SCHOOL NEWS// OP NEWS
KYLE’S INSPIRING
PERFORMANCE
MAKES US SO
PROUD
Pocklington School is extremely proud
of OP Kyle Edmund’s successful run in
the Australian Open, when he reached
the semi-final, beating some of the
world’s top players along the way.
Pupils and staff closely followed Kyle’s
progress through the tournament, and
today the media spotlight descended
on the school as we cheered him on
through the semi-final in Melbourne.
Kyle, 23, fought on after suffering an
injury in the first set and took the second
set to a tie-break. He was beaten by
sixth seed Marin Cilic but not without
showing the strength and determination
which marked him out as a great
sportsman when he was a pupil at our
Prep School.
Prep School teacher Dave Tyrrell,
who coached Kyle at cricket when he
attended the school from 2002-2006
and has followed his career ever since,
said: “Kyle did brilliantly to reach the
semi-final. He didn’t let himself down
- it’s all part of the learning process.
Tennis is a losing game and you learn as
much from your losses as your victories
and I’m sure he will go from strength
to strength. He’s always a winner in our
eyes.”
Some pupils arrived at the School
Sports Hall at 6am today to join
coverage of the build-up to Kyle’s
match on BBC Breakfast News. They
spoke to journalists about what Kyle’s
achievement meant to them, played
their own games of tennis and created
a colourful Good Luck banner for the
Prep School Hall.
BBC Breakfast News broadcast several
live segments from the Sports Hall and
Prep School, speaking to teachers past
and present, as well as current tennis-
playing pupils who have been inspired
by Kyle’s success.
Prep School pupils’ enthusiastic support
for Kyle as they watched the match in
the Prep School Hall was also captured
by the BBC’s cameras.
Prep School Headmaster Ian Wright
said: “Our pupils are thrilled that
someone who went to their school
has gone on to achieve international
sporting success. They really got behind
Kyle as they watched him play in
today’s match – their chants and cheers
were so loud I’m sure he could hear
them in Australia!”
He added: “Kyle is a very pleasant
and humble young man and we really
appreciate the fact he’s kept in touch
with the school. He came back to see
us after winning the Davis Cup in 2015
and signed 200 tennis balls for the
pupils. We’ll continue to support him as
he goes on to even greater things.”
Kyle’s former Prep School teacher
Anna Hughes said: “Kyle embodied
our school’s prized characteristics of
Truth and Courage during his time
at our school and I can still see them
reflected in his actions as a sportsman
and ambassador for our country even
today.
“We’ve always been proud of him and
we’re honoured that he still views us as
a tether to his home and as a support
for him. We hope that will always
continue.”
Pocklington School pupils and staff were
interviewed by a whole host of media
outlets. Catch up with coverage on
BBC Newsround, Radio 5 Live, BBC
Look North, Capital and Heart Radio,
Radio 1 Newsbeat, BBC2’s Victoria
Derbyshire, BBC Radio Humberside,
BBC Radio York, The Times, Daily
Mail and stories in the national and
regional press distributed by the Press
Association.
Trevor Loten, Pocklington School
tennis coach and resident boarding
house tutor at Fenwick-Smith, said: “It’s
very easy to talk about how talented
and focused Kyle is. He’s gone from
strength to strength and now looks more
THE POCKLINGTONIAN
17