ON THE RIGHT TRACK

When you observe Year 6 pupil and talented sportsperson, Mariella, playing in netball fixtures and competing in athletics events, it’s exciting to see how far she has progressed during her time in Prep. Mariella moved from her local primary school to Kingsley Prep in September 2017. “The first time I played netball at Kingsley, I was scared when the ball came towards me!” she laughs. With four hours of the weekly timetable dedicated to sport in Prep, it quickly became an integral and enjoyable part of school life for Mariella and, inspired by Kingsley’s specialist sports teachers and the camaraderie of her classmates, she became an active participant in sports lessons and threw herself into extra-curricular clubs and activities. “The sports teachers at Kingsley are great, and the small classes mean that every Prep pupil gets to play in fixtures,” explains Mariella. “The teachers are also good at spotting if you’re doing well. When I moved into Year 2, I was invited to swim for the school in my first aquathlon. I really enjoyed it and have competed in a few others since.” Mariella finished second in the 2019 Kenilworth Juniors Aquathalon and has also enjoyed competing in Kingsley Prep Swimming Galas alongside her classmates. “The galas are good fun,” says Mariella. “Our house, Loveday, came first in the last one!”

As well as becoming a strong swimmer, Mariella was growing in confidence in other sports. “Competitive swimming really helped improve my stamina,” reflects Mariella, “especially in athletics and running.” When she was in Key Sage 1, she was invited to join Kingsley’s Key Stage 2 cross country team, and towards the end of Year 2 she won a string of medals at the Prep School Sports Day, including Year 2 Sprint Champion and 400m Champion. She was named ‘Year 5 Best Sports Woman’ at Kingsley’s 2022 Summer and Winter Sports Awards and impressed spectators at the 2022 Prep Sports Day with outstanding performances in the 600m and the 100m sprint. In 2018, Mariella joined the Leamington Athletics Club where she trains on Tuesdays, developing her skills across the full range of athletics events for her age group. On the same evening she takes part in Squad Training at school. She explains to us that she has to eat her tea in the car en-route to the Edmonscote athletics track: “Cold pasta from a tupperware doesn’t taste too bad when you’ve been doing lots of exercise!” she jokes. When asked about her favourite event, Mariella replies without hesitation, “The 600m.” “Don’t you get out of breath?” we ask her. “I do!” she laughs. “Normally around 400m, but I tell myself there are only a couple of hundred metres to go. In our sports lessons in school we’ve been practising something called ‘percentage running’. A jog would be around 25% and an all-out sprint is 100%. It’s good to think about running like this because it helps with pacing.” Mariella used the technique for the 600m run in her first ever Quad Kids competition, consisting of four different events and competing against athletes from Leamington, Warwick and further afield. “I was the youngest person there and I was really nervous,” Mariella admits. “I was ‘neck and neck’ with another girl and the 600m was the last race. Everyone set off hard, but I went for a slower start and saved some energy for the end. It was the right thing to do; I finished second in my age group and came joint first with the other girl in the 600m [Mariella went on to place first in her age category in the Club Championships]. We stood on the podium together and had a nice chat. That’s what I like about athletics - even though you’re competing against other people, they’re all very friendly!” Mariella’s achievements in team sports are equally, if not more, impressive. She’s currently in Kingsley’s netball, hockey and rounders teams and, outside of school, she has recently been offered a place in the Leamington Netball U12 Squad. “I had to do trials to qualify,” Mariella

“Kingsley has opened our eyes to a whole world of sporting opportunities. The teachers are always looking to get the girls involved in different fixtures and events. They often phone me and say, “Can Mariella take part in...?” and my response is always, ‘absolutely!’ In addition to Squad Training, both my girls were recently invited to take part in ‘Super Six’ - a new Saturday morning event for Kingsley pupils in Years 6 to 10 who want to spend more time preparing for fixtures. It’s these opportunities that have given the girls the skills and confidence to enjoy so many sporting successes, and pursue opportunities outside of school.”

explains. “These included different drills and we were observed in matches to see how we worked with the other players.” Most individuals invited to try out for the team are in Year 6, but Mariella was accepted in Year 5, proving just how much progress she’d made. “Earlier this year, my [older] sister played for Kingsley in the U12 Regional Tournament Final,” recalls Mariella. “They were a player down and the coach asked if I would step in. I was the only Year 5 girl playing and my opponent was a foot taller than me. I thought I was going to be in trouble but, at one point, she joked with me and asked me to slow down! Our team won the match and it was amazing. This experience helped me to get into the U12 team - it made me believe in myself and I knew I could do well in the trials.”

In 2021, Kingsley joined the Independent Schools Association (ISA) - a network of over 590 of the UK’s best independent schools - opening up many new opportunities to Kingsley students, including the chance to compete against a whole host of other independent schools in sports fixtures. “Our U10 netball team came second out of 12 schools in the 2022 ISA Competition,” says Mariella. “It was a brilliant game and we were really happy with the result. We were so exhausted afterwards that we all fell asleep on the way home. Miss Mason said it was the quietest bus journey ever!” When asked what it takes to be a good sports person, Mariella says, “Your attitude is just as important as being fit. Some days you don’t feel like going to training, but you have to put the time in.” Mariella currently spends over ten hours a week training, in addition to competing and playing in sports fixtures. She has taken part in summer netball academies and other events, including training sessions with the Wasps, which have really helped her to up her game. At home, she spends lots of time in the garden running, jumping and practicing shooting. “In lockdown, I had my whole family outside in the rain doing mini-triathlons,” laughs Mariella. “We even made medals and had our own ceremony!” It’s safe to say that now Mariella has found her love of sport she isn’t going to let it go! We’re excited to follow her journey as she progresses through Year 6 and into Senior School.