History of Sedbergh School in 50 Objects #39: The Astroturf and 1525 Pavilion
Following the arrival of girls, there were naturally some changes to the Sedbergh site. Some two years before girls even set foot in the School Mrs Hirst campaigned the governors on practical matters relating to the move to co-education. She believed that a senior girls sports coach ‘of some standing’ should be appointed to provide high level training to girls and that an all weather pitch for hockey was essential. The ‘astro’ was installed in time for the arrival of girls in 2001, offering enhanced facilities for both boys’ and girls’ hockey.
Senior Mistress Sara Hirst commented:
I wanted there to be parity with the boys from the start – total emersion for the girls in all Sedbergh’s activities, particularly sport, was hugely important.
Establishing a girls’ hockey team from a standing start proved challenging at first. Due to initial low numbers of girls, players were drawn from all years to play on the First XI. Sara Hirst was ambitious for girls’ sport and threw the girls in at the deep end. On the very first Saturday of September 2001 the girls, who had only been at Sedbergh for a few days and had never met before, played a fixture against Giggleswick First XI. The team lost 11–0.
After heavy losses at the start of the season the girls began to learn each other’s methods and work as a team. The husband-and-wife team of J.R.D. Morgan and C.M. Morgan brought great energy and enthusiasm to hockey coaching. The ‘family feel’ of the training sessions was furthered by the presence of the couple’s two children, Alex and Ben, who joined both regular training and international tours as mascots of the team. In the second year of hockey the now ‘old guard’ were supplemented by new arrivals. In 2003 the girls won both the U15 and U16 South Cumbria hockey tournaments – a great achievement for only the second season of girls at the school. The arrival of G. de Beer, a dedicated hockey coach, brought a focus on fitness and basic skills training. In de Beer’s first season the 2006 team were named Cumbrian hockey champions, a title repeated the following year.
The 1525 Pavilion was installed during the academic year 2007 – 08 providing changing facilities for the hockey players, an indoor space for tactics training, and space for parents to have refreshments on cold and damp autumnal days. The news that girls would join the School had received a mixed reception when it was first announced. The 1525 Pavilion, which was generously funded by the alumni community demonstrated that the initial hesitance had been overcome, and that Old Sedberghians were delighted to warmly support the girls of Sedbergh, and their sporting endeavors.
