Redefining Sporting Excellence: steely spirit, sportswomanship and success

Sheffield Girls’ has long enjoyed a reputation for sporting excellence. This exhilarating journey is one I am so proud to have been on during my time as part of this community. Walk past our courts or astroturf on any given day and you will likely hear a cacophony of encouragement and joy from our footballers, netballers, gymnasts, hockey players and more. The hours of dedication, training and hard work our girls put in never fails to impress me, and they bring the same energy to a cold winter training session as they do to Sports Day in the summer. 

This term has seen another swathe of sporting successes for our teams and we have been delighted to reach not one, not two, but three national finals in netball, gymnastics and trampolining. Our U16 squad represented Sheffield Girls’ at the England Netball Schools Championships playing alongside England’s top 18 U16 teams; our gymnasts sprung into action at the National Milano Schools Competition with our U11s placing 3rd and U16s placing 4th; and our U11 Novice, U11 Elite and U15 Inter Trampolinists all reached the National Trampolining Finals and placed 3rd, 1st and 3rd respectively.

Discussing our most recent achievements with my colleague, Director of Sport, Becca Podlaski, she reflected: “Getting to this level was a true reflection of our girls’ commitment, passion and perseverance. They have balanced their academic studies with their sporting ambitions, and their efforts have paid off. Representing our school on three national stages is an honour, and I could not be prouder of them!"

These remarkable achievements are testament to the unwavering dedication displayed by our athletes. Competing at a national level is a significant accomplishment and we are proud that our teams are committed to putting in the hours to continue Sheffield Girls’ tradition of sporting excellence. 

Redefining Sporting Excellence

Sports excellence at Sheffield Girls’ is about more than just competition. For some, excellence means triumphing in contests, collecting gold medals and standing proudly on a podium. For our girls, excellence means commitment, sportswomanship and the steely determination they bring to every practice, not with the sole intention of winning, but purely for the joy of being part of a team.

This commitment to redefining what sporting excellence looks like stems from our innovative Girls of Steel character education programme. 

Recognised as a significant strength in our recent ISI inspection report, our approach to character education enables girls to cultivate key skills such as resilience, self-knowledge and leadership potential through engaging with our co-curricular programme. They are encouraged to make mistakes instead of striving for perfectionism and pursue a wide variety of interests outside of the classroom. This enables our Girls of Steel to develop into well-rounded, resilient young women who leave Sheffield Girls’ armed not only with outstanding examination results, but also their own unique passions, interests, achievements and accolades.

I asked one of our Year 10 pupils, Madison, for her thoughts on participating in sport at our school: “It means being part of a team where dedication, hard work and teamwork drive our success. Sport means more to me than just the competition. It's about pushing myself to improve, supporting my teammates, and learning valuable lessons through both victories and challenges. The friendships and experiences I've gained through sport have shaped me, teaching me resilience and the importance of working together and supporting each other.”

Our tradition of sporting excellence complements our approach to character education as our girls know that success is defined on their own terms, rather than a medal count. In reinforcing this message, our girls feel free to push their limits, set themselves ambitious goals and strive to win for the team, not for themselves.

Looking ahead

I feel so hopeful as we look ahead to the future of sports at Sheffield Girls’. Our pupils never fail to surprise me with their commitment to ‘having a go’ at new things, and we are constantly working in partnership with them to diversify the sports programme and ensure as many girls as possible feel empowered to take to the pitch, the courts and the gym. 

With such passion and dedication driving our sporting community, the future of sport at Sheffield Girls’ is brighter than ever. Whether competing on national stages or simply finding joy in daily training, our girls continue to embody the values of teamwork, perseverance and sportswomanship. 

As we celebrate their recent achievements, we also look forward to the new opportunities, challenges and triumphs that lie ahead, knowing that whatever the outcome, they will approach it with the same resilience and determination that define them as true Girls of Steel.

Liz Rodgers

Assistant Head (Co-Curricular)