b"THE ELLESMERIAN77The restrictions placed on year groups mixing and the creation of yearGoalkeeper Alanah, who has earned a place at Durham University, has group bubbles that the Covid-19 Pandemic imposed on school sport,already represented Wales and attended the Welsh U23 training squad gave us the opportunity to reflect and rearrange the traditional gamescamp. She was then selected to play for the Welsh U19 Team in the programmes. Where before Hockey had always been reserved for theHome Nations Games in the summer. Michaelmas term and Netball for the Lent term, we gave girls in Years 9, 10 and 11 a mix of both throughout the first term and for the threeIsabella plays for the Staffordshire region, North Staffordshire Club side remaining weeks of the Lent term, when pupils returned to schooland the Mercier Marauders and was chosen for the team's England following lockdown. Years 12 and 13 also had the opportunity toHockey National Cup game, while Finn, Alex and Henry, who play for choose which sports they preferred to follow, with the timetableDeeside Ramblers, took part in the UK Lions selection programme. All allowing two sports to be played in one term. Those girls who wishedthree players had a fantastic tournament and whilst Alex and Henry to play Cricket, were also given the opportunity to take this option innarrowly missed out on selection, Finn was successful and has gone both Wednesday Games and Squads.through to play for the Lions Squad following his score of eight goals in the tournament. During the Michaelmas Term, the 1st and 2nd Team players (Years 12 and 13) were split into three teams and played each week against eachUK Lions Hockey selection offers the opportunity to play top quality other in a round robin format. At the end of the term, the points werecompetition matches at home and abroad with the objective of added up and the most successful team being crowned winnerstheoffering exceptional life-long experiences through playing hockey. Many Rainbows, Captained by Ellen Dawson.youngsters who have benefitted from the programme had gone on to represent their country at junior and full international level. The Year 11 Hockey team played against the Year 11 boys Hockey team in a closely fought match, eventually losing 2-5.Millie Forster, who plays at Bowden Hockey Club, was part of the winning team at the finals of the U18 National Championships The Ellesmere College High Performance Hockey Programme hascompetition at Beeston Hockey Club in Nottingham, making them enjoyed further success with a number of students selected for trainingNational Champions 2021. camps, programmes and competitions - all with national implications. Six students are the latest in a long line of young players to comeEnhancing our facilities on the all-weather pitch, the Ellesmere College through the school's revered High Performance Hockey Programme -Parents Society very kindly donated money towards the newly instated benefitting from the guidance of High Performance Hockeyscoreboard, which now sits proudly on the sidelines. We were able to Programme Coach Simon Taylor.use it officially at the first (and only) game of the season when the Sixth Form team played Moreton Hall at the end of the Summer Term, Henry Dawson, 12, Finn Leonard, Alex Popplewell and Isabella Moore,winning 3-0.all 13, Millie Forster, 17, and Alanah O'Brien, 18, have all made an important step on the path to fulfilling their dreams of playing hockey at the highest level."