IN ASSOCIATION WITH
PASSING THE BIB TO THE NEXT GENERATION : SARACENS ’ BRITNEY CLARKE VISITS BLACKHEATH HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS
In July , Blackheath High School GDST , an independent day school for girls aged 3 to 18 located in Greenwich , welcomed Saracens Mavericks netball superstar Britney Clarke to give sports scholars a taste of elite netball .
Britney put the girls through their paces with an intensive fitness session before giving them a talk on her journey to the top of elite netball , and answering questions from the budding sports stars .
Blackheath High School GDST matches academic excellence with a diverse range of co-curricular activities to inspire its students at every stage of their academic journey , and sport plays a major part in this .
The teachers promote equality through sport with traditionally labelled ‘ boys ’ sports ’ like football and cricket taught to be equally as valid as netball . Sport is offered across the board at all levels , whether that be for fun or for those that require specific training for fixtures . The school has links to local sports clubs including the Greenwich Cricket Club to offer the girls the most well-rounded experience of sport possible .
Britney Clarke said of her visit : “ My journey into elite netball consisted of hard work and determination , but also learning to ignore the negative voices telling me I wasn ’ t like the other players . It was a pleasure to visit the girls at
Blackheath High School GDST and I hope that I instilled a sense that no mountain is too high when you ’ re chasing your dreams .”
Hannah Morrell , director of sport at Blackheath High School GDST , said : “ Diversity and inclusion in sport has come a long way but there are still many barriers visible to young girls which can prevent aspirations and shatter confidence .
“ Bringing in athletes like Britney Clarke is a way to motivate and inspire our students , and remind them that they can achieve whatever they set their hearts on .”
www . blackheathhighschool . gdst . net
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