On Friday 26th June, AKS hosted its annual Sports Presentation Evening, bringing together student award winners, their families, staff, governors and supporters of the school to celebrate another outstanding year of sporting achievement.
Richard Chadwick, Director of Sport, opened the evening by reflecting on the completion of his second year at AKS. He celebrated the remarkable team and individual successes achieved throughout the year, whilst also recognising the dedication of the Sport and PE Department behind the scenes in continually enhancing the sporting experience for every student.
Sharing his vision for the future, Richard spoke of the school’s ambition to become the number one school for sport in the area. He also praised the resilience, commitment and determination shown by students throughout the year and thanked parents and colleagues alike, acknowledging that another successful sporting year had only been possible through the collective efforts of the entire AKS community.
Year 7 students Georgiana D-D and Lucca H then shared their reflections on their first year of sport at AKS, speaking about the opportunities they had embraced since joining the school last September. Encouraging fellow students to make the most of every opportunity, Lucca concluded, “Take advantage of all the opportunities to improve your performance and try new sports.” Georgiana reflected on the mindset needed to compete, adding, “You need to get in the right headspace to compete in any sport.”
Year 9 students Charlotte R and William H also spoke about the important role sport plays in school life. Charlotte highlighted that while only a very small percentage of young athletes will become professional sportspeople, the qualities developed through sport prepare students for future success, noting that over 70% will go on to become future leaders.
The school’s newly appointed First Team Captains for 2026/27 — Jacob F, Rugby; Sophie S, Hockey; Xavier D, Cricket; Milly G, Netball; and Ted B-E, Football — gave entertaining reflections on the season just completed and shared their hopes for the year ahead.
The guest speaker for the evening was Pat Sharples, Head Coach and Technical Director for GB Snowsport. Widely regarded as one of Britain’s leading high-performance coaches, Pat oversees the development of the nation’s elite ski and snowboard athletes, including Great Britain’s Olympic and Paralympic teams. Beginning his own journey on the slopes at Rossendale Dry Ski Slope aged just seven, Pat shared inspiring stories from throughout his coaching career, which was recognised with the prestigious UK Sport Coach Award in 2023.
Leaving students with a memorable message, Pat encouraged them to embrace the values that underpin success in both sport and life: respect, resilience after setbacks, a strong work ethic, commitment and, above all, remembering to enjoy the sport they love.
Throughout the evening, students from across every year group were recognised for their outstanding performances, commitment and continued improvement across a wide range of sports including hockey, rugby, football, netball, cricket, athletics, tennis and golf. The awards celebrated not only individual excellence but also the teamwork, dedication and sporting culture that continues to thrive at AKS.
The school extends its sincere thanks to the entire Sport and PE Department, visiting coaches, support staff, grounds team, catering team and marketing department for helping deliver another exceptional year of sport. Special thanks also go to parents and families, whose encouragement and support throughout the year continue to make such a significant difference to every student’s sporting journey.
A full list of award winners follows below:
Girls Hockey
Winnie V-R – Girls Hockey, U12A Player of the Season
Georgiana D-D – Girls Hockey, U12A Most Improved
Kaitlin H and Amber W – Girls Hockey, U12B Player of the Season
Sophia D-D – Girls Hockey, U12B Most Improved
Penny A – Girls Hockey, U13A Player of the Season
Grace W – Girls Hockey, U13A Most Improved
Emily B – Girls Hockey, U13B Player of the Season
Priya P – Girls Hockey, U13B Most Improved
Sadie A and Alyssa W – Girls Hockey, U14 Player of the Season
Scarlett B – Girls Hockey, U14 Most Improved
Lauren M – Girls Hockey, U15 Player of the Season
Isla J – Girls Hockey, U15 Most Improved
Emily B – Girls Hockey, U16 Player of the Season
Maisie M – Girls Hockey, U16 Most Improved
Sophia M – Girls Hockey, Senior Player of the Season
Esther T – Girls Hockey, Senior Most Improved
Boys Hockey
James B – Boys Hockey, U12 Player of the Season
Max V – Boys Hockey, U13 Player of the Season
Joseph L – Boys Hockey, U13 Player of the Season
Rugby
George B – Rugby, U12A Player of the Season
Joseph L – Rugby, U12A Most Improved
Joey H – Rugby, U12B Player of the Season
Charlie D – Rugby, U12B Most Improved
Blake H – Rugby, U13A Player of the Season
Oscar B-P – Rugby, U13A Most Improved
Harry S – Rugby, U14 Player of the Season
Will V – Rugby, U14 Most Improved
Tom C – Rugby, U15 Player of the Season
Noah M-J – Rugby, U15 Most Improved
Jacob C-B – Rugby, U15 Most Improved
Jack W – Rugby, U16 Player of the Season
Sam M – Rugby, U16 Most Improved
Sammy C – Rugby, Senior Player of the Season
Charlie K – Rugby, Senior Most Improved
Rugby 7s
Henry C – Rugby 7s, U12A Player of the Season
Dexter N – Rugby 7s, U13A Player of the Season
Jackson S – Rugby 7s, U14 Player of the Season
Henry F – Rugby 7s, U15 Player of the Season
Finlay L – Rugby 7s, U16 Player of the Season
Alfie K – Rugby 7s, 1XV Player of the Season
Netball
Evarose W-T – Netball, U12A Player of the Season
Lily W – Netball, U12A Most Improved
Matilda M – Netball, U12B Player of the Season
Alice W – Netball, U12B Most Improved
Amelie Y – Netball, U13A Player of the Season
Lottie T – Netball, U13A Most Improved
Louisa B – Netball, U14A Player of the Season
Hattie W – Netball, U14A Most Improved
Ilaria V – Netball, U14B Player of the Season
Faye J – Netball, U14B Most Improved
Adrianna E and Esme M – Netball, U15 Player of the Season
Lily P – Netball, U15 Most Improved
Harper C – Netball, Senior Player of the Season
Lilly G – Netball, Senior Most Improved
Girls Football
Henrietta L-C – Girls Football, U13 Player of the Season
Natalie H – Girls Football, U15 Player of the Season
Luca H – Boys Football, U12A Player of the Season
Joey H – Boys Football, U12A Most Improved
James B – Boys Football, U12B Player of the Season
George B – Boys Football, U12B Most Improved
Max D and Dexter N – Boys Football, U13A Player of the Season
Jack L – Boys Football, U13A Most Improved
Oliver C – Boys Football, U13B Player of the Season
George C – Boys Football, U13B Most Improved
Toby S – Boys Football, U14 Player of the Season
Jackson S – Boys Football, U14 Most Improved
Teddy B-E – Boys Football, U15 Player of the Season
Charlie T – Boys Football, U15 Most Improved
Daniel M – Boys Football, 1XV Player of the Season
Toks O – Boys Football, 1XV Most Improved
Girls Cricket
Winnie V – Girls Cricket, U12 Player of the Season
Emily H – Girls Cricket, U12 Most Improved
Penny A – Girls Cricket, U13 Player of the Season
Ella B – Girls Cricket, U13 Most Improved
Charlotte R – Girls Cricket, U14 Player of the Season
Evie B – Girls Cricket, U14 Most Improved
Aoife K – Girls Cricket, U15 Player of the Season
Thea P – Girls Cricket, U15 Most Improved
Boys Cricket
Isaac W – Boys Cricket, U12A Player of the Season
Henry C – Boys Cricket, U12A Most Improved
Henry M – Boys Cricket, U12B Player of the Season
Joey H – Boys Cricket, U12B Most Improved
Joseph L – Boys Cricket, U13A Player of the Season
Henry G – Boys Cricket, U13A Most Improved
Arthur H – Boys Cricket, U13B Player of the Season
Harry P – Boys Cricket, U13B Most Improved
Rupert W – Boys Cricket, U14 Player of the Season
Oliver O – Boys Cricket, U14 Most Improved
Harry Mc – Boys Cricket, U15 Player of the Season
Rory U – Boys Cricket, 1st XI Player of the Season
Xavier D – Boys Cricket, 1st XI Most Improved
Girls Tennis
Isabella S-S – Girls Tennis, U12-U15 Player of the Season
Amelia C – Girls Tennis, U12-U15 Most Improved
Boys Tennis
William M-R – Boys Tennis, U12-U15 Player of the Season
Toby S – Boys Tennis, U12-U15 Most Improved
Girls Golf
Rowan H – Girls Golf, U12-U15 Player of the Season
Boys Golf
Harry W – Boys Golf, U12-U15 Player of the Season
Girls Athletics
Henrietta L-C – Girls Athletics, U12 Track Athlete of the Year
Stella-R L – Girls Athletics, U12 Field Athlete of the Year
Grace W – Girls Athletics, U13 Track Athlete of the Year
Alice Y – Girls Athletics, U13 Field Athlete of the Year
Charlotte R – Girls Athletics, U14 Track Athlete of the Year
Sadie A – Girls Athletics, U14 Field Athlete of the Year
Adrianna E – Girls Athletics, U15 Track Athlete of the Year
Adrianna E – Girls Athletics, U15 Field Athlete of the Year
Boys Athletics
Henry C – Boys Athletics, U12 Track Athlete of the Year
Ben J – Boys Athletics, U12 Field Athlete of the Year
Alex W – Boys Athletics, U13 Track Athlete of the Year
Max V – Boys Athletics, U13 Field Athlete of the Year
William H – Boys Athletics, U14 Track Athlete of the Year
Jackson S – Boys Athletics, U14 Field Athlete of the Year
Henry F – Boys Athletics, U15 Track Athlete of the Year
William H – Boys Athletics, U15 Field Athlete of the Year