News & Events

GENERAL : ACTIVITIES : SPORTS : TERM DATES

Lacrosse first team report from Kristen, Captain 1st Team:
Getting your feet wet early in the lacrosse season is easy, not only because of the fog and dew laden pitches on the early morning matches, but also because of the steadily increasing pace of the season's fixtures. Previous tournament results were strong overall, but there was plenty to wake up to in our first outing.
Glowing from our early feats the teams went on to enjoy one of the most exciting and successful seasons with wins against schools such as St Helens, Charterhouse, Dunotter, Heathfield and St Margarets amongst others. The overall result of this Middlesex tournament may not have been as good as previous seasons, but Shona gained a place on the Middlesex county team through her stellar play on the day.  Three other players were also selected for the U15 Mddx teams.
The school’s ranking in the Berkhamsted 8-a-side was truly exceptional. Both the senior teams’ performances were excellent and both teams came away with a trophy from their respective divisions. The perfect start to a season!

The Nationals tournament, involving schools from all over England, is run over two days. The fifteen members of our squad battled through aching limbs, injuries and sore muscles so that by the end of the second day we found ourselves in the semis and then the finals of the 4th division. Unfortunately, we lost out to Sherbourne, the hosts of the tournament, by two goals to nil, but this still gave us runners-up position, which was a well-deserved success.

The Small Schools tournament was played on a drenched Saturday afternoon in Cirencester. After qualifying top of the south of England group earlier on in the season the team went to the tournament not knowing what to expect. We showed skill and determination despite the weather and found ourselves in the semi-finals, this time the only English team left among three Scottish schools. Unfortunately, after a close game where the only goal was scored in the last minute, we failed to beat the Scots and finished fourth in the tournament. Still a great result and a well played end to an awe-inspiring season.

This season we have had a group of enthusiastic lacrosse players with a drive to improve and to succeed. Their commitment to the sport has meant that the team has improved throughout the season to produce an outstanding level of play across the board. As captain, I would like to thank everyone for their support and dedication which has made this season successful and exceedingly enjoyable.
Good luck next year!!

‘Junior’ teams Report:
The St James Senior School’s younger teams have also been displaying excellent play and generating some exciting developments. The U15 teams, who have shown their skill, dexterity and enthusiasm throughout the year, were rewarded with a superb result in their first Middlesex indoor tournament in which they merited joint third with St Paul’s Girls School. They also enjoyed victories in friendly matches against St Helen’s Northwood, and the Princess Helena College. Their transition into the first and second teams next year is eagerly anticipated. The U14 team has progressed greatly in both tactics and skill and this was demonstrated to great effect at the Berkhamsted 8-aside tournament where they won the 3rd division trophy. The U13A ended their season with five wins and one loss, the U13B with 2 wins and 2 losses - all while still learning the game! The U12A&B teams competed successfully in two major tournaments, while the U11s have exceeded expectations by placing third in the U12 county competition and sealing a convincing 5-3 win against PHC.

Overall, the lacrosse season for St James has been successful and thoroughly enjoyed by all who have taken part. Thanks to the enthusiasm and commitment of all our teams and of course Ms Hernandez and Mr Southwell the season has not only proved one of the most successful but also really great fun!!