2013 Omnibus December December 2014
OMNIBUS
The termly newspaper of Wilson’s School
ROMANS DAY Marcus Brown tells us about Activities Day for Year 8 this term. After learning about the intriguing lifestyles that the Roman army followed and having experienced first-hand what it was like to be a Roman soldier, I began to hold high expectations for the remaining part of our trip to Hadrian's Wall. I was then pleased to discover that our next activity would be focused on looking at the crafting of Roman-pottery. I have always wondered how pottery was made. My first assumption was that you would take a piece of clay, put it on a revolving table, and shape it as you go. I soon received my answer,as I was given the opportunity to learn how pottery is crafted and to actually make a piece of Roman pottery myself. This sense of enthusiasm was quite out of place coming from me, considering the fact that Art is not a subject I naturally enjoy. As we entered the classroom, I was slightly apprehensive about the task ahead, but was soon relieved to find that we were to be given a help sheet outlining the different types of pottery we would soon learn about (though they all had unpronounceable names!). We were then given a brief overview of the task ahead and set to work.
and the corresponding people received praise points. Our final activity for the day was a card game which the Classics teachers had thought of exclusively for the day. At first, we were given our “belt counter cards” which had our belt counter, an explanation of how each character must win and some instructions. We were then told of the instructions of how to play the card game. Even with the long explanation on the instructions, I found the game quite confusing. We didn’t get our game finished during the thirty minute time period we had to play it, but it was still fun, despite some disagreements over the rules. At the end of it all, I think the Roman Activities Day was a huge success. It was a fun activities day and we got to learn about the Romans in a particularly unique and relaxing way. What more could you ask for than that?
It was not long before that I started realising the sheer scale of the task ahead of me. Nevertheless, I persevered and started making my pot at a fairly quick pace. Taking into account my limited knowledge and experience of clay work, I decided to make a simple mug. However, I found that the more and more I tried to make a specific design, the more and more my pot looked like a lump of clay. Time was against me, but I carried on, occasionally looking around to see the overall progress of my group. As time went on, I found that the clay was progressively harder to work with. When I got to the stage of making the handle, the clay crumbled whenever I tried to bend it. It was at this point that I knew I had to start thinking creatively, and what I thought of was creating a shape with the clay, attaching it to the mug, whilst taking off any excess which I wouldn’t need while curving it. It eventually worked - although, it did take a while! After I had toiled away for about an hour, we stopped and handed in our work before watching a short documentary, but I didn’t find this as exciting as the clay work. By the end of the class, the winner and the following top six pottery makers were announced
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Omnibus Omnibus December December 2013 2014
DECISION TIME
Mr Cole gives us an insight into what it’s like to be the Head of Wilson’s School.
Being in charge of a 400 year old institution is humbling, but the real honour is leading the people who walk through its doors today. And oh what a community! Intellectually dexterous. Challenging. Wry. Perhaps even ever so slightly cynical? A small village has its share of drama and so too us. Within a community, even in a term, there is triumph and disaster. Happiness and sorrow. Illness and recovery. Hope and disappointment. Not everything can go well. We can all only do our best. I’m proud to call Wilson’s my school; proud to lead such a talented staff and constantly invigorated by the hard work and wry sense of humour that the Wilson’s boy possesses. And every now and again, I get to go back to the classroom, close the door and teach History. After all, even a Headmaster is allowed a little pleasure. Running Wilson’s this term has felt feel like overseeing a small village. With a population size of well over 1200 (students and staff ), three large buildings, a business on site and acres of land, there is significant infrastructure to be managed. The six figure sums spent on electricity and gas; the vast stocks of toilet roll; the ongoing wear and tear absolutely everywhere in the building (not to mention the stocks of dry goods in case we are all snowed in!), would startle most members of our community, including the teachers. The Head of course, is surveyor of all. From the obvious and invigorating (teaching, marking, staffing and examination results for example), to the less exciting and sometimes quite peculiar (drain pipes, wiring and our choice of urinal style for the new building). I have found, to my considerable amusement, that my new role has brought new clothing– a high visibility jacket and hard hat amongst them. And of course, I am Accounting Officer. Did I mention that I oversee Health & Safety? No more fire bells as a result of builders’ dust this term please. One starts one’s day with decisions and quite often, one ends one’s day with decisions. President Truman had “The Buck Stops Here” on a plaque on his desk. Quite so. Of course Truman had a lot more to be worried about than any Head, but I understand what he meant. There is something quite sobering about the fact that all (including the welfare of every single person in the building) is ultimately the Head’s responsibility. Perhaps this is what led one of Shakespeare’s characters in Henry IV to exclaim “Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown”.
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I shall leave it there. Apparently the e-mail detailing the relative merits of flushing urinals versus the use of chemical blocks has arrived and a decision has to be made about which to go with. And of course there are the Head of Biology candidates to interview in 15 minutes. Must find out if we have ordered a Christmas tree yet…..
Omnibus December 2013 Omnibus December 2014
BUBBLE BUBBLE TOIL AND TROUBLE
WILSON’S v ALLEYNS INDEPENDENT SCHOOL
Oscar Taperell tells us about this term’s production.
Callum Hockley tells us about a football match this term.
If you start to hear sinister cackles in the corridor, see streaks of blood smeared on doors, or smell the canteen curry that seems to resemble a witch’s potion, then fear not; it is merely the upcoming Wilson’s production causing all these sinister omens (apart from the last one, maybe).
Saturday 22nd of November
After the spectacular lower school musical of Beauty and the Beast, the next production to take place will be ‘Macbeth’, one of Shakespeare’s darkest, shortest and most intense plays, but also one of the famous bard’s most popular works. Is it because there is no true villain in the play? Perhaps it’s because Macbeth goes and grabs his destiny instead of waiting for it to come to him? Maybe its popularity is due to the interesting psychological issues that the story explores?Or maybe it’s because a lot of people get murdered. Yet, whatever way you look at it, ‘Macbeth’ has everything to entertain a modern audience: a fast-paced storyline, a host of intriguing characters and a fair amount of blood – and I can assure you that the cast will be doing all of the above justice, as well as adding their own twist to the play. The director, Mr. Kavanagh, has decided to set the play in a modern setting, as well as having the stage completely surrounded by the audience. The play is all-male, with Charlie Stewart as ‘Macbeth’ and Matthew Jeffrey as his female accomplice, Lady Macbeth. Since it is a senior play, all of the cast will be Year 9 and above.
If you think Shakespeare is exclusively for ‘semi-pro’ actors, then have a good hard stare in the mirror and ask why you are depriving yourself of such good fun. If your diary’s already out with a pen in your hand after reading this article, then the dates for these performances are Tuesday 16th and Wednesday 17th December at 7 pm.
After dragging ourselves out of bed for an 8:00am meeting, the Wilson’s U12A Football team wearily boarded the coach. It was cold and wet – a very stereotypical November morning. As we arrived at Alleyns, we were met by an immense building surrounded by neatly trimmed grass. As we entered the school, we realised how daunting it was from the inside. Kick-off approached. So without water bottles or a sufficient number of shirts, we got onto the pitch, readying ourselves for the game ahead. We had had a near perfect season so far (only tarnished by an unfortunate loss against Carshalton Boys where we only lost out by one goal) and hence why we desperately wanted to keep up the record. The whistle went. The match had started. From the outset, Alleyns were playing some very nice patches of football with their centre-midfielder pinging passes all over the pitch. We were slow to start. But as the game wore on, with the help of some Premier-League quality defending by Nathan Ferguson, we grew into our natural, attacking style of play. Breakthrough. After a brilliant, cutting pass from Josh Fan in central-midfield, Seyon Srishanger used his immense physical presence and speed to breeze pass Alleyns’ right-back and put in a superlative cross to Luca Reddy –who finished clinically. After another extended period of defending by Wilson’s, with a great display in particular by Leon Kapszewicz and Aidey Watts at full-backs, we were on the attack once more. With another brilliant pass from midfield, our in-form striker Seyon had a one-on-one clash with their keeper. By this point, Seyon had scored 27 goals in 13 games, and giving him a one-on-one was virtually handing him another goal to add to his excellent goal-scoring season. He leapt at this opportunity, giving the keeper no chance. On the stroke of half time, Josh Fan hit a striking shot from outside the box to give us a 3-0 lead. We started the second half in much the way we finished the first. With crosses flying in from both sides, we were missing chances aplenty. Then an opportunity appeared; surely this was to be a goal. With a run from left-wing, bypassing many slide tackles, a cut-back pass was played into Richard Gotts. Richard, who was usually so clinical in this position, narrowly put the ball over the bar. Until the last five minutes, our defence was a wall, with Nathan Ferguson who was, by this point, the best defender on the pitch, holding strong and blocking any of Alleyns’ attacks. With our skilful Seyon defending a corner on the edge of our box (not his best position to be fair), the ball came to him and disaster struck. With an accidental mishap of a rainbow-flick (not the kind of skill to be doing at the edge of our box when defending a lead) Seyon gave the ball to the opposition. They netted. It was now 3-1. From nowhere, Alleyns was throwing the proverbial kitchen-sink at us. With a great save from Hamish RennieCarter in goal, a corner was given to Alleyns. Cross. Defensive mishap. Alleyns made a goal, setting the score at 3-2. Thankfully, we held out for the remainder of the game. The final whistle went. Relief flooded us. Our record was back on track.
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Omnibus December 2013 Omnibus December 2014 A TRIP TO HADRIAN’S WALL Rohan Chakraborty gives us a day-by-day account of a trip to Hadrian’s Wall this term. Saturday 25th October 2014 On a frosty Saturday morning, twenty-odd boys stood outside a Mitcham Belle coach. Subsequent to a seven-hour trip, journeying along a network of motorways through Oxford, Birmingham and Liverpool, including a pit stop at a service station to refuel both the coach and our stomachs, we reached the grasslands of Birdoswald. Clustered with fields, defended by walls of age, we gazed upon the subtle, blue-skied countryside of upper Cumbria. Exhausted, the hostel provided us with a hearty meal of lasagne, garlic bread, and an apple crumble dessert. After a few hours of light-hearted banter, we fell asleep just before 10pm. I hadn’t even considered the thrilling activities that Birdoswald would hold for me the next day. Sunday 26th October 2014 Following a breakfast of cereal and beans on toast, accompanied by smooth fruit juice, we set out for Housesteads Roman Fort before 10am. After a twenty-minute coach trip, we trekked up and down the hills to reach a formidable stone fort. There, in a thin fabric tunic and stark legs, stood a bearded, aged Roman warrior (as he claimed). He introduced us to the hefty armour and weaponry that Roman soldiers used in fighting, as well the variations between the different types of Roman soldiers that were existent at the time (as shown by our very own Ezra and Marat). Shortly afterwards, we were recruited into the Roman army, were taught under Latin commands and quickly learnt how to replicate the Roman formations. Unfortunately, we all failed miserably to throw a javelin accurately, though Mr Lawson enjoyed ambushing us with foam javelins as we marched along! After this, we leapt back on the coach and travelled to the Roman remains of the Corbridge site. Here, we explored the vivid history of the town and fort, of its conflict with nearby tribes and how the Romans’ arrival formed a new life in the area. Mr Lawson then set a competition to find the most interesting fact about the Romans and after attaining a particularly fascinating fact about them, I won the contest. My prize was a bag of chocolate coins and victory, in this case, never tasted so sweet. Of course, I shared them with everyone else. Not only this, but we visited the museum where we observed the many artefacts recovered from the site which displayed the remnants of early Roman civilization in the North. Afterwards, we gazed at a rusted and ruined piece of armour. Surprisingly though, this feeble armour was actually the first model discovered to show us the accurate structure of Roman armour. Later that day, we travelled back to Birdoswald where we were treated to a delightful menu of sausages, mash and vegetables, accompanied by a cake and custard dessert. With all the fatigue gained from the day, we ended up sleeping really early.
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Monday 27th October 2014 In the morning, everyone was greatly anticipating the trip to Eldon Square. After a short coach journey, we wandered throughout the mall that was in Eldon Square and purchased whatever video games or products we desired. At midday we strolled across to Saint James’ Park, known collectively at Newcastle Football Stadium. Although I am rooted to remain loyal to Anfield, I admired the grandeur of the place. We were given a tour of the stadium and we looked upon its structure in awe. Our attentions were then diverted to the managers’ and celebrity supporters’ seats, as well as the changing rooms for the home and away teams. Fun fact: almost every football team gives the away team the worst changing room. In Newcastle’s case, they gave the away team a bleak room, with average quality showers and facilities. Whereas in contrast, the Newcastle players were treated to a grand changing room, boasting novel shower technology, inspiring photos and individual changing areas. On the whole, we had an extremely fun time at the stadium. We then travelled to another mall where we went bowling. I scored straight zeroes for several rounds before reaching a meek score of 37 to which Miss Banner never hesitated to rub in, hammering us all down with a top-notch score over 100. Following our game of bowling, we were as hungry as famished wolves and proceeded to purchase dinner with an allocated ten pounds. Of the choice between KFC and Nando’s, we chose the latter as it offered delicious garnished chicken accompanied by spicy rice and bottomless drinks. After dinner, I had the duty of purchasing presents for the teachers and with the rest of my peers, bought three Winter Edition Lindts for the teachers to enjoy (thank you to all those who contributed for the presents). The evening came to an end with a brief presentation where each teacher received their gift and our applause. Later, Mr Lee visited us and after his participation in our ‘witty banter’, we fell asleep. Tuesday 28th October 2014 The last day of our trip to Hadrian’s Wall dawned upon us and though we were quite saddened by this realisation, we were also looking forward to going back home (and having access to wi-fi again!). We were seated on the coach and repeated the seven-hour journey back home, making one more pit stop at another service station where we were given another ten pounds to buy some Chinese takeaway. After that tasty meal, we went back on the coach. We then continued on our journey and Miss Banner talked to us about what we thought of the trip. Finally, we reached Wilson’s School and loading my luggage into the boot of my car, the trip had ended. My memory flashes back to the vivid history of the Romans’ influence on Britain and the enjoyment we had in learning about their lifestyle and culture. A thank you to Mr Lawson, Mr Lee and Miss Banner who took the time and effort to organise the trip. On behalf of my peers, I can say that we thought the trip was really enjoyable and one that we will not forget anytime soon!
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WALES DIARY Callum Hockley tells us all about the Year 8 trip to Wales. Day 1 We waited. The clock clicked slowly, the seconds seeming longer and more monotonous as we neared the start of our coach journey. Boarding the coach, the awful smell of sweat and body odour combined created an unbearable stench. As we arrived at the hostel, we were feeling sick and tremendously hot, to the point that our skin felt as if it was melting off our very bones. The old house which was to be our residence for the next few days looked over the sun-washed Hertfordshire valleys. After a lengthy briefing on our upcoming activities, we moved onto the country code, promising never to drop litter or leave any gates opened. Shortly after this, we took a walk around the perimeter of the grounds. At 8:00pm, we began the twilight walk to the famous Offa’s Dyke, a beautiful path running parallel to the England-Wales border. As we trekked further and further up the hill, light was gradually being sapped from the day; the moonlight was smothered and suffocated by woeful, black clouds. It was going to be a long walk and night ahead. As a result, sleep was scarce on Tuesday night. Day 2 I awoke. Eyes bleary and muscles fatigued after only a couple of hours of the solace of sleep. Tiredness swept through my body and rushed out to the extremities of my limbs. Being awakened at 6:30am by relentless banging from upstairs was not a great start to the morning, if I am truly honest. Breakfast was a combination of sausages, toast and a rather half-baked attempt at some baked beans (pun intended). Fuelled by this, we continued to the coach, where we experienced the longest ‘half an hour’ coach journey in history! Dozens of us were feeling sick and the ride was anything but pleasant. Following this, we arrived at Black Mountain Activities where a day of adventure was waiting for us. We were split into two groups, with one group doing gorge walking first and the other rock climbing. My group proceeded to the rock climbing, wearing pretty unfashionable harnesses which, unfortunately for us, exerted huge amounts of pressure on our legs and thighs. Splitting into smaller groups to climb each section of the wall, we were showed how to belay. It was a terrifying thought to consider that your best friend’s life momentarily rested entirely in your hands. As the first climber ascended, I knew that letting the rope slip from my hands would leave him climbing the wall with virtually nothing to protect him. If he lost his footing in that scenario, it would send him plummeting to his death. Thankfully, this morbid fate was not in any of our group’s destiny and all of us managed to get up and down the wall in less than eight minutes collectively. However, that is not to say that there were no intense challenges faced from the rock climbing. We watched in suspense as some of the members of our group, who were way out of their comfort zone, fought their fear as they bravely ascended the way. Fortunately, not many of us slid down on our faces. As we finished our packed lunches, it was our turn to go gorge walking. Attired in a life jacket and some old clothes, we descended into the gorge. I was determined not to fall
over, but this hardly stopped me from slipping into the freezing water only moments later. My body was extremely numb from the cold, but nevertheless, I felt exhilarated from the challenge and smiled as I got up. Emerald flora grew wildly above the gorge, shielding the light from the streams. We proceeded to crawl through minuscule gaps. It was halfway through a gap that was no more than three inches wider than my small waistline that my claustrophobia began to take hold of me. Panic. Could I do it? After a few moments, I swallowed my fear and got through the gap. After much slipping and sliding, we arrived at the plunge pool. From a height of six feet, the jump looked pretty daunting. It was my turn. Without second thoughts, I jumped. The water hit my face and knocked the breath out of me. After a good ten seconds, I began to rise to the top, breathless. I thought it would be fun to stay underwater for as long as possible to see how far I could push myself. However, as the icy, murky plunge-pool water engulfed me, I realised I wanted nothing more than to get back to the surface as soon as I could. After another long coach journey, we arrived at the house. We waited for half an hour for the other classes to return. We then sat at our now familiar tables and had a dinner of vegetables and chicken pie. Finishing our dinner, we moved to the lounge for a briefing. Mr. Burton talked about what we would need to bring for the day ahead. Following this, we proceeded to a rotational activity where one group would be playing in the recreational hall, one playing football, and one tidying up the rooms and having a chance to go to the tuck shop. In the hall, we had a pretty intense game of round-the-worldtable tennis. Smashing the ball and running around the table ignited the competitive streak in all of us; I began to show a little gamesmanship, all in good spirits of course. Some people could have called it playing dirty, but I termed it winning at all costs! Football was a riot. Nobody knew what teams they were on. Predictably, the game devolved into a mess of incredibly late tackles, handballs and downright cheating! Afterwards, we had a session of diary writing, where we were served some much needed hot chocolate and shortbread. It was now time to go to bed. Not to sleep of course as the talking in our room continued well after ‘lights out’. However, we did eventually fall asleep as our tiredness got the better of us. Day 3 The damp smell in our room from the gorge walking was foul. I knew the exact source was from the towel I used to dry off my walking boots. Yet, I thought better than to tell the other people in the room in anticipation of their possible reactions. We had breakfast before traveling once more on the coach to the set of activities for the day. Following this long coach journey, we arrived at Pitt, a mining museum. After being kitted up with a gas mask, a light on the helmet and a belt, we entered the shaft and began our descent into the depths of the mine. Natural light soon disappeared and the top became smaller and smaller until we could see it no more; the sun was gone from the day. We were told never to leave any of the doors open in the pit as this would disrupt the air flow in the mine and we would die. Also, if there was an explosion
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Omnibus Omnibus December December 2013 2014 and we were unable to breathe, it would be better to just take your gas mask off and die quickly. We were very glad to see that our guide was a real optimist. Shortly afterwards, we exited the pit and made our way to Pen y Fan, the tallest mountain in southern Britain. The climb was harsh and unforgiving as the ground was uneven, making it quite dangerous. Just one look over the edge told me just how high up we were. Following an hour of walking, running and trying not to fall off the edge, we arrived at the summit. The view from the top was simply breathtaking. The valleys rolled into the streams, which rolled into rivers, which subsequently rolled into a single picturesque landscape. Soon after descending down the mountain, we started our journey back to the hostel. We saw the summit in the distance as it gradually disappeared from out sight until it was no longer in view. The journey back was quicker than ever. The evening was pretty much a carbon copy of the last; football was a bit more organized (but still an absolute riot) and we still failed to pack much for the departure in the morning. Even as our accommodation was not as luxurious as our homes, I felt that I was going to miss the fun nights I had with my friends at the hostel. Day 4 We rose earlier than before to pack our bags and get them outside. The smell of damp still hung ominously in the air, as we stripped our beds and said goodbye to the room. I didn’t envy the cleaners who would have the responsibility of cleaning our rooms. We boarded the coach for the final time and prepared ourselves for the journey ahead. It was going to be no better than the last, which to put it simply, was sweaty, unpleasant and bumpy. Sickness rose from me. We said goodbye to Hertfordshire and the countryside; we were finally at the end of our much anticipated trip. A terrible notion suddenly flooded my thoughts. The new school year was upon us. Our holiday was soon to be over. No more lie-ins. No more days under the warmth of our duvets. ‘Don’t despair’, I told myself – after all, it’s only thirty seven Fridays until the next summer. Somehow that thought didn't comfort me much. The coach ate up the miles and after sickness, boredom, nausea and more boredom, we arrived back at school. The residential trip was over. It was smiles, hugs and kisses as we were greeted by our family at the school. Whilst on the coach, I was certain that my smile would be more plastic than most pop-stars, so I was infinitely surprised when I found it to be genuine. I only wished that the trip was a bit longer though.
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AN INTERVIEW WITH TEACHERS Charlie D’imperio and Rohit Prabhu asked teachers:
Who do you admire in your subject area and why?
MRS GRANT Guru Nanak because the message he’s promoting has crosspurposes and can be applied to religions of all societies.
MISS MATINSON Friedrich Nietzsche, since he looks to find the meaning in a universe without a god. However, I completely disagree with all his views.
MISS BANNER Sappho. He was a Greek poet in the sixth century BC. She was one of the only women in ancient history whose voice was actually heard because a lot of women during those times were famous for acting like scrupulous men. She’s an inspiration to me.
MISS WILIAMS Carol Ann-Duffy, whose feminist views strove ‘to make women not the under-dog’.
MRS FORD Fernand Braudel, who wrote a book called ‘Mediterranean in the Age of Phillip II’. It changed the way I looked at history.
MISS WATERHOUSE As you grow older, you see more stuff and learn about more things, so your inspirations change and evolve. Things are changing; earlier, inspiration might have come from 2D things, but 3D work is becoming more exciting. I just enjoy visual things.
DR.COOK My microbiology teacher, who inspired me to study biology. He created difficult lessons with lots of hands-on aspects.
MRS VASQUEZ Anish Capoor, an Indian-born sculptor. One of his sculptures, ArcelorMittal Orbit, was commissioned as a permanent artwork for London’s Olympic Park and completed in 2012. He does organic shape installations that are also architectural. Additionally, I was a roommate to his manager’s daughter, so I got the chance to really get to know his work.
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MRS PASCHOUD Maths – Mr Alderson, whose efficiency I really admire. Physics – James Clarke, who created the Maxwell equations. His equations are simple but explain a great deal.
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CREATIVE CORNER
In Stylish Writing Enrichment, students write Sunday supplement style articles. Here is Ramon Nartallo’s contribution to his group’s supplement:
Taking a stand for unrepresented sports Curling. We all know what it is. But when is the last time you sat down as a family to watch the curling? When is the last time you put up a poster of Thomas Ulsurd, the Norwegian curling superstar in your son’s bedroom? Well I’ve had enough of this sporting discrimination! It’s time to take a stand. A stand for the unrepresented sports. So, what are the underrepresented sports in today’s world? I think there are three: curling, table – tennis and basketball. ‘Basketball?’ I hear you ask, but despite it being a popular sport, when is the last time basketball was on TV, or a basketball shirt on sale in Sports Direct? Never. That is why, in my opinion, basketball is one of the most under-rated, underrepresented sports in today’s media. Even though you may arrogantly state, condescendingly, “I love table tennis!”, ask yourself this: have you watched Zhang Jike last dominate a world final? However, in London 2012, sports like Women’s Beach Volleyball sold out to middle aged men, while sports like basketball (with world renowned stars such as: Lebron James and Kobe Bryant) had empty seats at the events. Why? What is wrong with Britain and the way we view sports? I know. Firstly, these sports just aren’t popular enough! People don’t care enough. We are stuck in this one-track mind set that doesn’t allow us to open our eyes to the sports around us. There are incredible sports all around us – but we just don’t notice! I call this, the “footy-or-bust’ mind set. The only truly respected, truly represented and truly worshipped sport in England is football – only football. This leads us on to the second problem – opportunity. We’ve all been there. The little-league. As you stand there on the side-lines looking on anxiously at the crimes against football that your child is committing; the dirty looks you shoot the coach as he substitutes out your child; the shouted words of advice that you don’t even understand, “Play the offside trap” you scream as he lines up his penalty. These are memories of embarrassment and shock – yet memories nonetheless. These are memories that budding “curlers” or table-tennis players never experience. Why? This is because they do not have the opportunity to do so in a country plagued by our “footy-or-bust mind” set. However, the largest issue and the root of this problem, is the media. There are 380 games in the premier league season. There are 1455 games in the NBA season. 200 premier league games were available for free viewing. 0 NBA games were available for free viewing. Enough said. But there is more, the media do not only discourage the viewing and playing of these sports, they also poke fun at them. For example, the
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BBC got Sir David Attenborough to commentate the London 2012 Olympic Games Curling events due to a bet between two casting directors on who could make the curling least engaging. Disgraceful. But can we change this? We can. We will, if we try these three things: get involved, buy a table tennis or join a curling club; next, the media to represent these sports fairly and equally and definitely stop poking fun or taking these sports as a joke and finally, we need to embrace the Olympic legacy of London 2012, we have excellent facilities and organisations that have been founded and they are waiting for you – get up and go. If we follow these three points the world of sports will be a better place. We need to take a stand and maybe, just maybe, there will be posters of “curling” champions on the walls of the next generation – and maybe, there’s a chance those posters will be of you. “Do you know what my favourite part of the game is? The opportunity to play.” – Mike Singletary
