record.
Competing against 24 other schools from all over the North West, AKS claimed 11 podium finishes in both individual and team relays demonstrating another impressive year for the school and a love of athletics within the school.
Medal winners:
U10 Girls – 3 lap sprint Silver Medal Camilla
U11 Girls – 3 lap sprint Gold Medal Lucy (New AJIS Record)
U10 Girls – Speed Bounce Gold Medal Gracie (New AJIS Record)
U11 Girls – Speed Bounce Bronze Medal Ruby
U10 Girls – Soft Javelin Gold Medal Anna (New AJIS Record)
U11 Girls – Soft Javelin Bronze Medal Sophia
U10 Girls – Standing Triple Jump Silver Medal Camilla
U11 Boys – Vertical Jump Bronze Medal Jayden
U10 Girls – Paarlauf Relay Gold Medal Gracie & Anna (New AJIS Record)
U11 Girls – Paarlauf Relay Bronze Medal Sophia & Ruby
U10 Girls – Obstacle Relay Silver Medal Camilla, Reya, Isabel, and Penelope
Team AKS have also taken part in the Wyre & Fylde Indoor athletics competitions this year, finishing well in the Lancashire County Finals night where they finished 4th in a very competitive field that saw many children competing for the school. It was a great night and end of season finale.
U11 Girls Hockey
AKS U11 Girls were once again crowned Lancashire Champions this year, maintaining their unbeaten record in the competition. In another fine display they beat both Rossall and Kirkham and now progress onto the U11 Girls North West Finals in March, competing alongside other area champions from across the region with the top 2 teams looking to book a place in the North of England Finals.
The U11 Girls also took part in the Annual Rossall Hockey Festival and were crowned joint winners of this event and maintain their winning run going into the AJIS U11 Girls Hockey Festival that will take place on the 5th March at UCLAN Sports Arena, Preston.
U11 Boys Hockey
AKS Prep School Boys had a successful day’s hockey at the AJIS U11 Boys Hockey Festival held at Manchester Grammar School in February, being crowned joint Plate Winners alongside Bridgewater after a goalless final and extra time couldn’t break the deadlock.
AKS competed well in all their group games and played superbly well throughout, holding their nerve and resilience when it mattered in the knock out phase. AKS player of the day went to Xavier who gave a great account of himself across the pitch, showing his tenacious and creative side in setting up numerous opportunities for the team, Ollie S for one grateful as he managed to grab himself a handful of goals.
With boys' hockey on the up at AKS across the whole school it’s an exciting time to be part of the project. The U11 Boys now go into their next festival, U11 Lancashire Boys with a place to play for to get into the North of England Finals on Monday 9th March.
AKS Community Sports Hub
AKS Lytham is very much part of the whole community and working alongside the LSA & Wyre & Fylde sports associations can facilitate and offer all schools the opportunity in the local area to take part in many sporting events across the year.
This term we have hosted the KS1 & KS2 Inclusion Festivals in partnership with Lee Cadwallader who oversees the running of the sports programme across the Fylde Coast.
After February Half term and AKS becomes the home to the Tuesday night netball and football schools league, a facility that is greatly appreciated by all.
AKS Girls Football
AKS Prep School had a visit from a former pupil and editor of the “The Women’s Football Magazine” , Helen Rowe-Willcocks on the 7th Feb. Helen has played a key role in helping to promote the women’s game through the publication and is inspired to see the growth in the girls' football being offered at AKS Prep School who she has supported over the past 4yrs.
Helen watched the girls taking part in their coaching session and then took part in a Q&A session at the end with the girls. Speaking afterwards Helen was delighted with the response and their enthusiasm and abilities as individuals and as a team.
AKS Prep School have been crowned ISFA North Schools Champions in 2017 & 2018 and will be looking forward to hosting the next North Finals on the 27th March at AKS. This is a great competition and opportunity for the girls with the ultimate prize to take part in the National Finals at St Georges Park, home to the England National male and female teams.
Head of Football, Mr Moretti is keen to develop the whole school programme further and build on the footballing successes over the past few years. Being part of the ISFA Girls' programme, Mr Moretti is looking to develop and create further footballing opportunities for all our students as we create another sporting pathway at AKS.
Our Yr 9 student Beth R being an example of this opportunity as she looks to attend the U15 ISFA North squad trials in May at Stockport Grammar. Beth has had many years playing grassroots football for both boys' and girls' teams and is currently part of the girls set up at Fleetwood Town FC and captained the Prep School team to the North title in 2017.
Upcoming Fixtures in March
AKS Prep Sport is looking forward to a very busy time in the second half of the Spring term calendar with numerous events across Football, Rugby, Hockey and Netball.
Our U11 Boys and Girls Football and Netball squads will re-commence their local schools matches on Tuesday nights and will take part in the LSA Annual rally held at AKS in March.
Our U11 Rugby squad will compete in the AJIS U11 Rugby Festival along with the Annual Rossall 7s festival in March.
Both the U11 Boys and Girls hockey squads are in action in national competitions, the boys competing at the Lancashire round looking to book their place at the North Finals and the girls progressing to the North West Finals with the prize of getting through also to the North Finals to be held at Leeds Metropolitan University campus on 19th March.
The girls U11 football squad will also be competing this term at the ISFA North & Midlands Finals to be held at AKS on Friday 27th March, this will be the 4th year on a row we have staged the competition and will be looking to make it a hat-trick of wins this time around.
Our U9 Girls and Boys footballers will also get the opportunity to take to the pitch as we stage the LSA & W&F football competitions in March. Another great community event and one that will give all the locals schools the opportunity to attend. Our U9 Boys will also be in action at Cheadle Hulme in the AJIS U9 Football Festival.
As well as all the above, this term will see our U11 Football squad’s tour to Manchester take place with opportunities for the boys to play at the Ethihad Campus in the Manchester City Schools Festival programme whilst then taking in a visit to Manchester United’s AON Carrington training centre to watch an ISFA U13 North West side take on a Man Utd Emerging talent squad.
In terms of sports on offer and a pathway through the school, AKS Lytham is creating so many sporting opportunities for all our students and the opportunities to develop and learn across all forms of Physical Education.
With a great team of PE Staff and Coaches, the school is thriving in the success on and off the field and the buzz around the school is great to see.
Mr Moretti
Preparatory School Sports Co-ordinator
AUTHOR: Glen Harding