Senior Sports Prize Giving
Congratulations to the many award winners. Notre Dame clearly has an abundance of sporting talent..
Mrs Taylor-Goetzee (Miss Paul) opened the evening with some inspiring words:
Welcome to our Sports Awards Evening—a night where we celebrate not only the outstanding performances and achievements of our athletes, but also the values, resilience, and growth that sport instils in each of us.
2025 marks a transformative year in sport—especially for women’s sport—which is undergoing a remarkable period of professionalisation. This is not just about pay rises or headline fixtures; it’s about systemic change. Football leads the way, with the Women’s Professional Leagues Limited—a new all-female executive body—now overseeing the top tiers of the women’s game. Supported by sustained Premier League investment, this shift is laying the foundation for long-term, sustainable growth…
And that brings me to one of the most important messages of the evening—Character Education in sport. While trophies and titles are wonderful, sport’s true power lies in its ability to shape people. Every training session, every match, every setback teaches something: humility in victory, dignity in defeat, empathy as teammates, courage as competitors, and perseverance in the face of challenge.
Through sport, we help develop well-rounded individuals who not only strive for excellence on the field, but who also leave here equipped to contribute meaningfully in life beyond it.
To our award winners tonight—your achievements are a reflection of your commitment, hard work, and character. To all our athletes—you represent what is best about this school: your dedication, teamwork, and passion for sport are something to be proud of.
to read her full speech please click on the Firefly link below.
Becky Manton
We were delighted to welcome Team GB Hockey Player Becky Manton to present the awards last night. Her introduction clearly emphasized the importance of perseverance as she described her journey to reach her current place in Team GB. It certainly had its bumps and she picked herself up several times to pursue her dream.
Becky mentioned the following words by Bear Grylls which has continued to resonate with her:
“I’ve seen resilient people outperform talented people 100/1” and “resilience is the currency to success”
We have so many talented sportswomen here at Notre Dame and it was wonderful to celebrate them all.
The photos have been uploaded to Firefly and can be seen by clicking on the link below:
