Welcome from the Director of Sport
This week culminates in two special matches under the lights at Havant RUFC, where our student-led partnership with LooseHeadz takes centre stage. Their commitment to raising awareness for mental health, using sport as the vehicle, is something we are incredibly proud of. The QR code below will take you directly to our fundraising page, and we are encouraging the entire Seaford community to support this brilliant cause in any way they can.
The most rewarding part? This initiative has been driven entirely by our students. They have shown maturity, empathy and initiative, proving that leadership does not rely on age, but on action. Their willingness to champion mental health through sport reflects the very best of Seaford.
Alongside this, we have another fantastic midweek senior hockey fixture at Ardingly College, adding further value to our sporting week. Even more excitingly, a second student-led charity event is already in motion, this time uniting members of our senior girls to raise funds for CoppaFeel. It is yet another example of how our young people constantly look beyond themselves to make a difference.
Of course, not everything has run smoothly. We have reduced fixtures this week due to unforeseen circumstances with the proposed opposition. While this is frustrating, please rest assured we are working hard to source alternatives wherever possible. Sometimes the sporting calendar throws us challenges, but as ever, we remain adaptable and committed to giving our students the opportunities they deserve.
Looking ahead, we are delighted to be welcoming families to campus for Open Morning this Saturday, and if your children are not involved in a fixture, we would greatly value their presence for tours. Our visitors are at their most inspired when they meet the people who make Seaford what it is: students who show exactly what our community looks and feels like. Your enthusiasm is the difference-maker.
As we head into the end of the week, I am reminded of a message I have shamelessly stolen from Nigel Redman.
The message told was about being a version of yourself you can be proud of. It came alive through a story about Michelangelo, who, when asked how he created the Statue of David, replied: “All I did was chip away everything that didn’t look like David.” The idea is eloquently simple. Each day, each session, each performance can place extra layers on us from tiredness, frustration, distraction, a tough result, a bad night’s sleep – but we always have a choice: to chip away at the unhelpful bits and reveal the version of ourselves we want to be.
For our student athletes (or any context you wish to apply this to), this message feels incredibly relevant. Growth in sport is not a straight line; it is a process of refining, improving and choosing who you want to become. Being proud of yourself is not about being perfect; it is about daily decisions, small behaviours and consistent effort. It is about recognising when the “extra weight” does not look or feel right and choosing to chip it away to maintain the best version of you.
And as our LooseHeadz fixtures remind us, mental health is part of this journey. Chipping away the unhelpful bits includes speaking up, checking in on teammates, and recognising that strength comes in many forms.
Our community continues to show just how special it is; through charity, through teamwork, through leadership and through kindness.
Be proud of who you are and keep chipping away.
Mr Christian Head Director of Sport
