Sport

YORK HIGH'S

Overview

Sport is one of the four cornerstones at York High School and its importance within the schooling environment should never be underestimated. We believe in holistic education and the range of our winter and summer sporting codes support this approach. The benefits of sport are clear to see as our sporting stars grow in confidence, discipline and determination. Team sports encourage cooperation, unselfishness, teamwork and loyalty.

Not only is sport a healthy activity, tours and fixtures across the country provide the opportunity for our learners to experience the high and lows of winning and losing, humility, grace and camaraderie. Our ethos is to play the game in such a manner that it will gain the respect of the opposition, entertain the spectators and be a mirror of the school’s values. Sportsmanship is of paramount importance to us. We are blessed to have a group of dedicated staff who provide our learners with amazing sporting opportunities.

The following sporting codes are offered at York High School:

SUMMER:
Cricket, Athletics, Tennis, Squash, Golf, Chess, Sailing, Rock Climbing, Mountain Biking and Fast Fives Netball.

WINTER:
Rugby, Boys Hockey, Girls Hockey, Netball, Chess and Squash

Sport Facilities

York is fortunate to have a state-of-the-art hockey Astro facility with LED floodlights, two cricket fields, three matted cricket nets, four all-weather tennis courts, three all-weather netball courts, two squash courts, two rugby fields and a rock-climbing wall on campus.

Future plans include the building of a multi-purpose centre which will not only be used as a hall, for academic and cultural activities but also allow the opportunity for sports like indoor hockey and netball to be played. The hall will also be used for training sessions when the unpredictable George weather strikes.

Athletics

Athletics is offered at York High School in the first and fourth terms. Weekly practices take place on Mondays and Wednesdays on the main campus. A variety of field and track events are coached on these days. The season starts with the whole school participating in mass in the annual Heats. The four houses (Lancaster, Tudor, Stuart and Windsor) have an internal competition to select their best athletes for the following Interhouse meeting.

Interhouse Athletics is held a week after the Heats and involves the whole school again. The different houses are led by their House- and Athletics captains to the athletics track where the event will be taking place.The athletes are loudly supported throughout the day by their houses. At the end of the meeting the top performers, the house with the best spirit and the winning house are rewarded with a trophy.

The top athletes then get a chance to compete at the Regional athletics meeting held in George. The top four athletes of each event are allowed to go to the SWD-trials held in Oudtshoorn. Here athletes need to perform at a certain level to be chosen for the team that then goes to the Western Cape Championships.

Chess

Chess is one of the most versatile sports that you can play. According to the IOC (International Olympic Committee), Chess is a sport because the game requires immense skill, mental acuity, strategic thinking, and even lasting physical endurance to remain focused for the duration of matches that can last for hours.

Here at York High, all our chess learners fit this criteria. Our Chess Yorkies can take part in tournaments as individuals, but also as members of a team. We meet twice a week. One session will be with a certified chess coach, and in the other session we meet to play some fun social chess.

Cricket

Cricket at York High School is offered in the following age groups: Under 19 A, Under 19 B, Under 15 A, Under 15 B, Under 14 A. The Under 19 A and the Under 15 A (Colts ) both play in the Super League. This league involves Saturday fixtures against teams from all over the Southern Cape. York takes part in the National Pro 20 cricket league, which involves fixtures against teams from all over the Southern Cape.

These fixtures take place during the week so our First team is involved in playing three games per week on average during the summer season. The Under 19 B, 15 B and 14 A teams all play local teams in George during the week as travelling out of town during the week is time-consuming.

Our annual derby takes place against Muir College where the First and Colts play on a home-and-away basis on the first Saturday of each year. This fixture has been played since the inauguration of York High School. The Colts also take part in a local cricket festival during the September holidays.

Golf

Golf at York High School is an esteemed tradition that showcases the school’s sporting prowess. With great enthusiasm and dedication, the students participate in the annual league organized by the Southern Cape Golf Union. This league brings together numerous public and private schools from the area, creating a competitive and thrilling atmosphere. They are also exposed to various difficulty levels as they play courses such as Kingswood, Oubaai, Mosselbay Golf Course and Goose Valley.

The golfers from York High School face tough opponents, testing their skills and resilience on the lush green fairways. The golf at York High School exemplifies sportsmanship, teamwork, and the pursuit of excellence on the golf course.

Fast Five Netball

At York, our commitment is to cater to the diverse needs of all learners within our school community. To this end, we have made the strategic decision to integrate Fast Five into our sports program. This adaptation allows students who exclusively participate in Netball to engage in the sport throughout the entire year, rather than being limited to the winter season.

Distinguishing itself from traditional netball, Fast Five is characterized by its unique rules. The game is played with only five players on each team, and the scoring system is altered with goals being assigned varying point values, potentially reaching up to 3 points depending on the shooting position. Students engage in activities within their designated houses. Every team competes in round-robin matches until only two teams are left. Ultimately, one team emerges as the champion during term 1 and is awarded the Fast Five trophy as a symbol of their accomplishment.

In the fourth term, there isn’t a trophy at stake; however, this term holds a unique significance as it permits boys to join in the fun and games. This inclusion adds an entirely new dimension of thrill and companionship to the world of sports.By incorporating Fast Five into our curriculum, students are provided with the opportunity to refine their netball skills right from the beginning of the academic year. This approach aligns with our commitment to offering comprehensive and continuous learning experiences to our learners.

Netball

The ethos of York High Netball is to get learners involved in the sport. We are proud to say that we have 11 teams. We can also play competitive netball. The schools that we are competing against are netball-orientated schools. We played three Derbies Alexander Road, Woodridge and Hoërskool Oudtshoorn. Every year we compete against Gymnasium Hoërskool and the scoreline gets closer and closer. The 1^st Team played against Hoërskool Outeniqua and did extremely well.

Our coaches are highly skilled and very involved. The passion for netball can be seen in the commitment and extra hours that coaches are spending on the court.

The reward is not always in winning, but the response of the opponents after a match and the behaviour of the girls on and off the court sets a good example of sportsmanship.

With newly resurfaced courts the netball can only go from strength to strength.

Hockey

Since its inception in 1975, hockey has been part of the sporting fiber which makes York the school it is today. Hockey is offered to both boys and girls across the u14, u16 and u18 age groups. Our hockey players form the backbone of the Eden provincial teams which participate in the national interprovincial tournaments hosted country-wide on an annual basis.

The York hockey teams are known for their exciting brand of hockey on the field, and their sportsmanship and are fine ambassadors for the school off the field of play. Our focus is on how the game is played and not necessarily on winning, we believe that will come if our players are disciplined and enjoy the game. We are fortunate to have dedicated staff who provide our players with many opportunities by attending festivals and tournaments across the country, this is above the local fixtures and set school derbies.

We are very proud to host the oldest hockey festival in the country – The York Easter Hockey Festival. We also form part of the Independent Schools Hockey Festivals as a core school which in turn allows us the opportunity to compete against the best private schools in South Africa.
The first teams are known as “The Blocks” due to their striking royal & sky blue playing shirts and also compete in the Eden Senior hockey league, which both our boys & girls have won in the past.

Hockey is a wonderful sport that can be played long after our learners matriculate and we endeavor to foster a love for the game which will see them play for many years and in turn even represent our country.

Rugby

At York School, rugby is more than just a sport; it’s a tradition that fosters character, leadership, and teamwork. While we may not be in the Super League, our competitive spirit and dedication have made us a force to be reckoned with.

Our rugby program has a storied history of clean, competitive play. We prioritize sportsmanship over winning, emphasizing that it’s not about the score but how you play the game. Our players are here to learn and grow, on and off the field. We don’t buy talent; we develop it. Our focus is on honing the skills and character of our students. We encourage them to become referees and coaches, earning prestigious IRB qualifications.

Rugby is a tool for building character. Our players set examples both on and off the field, in the classroom, and in our community. They are leaders to be admired, especially by our juniors.

At York School, rugby is more than a game; it’s a way of life. We invite you to be a part of our tradition, a journey of personal and athletic growth. Join our rugby family, where values and victory meet.

Rock Climbing

Since the inception of rock climbing at York in late 2018, the sport has steadily grown. It started with a handful of eager learners and between 20 and 30 learners attending per session. It is primarily a summer sport and is active during terms 1 and 4. There is an annual camp at the end of each 1^st term, and the climbers visit areas such as Montagu or the Cederberg mountains, where the abundance of sport climbing makes it easy for Yorkies to experience outdoor climbing.

Squash

At York High School we have 50 – 60 active squash players. The school is well equipped with two squash courts that are well maintained and rank as one of the best playing surfaces in the Garden Route area. Our squash program runs throughout all four terms and is available to learners from grade 8 – 12. The program includes both boy’s and girls’ first teams.

Our squash teams at York compete at both local and national level with a highlight in our year being the Stayers Squash Festival in Cape Town. York has produced players that feature in both the provincial and national rankings and compete at Inter Provincial level. Despite having top players in our system, we have a thriving beginner setup creating the next generation of York squash players.

Sailing

Here you are offered a glimpse into York sailing. We practice every Friday, every week, all year round. At the yacht club we learn how to harness the power of the wind and bend it to our will. We learn unique skills and techniques, sportsmanship, the theory of wind, racing rules and most importantly never to leave a fellow sailor behind.

York’s sailing team’s hard work and dedication earned them first place at the inter-schools regatta earlier this year. A phenomenal achievement that we only hope to build upon in the future.

Tennis

York High offers an exciting programme for promising tennis players. Our First team boys and girls squad is coached by the very talented coaches from Lizelle Fourie’s Great Tennis Academy. We participate in the Tennis Leagues against our rival schools in the Southern Cape in the summer. These are always very competitive and much fun is held by all.

We are extremely proud of our resurfaced tennis courts and we are able to continue with our tennis program throughout the year. This has improved our tennis and we are reaping the fruits of this strategy. There is also a program for Social Players who are keen to improve and enjoy the camaraderie and laughter of social tennis.

There is also the annual Interhouse competition which is tightly contested and a battle ensues between the houses to win the coveted Tennis trophy. Our tennis is going from strength to strength and we encourage all Yorkies to enjoy this wonderful sport.