The sport&me series of blogs looks at Oakham School pupils’ relationship with sport. We ask how their sport has developed during their time at Oakham, how it fits into their busy lives and what they love about the sports they play.
Form 6 pupil Evie is a talented all-round sportswoman, excelling in netball while also playing hockey.
Evie’s Story
I joined Oakham in Form 2. I’ve been in the A team for netball since then.
I play a mixture of positions. I play more mid-court, but then I can also play goal defence.
I would like to play netball at university, I think.
Developing Netball at Oakham
I feel like its brought on my netball in different aspects, through the strength & conditioning, my strength, my speed and then the technical elements, like having one-on-ones with my coach to develop specific areas of my game.
Balancing Netball and Hockey
Sometimes it is quite hard to manage both of them, but I like being able to do both. You can carry it through both terms, so you can have a mix of sports. It makes it more enjoyable, I think, instead of just sticking to one.
The Friendships
I really enjoy playing both sports, because you socialise with people you wouldn’t normally see. You’ll see people from different houses and different sets, so it’s just really nice to have a different group of friends within school.
Special Moments
I think one of my biggest achievements is going to the Nationals every year since being at Oakham. I went in Form 2, Form 3, then in Form 5 and then this year as well.
It’s always really fun travelling to games. When I was younger, we went to Welwyn Garden City. We stayed in a hotel and had fun on the way down. The night before we all had a meal at Nando’s. Being on a team with your friends at all the National competitions has just been really fun.
This summer we’re going to South Africa for just over two weeks and we’re playing lots of local schools.
Advice for Younger Pupils
Try and get involved in as much as you can – like the strength & conditioning and the gym, and all the extra stuff you can do.
And just enjoy playing with your friends.
