A Fearlessly Fintona Sporting Culture

For many years, staff and students have worked hard to develop a sporting culture of inclusion and excellence at Fintona. At its core is the hard work and dedication of our talented students, coupled with an understanding of the power of sport to bring people together and cultivate a sense of belonging.

Sam Kerr spoke about this in 2023, ‘I always try and make everyone feel welcome, and by being who I am, allow them to be who they are. I think that’s the most beautiful part of Sport, all these different people coming together to achieve something great’.

Our girls encourage each other and strive for excellence, proud to represent the Blue and Gold. Their commitment to supporting one another, and lifting each other up, reflects our values as a small school, with a big heart.

And what an incredible year we have shared! So many of our teams and individual athletes have experienced the joy of success and represented Fintona at state and national levels. A record number of teams qualified for GSV Finals including three softball, three badminton (one of which won the Grand Final!) a hockey and basketball team. Not to be outdone by these performances were the members of the GSV Athletics team, who won the School Population trophy for the first time, and our Cross Country girls who won the Senior trophy. In September, six of our Netball teams qualified for the finals, with four teams – Year 5, Year 6 and two Year 9 teams – achieving Grand Final glory. Every student who has competed for the Blue and Gold this year has embodied our school values in her commitment and approach.

At the same time, we have been fortunate to witness women’s sporting success on the world stage. The celebration of women’s sport is (finally!) capturing the attention of global audiences. Our Australian netball team, the Diamonds, won the Netball World Cup. Similarly, our Australian women’s cricket team retained the Ashes after winning the World Cup in 2022 and Kaylee McKeown became the first female swimmer to win the 50m, 100m and 200m events in a single stroke (backstroke). It was remarkable to watch so many skilful women celebrate these moments. And of course, there was palpable excitement as The Matildas surged into the semi-finals at the World Cup. Even as the ultimate trophy eluded them, the team won legions of fans across Australia, inspiring a new generation of female athletes. It is exciting that these achievements have had a trickle down effect and inspired our own students.

In a similar way, the admiration our girls have for each other extends beyond the podium. We celebrate our wins, we graciously accept our defeats, and we appreciate the grit and determination of our teammates. Sport at Fintona is made possible by a dedicated group of staff, coaches and families. We owe them all our deepest gratitude and thanks. This year has proven that having a collective spirit lays the foundation for a successful sporting culture.

As we look ahead to 2024, some final inspiration from Ash Barty: Be brave, be courageous, be authentic, and most importantly enjoy the journey.

Simon Bourke
Sport Coordinator