Athletics Day is always a blast and one of the main highlights of the year. On Tuesday, Callum McRae and Tom Simpson gifted us an Athletics Day Cup. This trophy will be awarded to the winning house of Athletics Day.
Q. Where did the idea come for the trophy?
The idea of the trophy came from the desire of both House Prefects wanting to leave an enduring legacy. “Tom texted me one night about something that we could do to leave a legacy behind at the school. We decided a trophy would be a great way to do that.” Callum explains.
Q.What is the significance of the Athletics Day Cup?
The pair felt that there could be a unifying moment at the end of Athletics Day by introducing a trophy for the House team winners. “We thought that adding a trophy, would put more meaning to the day and we would be able to end the day with a trophy celebration. The athletics day cup might be the closest thing some of us get to lifting the world cup!” says Tom. ‘We wanted to do something special for the school for future years to enjoy. We saw a gap in Athletics Day where there was no award for the winning house and nothing to bring Athletics Day to a proper close. Normally everyone walks off at 3:15. We wanted to change that by having the trophy awarded to the winning House Prefects.” says Callum
Q. How did you organise and plan for the Athletics Day Cup?
The planning took longer than expected as it had to go through many teachers and the principal. “Once it was approved, all we had to do was design, order, and wait. Once it was ready, we just needed to present it.” Says Tom
Q. What do you hope SMC students will gain from having this Athletics Day Cup?
“We wanted to make something memorable and significant that would appeal to the students. Hence why the trophy is so large and extravagant. It will give students more of an incentive to get involved in the events on Athletics Day and have house spirit. There is now a clear objective to strive for. (Which hasn’t been the case in the past). It is also something for future house prefects to strive for and get their names on.’ – Callum
‘One thing that occurred when going through this process was the realisation of how young the school is. It still has a lot more room for growth as students. Now we are in the perfect position to establish long-lasting traditions, rules, sports teams or anything else for that matter. Adding things like a trophy would be a lot harder to complete if we were at a larger school. Especially one that’s been open for a long time like Auckland Grammar or Sacred Heart where, because of the history, there isn’t much room to implement new ideas and traditions. It would be great if some students saw the opportunity the school has and they would introduce a new concept that would change the school for the better.’ – Tom
This trophy will now make athletics move competitive and exciting. It will certainly motivate people,especially the house prefects, to win athletics day. A huge thanks to Tom and Callum for taking action to improve our school’s Athletics Day.
