Dodgeball Success 

Congratulations to both the Year 7 and Year 8 Dodgeball teams that took part in the National Championships last week at Kettering Arena. 
 
For the Year 7 team, this was their first experience of the Nationals and they performed brilliantly.  They had lost several key players to the MFL trip so it was a small squad that travelled to Kettering.  They didn’t lose any of their pool games ( won 3 and drew 1) and came second in their group only on set difference.  This meant that they played the winners of another group in the quarter final.  Unfortunately, after a very tight game, they bowed out at this stage – again just by one set.  But they did us proud and I believe they were the only team there, that were just Year 7s – in the top 8 teams in the country – hope for next year!  
 
The expectation on the Year 8 team was high as they had won last year.  One key player was lost to an injury the week of the tournament,  and 2 others to the MFL trip again, so it was a bare 6 players that travelled.  As expected, the team won all of their group games and their quarter final with ease.  Unfortunately, our Captain and talisman Benjamin Finney then had an injury issue and was in significant pain.  He couldn’t play in the semi and we had no subs so the team had to play their semi-final with just 5 players.  However, they stepped up magnificently and despite being a player down made it through to the final – Ian Mak was outstanding in this game.  By this point we were hearing that Benjamin was on his way back and that the pain had eased enough for him to play, so we persuaded the organisers to delay the final for 5 minutes to allow Benjamin to return, which they did.  Back to having a full team, they swept away the opposition in the final to once again take the title of National Champions.
 
Thanks to Mr & Mrs Bailey for coaching on the day and for Mikey and Ollie – both members of the England Juniors for ball retrieving and support on the day.
 
Players of the Tournament: 
Year 7: Arther McDonnell
Year 8: Benjamin Finney & Ian Mak
 
Dr Davidson