Sporting Ambassadors Show Great Spirit
“The five S’s of sports training are: stamina, speed, strength, skill, and spirit; but the greatest of these is spirit.” Ken Doherty
For sports fans, sports are the epitome of hard work work and dedication. To get to the pinnacle of their sport, even the most naturally gifted athletes have to give it their all.
Yes, we watch sports for the excitement, but even mores over, we watch it for the drama. There’s nothing more exciting than seeing a team come back to win that 4th series game after being down 0-3, or a fighter getting off the canvas to score a come from behind knock-out. Sports are about those incredible moments where sheer human will and desire overcomes the odds. These are the moments we remember. The college has over the years produced some remarkable sporting ambassadors. Well done to our Sporting Ambassadors and their recent successes.
Tennis Mentoring Programme
In March former Wimbledon tennis star Anna Richardson visited Archbishop Beck to meet with our students and to share her experiences as a professional tennis player.
Anna Richardson’s Sporting Achievements
- 2013 – BUCS gold medallist
- 2013 – Represented GB at the World University Games (quarterfinalist in singles and mixed doubles)
- 6 x Wimbledon competitor
- Winner of 19 ITF doubles titles
- Winner of 3 ITF singles titles
- Career high doubles ranking – British no. 2 (WTA 215)
- Career high singles ranking – British no. 6 (WTA 317)
Anna Fitzpatrick first played tennis aged 5, with her 3 older brothers at Beauchief Tennis Club in Sheffield. At 10, Anna was first selected to represent Great Britain, and at 12, she left home to join a tennis academy in Leeds.
Shortly after completing her GSCEs, Anna turned professional, and the following year was offered a place at Monte Carlo Tennis Academy, with whom she trained and competed all over the world. It was during her time with MCTA that Anna reached her career high World Ranking, and first competed at Wimbledon, reaching the semi-finals of the junior event.
At 19, Anna suffered a reoccurring stress fracture in her left foot, which kept her out of the sport for much of the next three years. During this time, Anna decided to change her focus from tennis back to education.
Anna is currently studying for a Sport Science degree at Sheffield Hallam University, which she combines with her work as a Performance Analyst at Sheffield United Football Club. In 2013, she won the BUCS gold medal and was subsequently selected to represent Great Britain at the World University Games in Russia, where she reached the quarterfinals in both singles and mixed doubles.
School of Tennis
On Friday 24th May Archbishop Beck Catholic College where hosts to the School of Tennis Training Day, whereby schools from across the region enjoyed some fun tennis activities and students were provided with opportunities to develop their confidence and tennis skills further.
Netball and Activities Adventure Weekend in Kent
Our students were fortunate to be involved in an exciting weekend of netball and outdoor pursuits activities in Ashford, Kent. Both Year 7 and Year 8 netballers competed against schools from across the country enjoying some hard-fought matches. The Year 7’s won 5 out of their 6 matches finishing runners up and the Year 8 team won 6 of their 8 matches and also finished 2nd in their age group. A fantastic achievement from both teams. In addition to the netball experience students enjoyed a number of outdoor pursuits activities including the High Equilibrium, Jacob’s Ladder, Zip Wire, Abseiling, Problem Solving Tasks, Climbing and Aeroball. Evening entertainment included Camp Fire activities, disco and the presentation of medals. Our students were superb and their determination, enthusiasm and behaviour throughout the weekend was fantastic. We look forward to organising another Netball and Activities Adventure Weekend in 2020!
