Ms Jo-Nelke Swanepoel recently umpired the 2021 Senior Ladies’ Interprovincial Tournament in Cape Town. Blowing for both the semi-finals and the finals, she continued her tradition of blowing for both games ever since her first tournament in 2018.
Kaylen Simmons, captain of the SMS First Hockey Team, was a member of the Southern Free State U. 18A team that won both their matches against Northern Free State teams.
Because of Covid 19, there weren’t many hockey events or matches to report on, but in an interview with Mr Braam van Wyk Semester managed to get an inside scoop of the hockey scene at St Michael’s School. The principal is Mr Hockey at St Michael’s: his impressive resumé includes coaching the SA Schools First Team from 2009-2012 and being a trainer for the Senior Protea men’s and women’s teams.
MUCH LIKE 2020, 2021 was doomed to be a very uncertain year, especially speaking from a sports point of view, but the SMS girls excelled magnificently before this year blocked their talents.
The First Hockey Team beat Framesby High 5 – 0 at the Greg Beling tournament. The festival was held in East London in March. It was the first time a St Michael’s team participated in the tournament, which heightened the excitement about the event.
‘SAINTS ON 3 – 1, 2 ,3 … SAINTS!’ This chant immediately puts the First Team in match mode. The team strive to maximise their mental strength and physical endurance and to cultivate patience – not only with their teammates but also with themselves. As Mr Van Wyk says, ‘Rome was not built in a day’.
ST MICHAEL’S SCHOOL FOR GIRLS has just become the proud owner of a magnificent full-service water-based astro turf. The recent opening of only the fourth turf of its kind in Bloemfontein was a milestone for hockey at the school. The turf boasts fabulous floodlights andan electronic scoreboard that was sponsored by the University of the Free State.
The Semester, school newpaper of St Michael's, has a devoted editorial team that comprises journalists, photographers, coloumnists and cartoonists. The Semester aims to provide information, educate and entertain.
