SPORT, IN THE SCHOOL

Taranaki Daily News, 18 April 1935, Page 10

SPORT, IN THE SCHOOL

FROM 1885'UNTIL TO-DAY ‘YOUNG LADY AND SPORTING GIRL’ TRAINED MISTRESS APPOINTED. The history of 50 years of sport in the girls’ high school is coincident with the evolution of the “Young Lady” to the modem “Sporting Girl.” In the early days recreation was found in tennis and rounders, with' a later introduction of' ping-pong tournaments. The principal amusement of the earliest pupils was apparently watching their confreres, the boys,;playing football and serving guests with afternoon tea on sports day. : In rounders, there was great rivalry between two teams, the “Dandies” and the “Bonzors.” “Once a Dandy, always a Dandy,” even to the allegiance of the suceeding members of the same family. In 1902, however, the principal decreed that the names of the “Dandies” and “Bonzors” be replaced* by “Oxford” and

“Cambridge” as more befitting the ‘dignity of the school; but the old names lived. on. Annual matches were played between old and present girls. Victory invariably lay with the old girls, the somewhat curious fact being accounted for by the fact that their team was largely made up of ex-captains and ex-vice-captains whose experience was a deciding factor and as a rule so impressed the present girls that they lost their cunning in nervousness. Tennis was adopted very early in the life of the school and the .Angle, grass lawn was . marked laboriously by the girls in a unique fashion, using yards of tape and multiplicity of hair-pins. However, this court saw the early training of some of Taranaki’s best players.

The year 1912 when the two high schools separated was marked by fuller development. Tennis received great impetus because the board provided a new asphalt court, superior in every way to the old grass one and far less trouble to mark out. A new net, racquets and balls brought the equipment up to date. The girls had for some time been having weekly swimming practices at the municipal baths and on March 20, 1912, the first sports were held, Messrs. Morris and Lint officiating as judge and starter. “Good times were recorded,” announced the report on the meeting but the details supplied would not impress 20th century youth. The seniors swam 100 yards in Im 555, and the juniors 50 yards in 565. .In the winter hockey was instituted under the guidance of two old girls, Miss Elsie Andrews and Miss May Arthur. The training was the best possible, for both coaches were enthusiastic and knew the game thoroughly. Miss Andrews went to the school three times a week tb teach the inexpert players and under this treatment hockey thrived, superseding rounders as the principal winter sport. Miss Arthur in 1914 was selected to represent New. Zealand against a visiting British team. • i

On October 12 the first athletic sports day was substituted for the tennis teas, rcunders teas and ping-pong teas to which the girls had formerly invited their friends. Miss Clarice Douglas and Miss Agnes Wilson acted as judges and a tennis tournament .was held in conjunction with the races.

After the separation from the boys school the girls led a nomad existence for four years, but their sports continued in spite of poor facilities. Mr. Moyes granted the use of the boys’ tennis court on three afternoons a week and the borough council made a special arrangement to allow the girls to use the municipal baths after school. Hockey was taken up with such enthusiasm that six teams were formed. The sportsground committee for Pukekura Park offered a field for play and this was used almost daily.

However, hockey flourished and the school joined the Taranaki Ladies’ Association, entering two teams in the competitions. A New Plymouth team, the Whakatikas, challenged the school to a friendly match, and being victorious in it and in a return match. Stratford District High School, Ipowever, was defeated in both matches it played against New Plymouth. Meanwhile basketball gained a foothold in the school. There was room for a court on the grounds themselves and the hope of being able to play in the intervals between lessons appealed to the girls. The board granted £5 and the court was laid out and wired and apparatus bought. Mr. Lints agreed to coach the girls. The first inter-school tennis matches were played in 1915, Stratford visiting New Plymouth and carrying off the laurels by a narrow margin of two