Sports Awards Dinner 2023

We recently hosted the 2023 Sports Awards Dinner, celebrating the absurdly fantastic year of sport we’ve had here at Lancing College. Joined by former skeleton racer and gold medallist Amy Williams MBE, the evening truly welcomed in our sporting ‘newbies’ and bid a fond farewell to our leavers. The night involved inflatable lawn games, speeches from staff, students and Amy Williams, a delectable spread curated by our catering team, and the prizegiving ceremony, providing reflection, celebration, and inspiration for all that can be achieved.

It was an honour to have Amy Williams join us at the event and have her take the time to share with our students messages of perseverance, determination, and success. Amy referenced her new book, Talent to Triumph, which teaches how athletes turn potential into high performance. The reflection of this sentiment is wildly evident throughout the Lancing College community. Students arrive here with an abundance of potential that, through hard work, discipline, and determination, presents itself as high performance. These themes were scattered throughout the Sports Awards and are an integral component of the great achievements of our pupils. 

The prizes opened with the Coaches’ Award. This award is given to a player from each team across all our sports who has demonstrated the most development, sportsmanship, leadership, and punctuality and who has positively contributed to building team spirit throughout the season. Congratulations to: 

Athletics Nana O-N

Badminton Ally Y and Chester P

Basketball Desmond T

Climbing Dmytro V

Cricket Jamie C, Poppy S, and Tom S

Cross-Country Joe F and Nana O-N

Dance Christian G

Equestrian Isla L

Football Dan T, Joseph K, Nen R, Sam W, and Will B

Hockey Millie P, Poppy S, Jamie C, and Kiran P

Golf Tom S

Netball Grace C, Lulu B, and Sofie M-G

Rugby Felix B and Matilde T

Swimming Ethan G and Grace S

Tennis Bea J, Izzy H, Sam Y, and Will P

The Team of the Year Award is given to the most successful team in the College, regardless of age. While there were several honourable mentions, including the U15A Girls Tennis Team, the Boys Swim Team, and the U14A Boys Cricket Team, the overall winner, with an incredible 89.9% success rate, was the Senior Boys Basketball Team. Well done, boys!

Coach of the Year 2023 was awarded to a young man full of positivity, enthusiasm, and a genuine love of all sports, with the ability to foster and develop these attributes in all the players under his care. Congratulations, Jack S.

The Sporting Excellence Award is given to the pupil who has performed at the highest level, above and beyond the College’s teams. After winning over 50 county championship titles, breaking the 100-metre individual medley (IM) county junior record, taking part in over a dozen regional finals, and finishing fourth at the National Championships in the 100-metre IM, a huge and well-deserved congratulations go to James R.

The Sports Personality of the Year Award is given to the sportsperson who, throughout their time at Lancing College, has demonstrated an excellent sense of sportsmanship, personal flair, humour, and enthusiasm in all aspects of their sport and within the Lancing College community. This year’s winner, with a whopping 59% of the vote, goes to Joe F. Well done, Joe!

The Richard Pithey Award for Sporting Endeavour is awarded to students who have blossomed into valued sportspeople through sheer determination, a dedication to hard work, and never failing to put in the effort required to achieve greatness. Congratulations to Bradley H and Bea J, this year’s winners.

The Standing Start Award, given to the student who has made the most progress in sport since their entry to Lancing College, is awarded to James S. Having thrived on both cricket and hockey pitches and developing into a fantastic coach, we are sure that he’ll go far. Congratulations, James.

Sports Caps are awarded to students who hold full colours in three or more sports. For Tennis, Netball, and Hockey, congratulations to Isabella H, and for Cricket, Netball, and Hockey, congratulations to Poppy S. For Hockey, Football, and cricket, congratulations both to Jamie C and Ozzy R. And finally, for Hockey, Football, and Athletics, congratulations, Nana O-N.

The two final and most prestigious awards of the night, awarded to the most outstanding sportsman and sportswoman of the Upper Sixth, are The Tony Miller Cup and The Taylor Salver Award, respectively. Congratulations to Jamie C and Isabella H for being the worthy recipients of these fantastic accolades.

This Sports Awards Dinner was the last for our own Edward ‘Watto’ Watson. We’d like to echo the words of Kelly Edwards, Acting Director of Sport, on the night and thank Ed for his impressive contribution over the last six years. From surf trips in Fuerta Ventura to golf trips to St Andrews, hockey, cricket, golf, and so much more, you will be sorely missed by both the sports department and the Lancing College community at large. We wish you every success at Worth.

Kelly memorialised the night with these final words: