2016 School Magazine

FROM THE SPORTS CAPTAINS

While our athletes fine-tune their technique and dedicate hours to their training, we believe the power of Girls Grammar support can make all the difference on carnival day. This year at QG swimming, we had a record number of 153 Girls Grammar supporters who unified to propel our swimmers through the water. The power of Girls Grammar support was possibly a secret weapon on the day with an improved result from last year. Grammar girls continue to understand the importance of sport in their lives with seventy-two per cent of the Girls Grammar population playing school sport this year. Our athletes continue to excel across all eighteen sports with twenty-one (at the time of going to press) premierships. What is even more impressive is the fact that Girls Grammar teams finish in top three or top five of our ten-strong Queensland Girls Secondary Schools Sports Association (QGSSSA) competition more than eighty per cent of the time. It is incredibly difficult to always come out on top (we learned that from the Olympics!), but we are always going to be a part of a culture that is successful by being a tough team to beat, or a persistent, consistent, dominant force in grades, divisions and carnivals. We would like to thank all the coaches, teachers and coordinators who helped make our role as Sports Captains such a valuable experience. We will use the leadership skills we have gained this year throughout our lives. The friendships, the fun and the pride that we have felt representing our School in sport over the last five years is something we will never forget.

ARTISTIC GYMNASTICS As the captains of Artistic gymnastics for 2016 it is of no surprise that gymnastics is a passion of ours. 2016 marked our fifth year as members of the BGGS team and we considered ourselves very lucky to have the opportunity to support and lead such a great group of athletes. The 2016 season saw BGGS as the largest team entered in the Queensland Girls Secondary Schools Sports Association (QGSSSA) competition. We competed across six different divisions and every girl had an amazing time whether it was the first time competing for the Year 7s, or the last time for the Year 12s. In the beginning weeks of the season, seeing new friendships made between the girls gave us a sense of pride and made the experience of captaining the team even more rewarding. As the season progressed, the bond between the teams grew stronger creating a Girls Grammar family. All gymnasts tried their best not only on the day but also in every training session. It has been a pleasure to be captains of the team this year and to see everyone reach their goals. We wish all the girls trialing again next year good luck. EMILY WYNN (12L) AND ZOE DIAKOGIANNIS (12G) CAPTAINS Our vision for sport at Girls Grammar in 2016 was to take the vibrant spirit that already exists to the next level. The spirit that we are known for comes from girls that join together with courage, determination and sportsmanship. This year, we aimed to bring out the best in every sportswoman by demonstrating these qualities at every training session, every fixture and every meet. An important part of sportsmanship is understanding that failure is part of success and to be prepared for the ups and downs that come with sport. We believe it is the time after the perceived failure that gives you resilience and even more determination to go forward with courage. During the speeches we delivered to the School every assembly, we would report on sport — yet the speech was based on broader themes relevant to the entire audience. This idea emerged as we realised the lessons we learn on the playing field are the same lessons we apply to life. The themes we touched on this year included courage, teamwork, adversity, respect, equality, legacy and excellence.

ERICA SCHMELZER (12E) AND EMMA BILLS (12W)

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