Half-term sports trips gave our Senior hockey players experience of Spain's top training facilities and our Upper Prep a taste of Austria's sunny ski slopes.
14 senior hockey players from Harrodian’s First and Second Team squads got an authentic taste of what elite sports training feels like on a half-term trip to Valencia jointly led by Head of Hockey Ms Hazel Lovegrove and First Team Coach Mr Marcus Howard.
‘The complex we used had just been used as the qualifying venue for the next Olympic tournament.’ says Ms Lovegrove. ‘Everything about the trip was of professional quality from the water-based artificial playing surfaces we trained and played on to the quality of the conditioning areas and the excellence of the players and the umpires in the matches we took part in.’
Visit our special gallery of Valencia trip photographs
There was also local culture to enjoy alongside sporting excellence. ‘Valencia is a buzzing city and we visited the beach and the Arts and Science Museum and ate at the Mercado Central,’ says Mr Howard. ‘It felt like a great city break.’
Lower Sixth pupils Jess and Isla loved it too. ‘It was a great chance to get to know new players who are joining the team from the 15s,’ says Isla, below left. ‘The opportunity to play in a really professional environment was amazing,’ adds Jess, far right. ‘We thought the umpires were talking to themselves until we realised they were using on-pitch mikes to talk to each other!’
We thought the umpires were talking to themselves until we realised they were using on-pitch mikes to talk to each other!
Jess, Harrodian Lower Sixth Former
Meanwhile in the Austrian village of Sankt Michael im Lungau, 39 boys and girls from the Upper Prep were enjoying a few days of skiing. Once a regular date in the school calendar, this trip was taking place for the first time since the pandemic and the group was lucky enough to enjoy good snow for their trip to a resort which was chosen for its suitability as a training venue.
‘We had a lot of beginners on the trip and, as Sankt Michael’s slopes mainly consist of blue and red runs, it was perfect,’ says Mr Jonah Manley the chief organiser. ‘It was a great place to learn.'
We had a lot of beginners on the trip and, as Sankt Michael’s slopes mainly consist of blue and red runs, it was perfect
Jonah Manley, Harrodian Sports Teacher
A safe one too: by the end of the week no-one in the group (Led by Mr Rodricks with the help of Mr Hardie, Mr Maybury, Mr Gledhill and Ms Hewitt as well as Mr Manley) had missed a moment on the slopes and according to Mr Manley 'everybody had made great progress'.
Visit our special gallery of Ski trip photographs
