“Do you know what my favourite part of the game is? The opportunity to play.” – Mike Singletary

On a Monday, I drive the Riccarton High School first eleven boy’s hockey team to their game. They are one of over fifty Riccarton teams currently taking the field/court every week. 

With Riccarton putting out that number of teams each week you would expect some of them to be at elite secondary schools level and others to be at a different level. 

Our boy’s hockey team has wonderful players in it; the boys are succeeding because every week they are taking the opportunity to compete and enjoy the game. 

The two weeks that I have watched them so far they are clearly improving and they are having a great time out there. They are taking one of life’s multitude of opportunities.

At a board level, we see the figures on sports participation and are told that Riccarton High School ranks extremely highly. 

There are schools in Christchurch where it is compulsory to play sport for your school. At Riccarton, we don’t see the world like that. 

Consistent with our Riccarton Way values, we see the world as being full of opportunities that young people need to have the confidence to reach out and take. 

Success in life is all about having the confidence to take opportunities as they come along. 

If we made sport compulsory at Riccarton it would no longer be an opportunity, it would just be something that everyone had to do… and the young people at our school would learn nothing about opportunity and choice.

The wairua and the values, commitment, honest, respect and excellence, by which we lead our lives at Riccarton underpin our approach to all of the co-curricular activities on offer. 

Involvement in sport, drama, music and cultural groups is not compulsory. 

Being involved means that you have made a choice to take an opportunity. Putting all these opportunities in front of the young adults of the school is a major undertaking that takes a team of people. 

The board is very grateful to all of the staff and parents who give their time and contribute to this.