Sport At The Academy
Athletics
The top performers in Primary 6 and 7 also have the opportunity to go forward to the Glasgow Schools Athletics Championships, an event where we are always very successful.
Training and competition continue into the Senior School with a large number of opportunities to represent the school in the independent schools athletics league and the Glasgow Schools Championships. Those excelling in their disciplines regularly go on to the Scottish Schools Championships, an event in which we regularly return with medals and titles. Many of our athletes have also gone on to represent both Glasgow and Scotland in inter-district competitions.
As well as games time, clubs operate during the summer on a Monday, Tuesday and Thursday after school. This is an opportunity for pupils to work on the technical aspects of their event with experienced and highly qualified coaching staff.
Basketball
Basketball is a fast-paced, exciting sport that is open to all pupils who wish to play in S1-S4. We also have a Basketball games group for S4-S6 pupils which takes place ever Wednesday afternoon.
The school currently competes in the Glasgow Schools Cup and League at both U14 and U16 level, with our U18s playing friendlies against local schools.
Last year was our most successful year to date with the U14s reaching the final of the Glasgow School’s U14 Cup and League. At the end of the season a group of U14 pupils went to see the Harlem Globetrotters play and thoroughly enjoyed this entertaining show.
Cricket
We play fixtures every Saturday across Scotland against other schools and play from Prep 6 through to our Senior 1st XI.
Our Senior XI also play in some prestigious fixtures against The Forty Club and the MCC during the summer months; we also host a Prep 7 tournament and Senior 6’s.
We are fortunate to have ex-Indian fast bowler Hari Hariharan on our staff to pass on his extensive knowledge to both players and coaches through our Games and after-school sessions. These sessions allow the boys to be offered specialist training to give them every chance of reaching their full potential.
A summer’s morning, across our two venues, with players in their crisp white outfits, giving their all, is a sight to behold during the Summer term.
Cross Country
Mondays are open to all pupils in Prep 5, 6 and 7 and sessions take place on the muddy trails and pitches at Anniesland: perfect terrain for cross-country. In October, all pupils take part in the school cross-country championships while, after Christmas, there are a number of friendly events against local schools, leading up to the Glasgow and Scottish Schools Championships.
Wednesday evening sessions are led by Miss MacNeill and our highly experienced coaches Mr Doyle and Miss Dawes, and take place in the beautiful parks and walkways that surround the school campus. They are open to all pupils in the Senior School and selected pupils from Prep 6 and 7 and offer the children the chance to practise time trials, hill reps and interval training. From serious athletes to recreational runners, pupils benefit from this enjoyable and relaxing activity whilst improving their fitness. Those who wish to, can go on and represent the school at the Glasgow and Scottish Schools Championships, event
Fitness Suite
The aim of the TGA Fitness Suite is to provide our pupils with a high-quality facility that promotes and supports health, wellbeing and inclusion for all of our pupils and enhances the sporting performance and achievement of those involved in team and individual sport.
The Fitness Suite encompasses two rooms: a CV room with a range of conditioning equipment and a separate weights room.
The CV room features 6 treadmills, 4 cross-trainers, 2 upright bikes, 2 spin bikes and a high performance Watt bike in addition to four separate strength and condition machines.
The Weights room features two barbells racks with weight discs and benches in addition to a dumbbell rack, medicine balls, sandbags and TRX equipment.
Irrespective of ability, interest or experience, the fitness suite is a welcoming, motivational environment which all pupils and staff can access through a comprehensive programme of supervised sessions, before, during and after school.
Football
The S1/2 club runs on Fridays after school. These training sessions aim to improve the basic skills for young players wishing to learn the game while incorporating team play, passing, control, defending, tackling, movement and communication. These sessions act as an important conduit for pupils who want to play competitive football further up the school. The sessions are conducted in a fun, but purposeful environment which aims to improve the overall skills of the young players. If the players are ready, some competitive fixtures can be arranged for the summer term.
The Academy also runs a competitive football team for boys combining the best footballers from S4-6 and training takes place once a week after school for 90 minutes. As with S1/2 pupils the emphasis is on building individual and team skills, but also with a focus on developing tactical knowledge, team shape and structure. The school has annually entered the Scottish Independent Schools League and Cup competitions where we
Golf
The golf team normally plays in at least one national competition each year, normally the Independent Schools Golf Association’s Match-Play Tournament which holds regional heats throughout the academic year leading to a national final in May or June. If we are feeling more adventurous, we also enter the HMC Golf Competition which involves travelling further afield even at the regional heats stage. Within the last few years, our golf teams have reached the national finals of both the ISGA and the HMC competitions.
Those who want to hone their golf skills without necessarily playing in one of our teams can take part in our Friday golf club. The club takes place at the Great Western Golf driving range and transport is provided. Pupils are normally returned to school before 6pm.
In the Summer Term, there is the opportunity to play in our school match-play competitions.
Hockey
Girls’ hockey has been a major sport for many years at The Glasgow Academy and has produced some fantastic success stories. Former pupil Laura Bartlett won a bronze medal for GB hockey in the London Olympic Games 2012 and our girls have been crowned Scottish Champions three years running. A number of players represent their districts at U14, U16 & U18 level and the school fields on average 12 girls’ teams every Saturday morning.
The boys hockey programme at The Glasgow Academy offers an exciting and competitive opportunity to learn the game as a novice in S3, right through to playing at a high level in our senior squad which comprises S3 to S6 pupils. Many boys have their first experience of hockey in S3, quickly picking up the basics on a Tuesday at a games session and playing fixtures against other schools in order to hone their match experience.
Netball
Netball is a key component of our Senior School Sports Programme for pupils in S1-3. We also have a Prep 6 and 7 Club. Combining drills and game play into each session allows everyone to have fun, develop their netball skills and gain confidence in a supportive and welcoming environment. Teamwork, coordination and communication skills are enhanced both on and off the court during each session. Playing friendly matches against other schools allows everyone to enjoy the on-court experience and find their inner competitive streak. Players of all abilities are invited to play friendly matches and have great fun playing the game. Selected teams compete in the Netball Scotland Scottish Schools Cup and enjoy the fast-paced world of competitive netball. Skills are refined, tactics are discussed and game play is analysed in order to prepare the teams for challenge. Competing against other school teams in Scotland creates a netball community within the school and beyond.
Rowing
Over the last three years our athletes have won no fewer than 22 International medals, including two World Championships. During that period athletes from the school have been selected to represent Great Britain on 23 occasions and Scotland on 27 occasions. The school holds the course record for the Fawley Cup, for boys quads, set at Henley Royal Regatta in 2015.
The ethos of the programme is to grow the athlete, as an individual, who will take responsibility for their own development and progression in the sport. We believe that by developing a growth mindset and focussing on the process, the athlete can achieve at the highest level.
The programme starts in S1, where the emphasis is on developing basic skills and having fun. As pupils progress through the school they will gradually do more and in S4 choose a route to a performance or participation pathway.
Rowing training is in year groups at the school on specified days, including early morning sessions for the performance group.
Rugby
We also play in the Scottish Rugby Conference system, winning our section in its inaugural year, and in the Under 16 and Under U18 Scottish Cups, again run by Scottish Rugby.
As an activity rugby develops many personal qualities that boys will use throughout their school life and hopefully beyond. They become part of a whole-school team culture whereby they must have a selfless attitude, will be required to show levels of discipline, will need to show resilience, will have to show humility both in victory and defeat and have a work ethic that benefits themselves and others.
On a Saturday morning at New Anniesland you will see the heartbeat of what The Glasgow Academy is about – team work, endeavour and enjoyment.
Shooting
The team focuses on the skills required for indoor target rifle shooting in a safe and friendly environment, making use of The Academy’s purpose-built indoor range, all under the watchful tutorage of our Commonwealth Games coach, Mr Mabon.
Pupils not only learn Rifle Safety, Range Management and Marksmanship principles, there is also the opportunity to represent their school at both national and international level. Every year, the Shooting Team have been proud to be selected to participate and win across several divisions, as well as continuously year on year provide representation for Scotland at an international level. This is no mean feat, as only two teams of twelve firers were selected from all of the Scottish small-bore shooting schools, including civilian clubs.
Interest in the Shooting Team is supported by the S4-S6 year groups passing on their abilities by practising their coaching skills in taking keen groups of S3 pupils through their paces.
Skiing
There are dual slalom competitions in October and teams have regularly made it through to the finals at Snow Factor. The Scottish Schools Dry-slope Competition is held at Hillend, Edinburgh where pupils face the steepest dry slope in the UK. The ski-cross competition in November is an exciting event involving a mogul slalom course with jumps. Skiers and snowboarders aged six to sixteen represented the school in 2016.
In February, the Alpine series heats are held at the Scottish ski resorts, with the school competing at Glencoe. In recent years our girls won both Primary and Senior Novice races and went through to the national finals at the Nevis range.
The summer term still involves ski competitions both at Snow Factor, where our skiers and boarders show off their skills in the freestyle competition, and at Hillend for the “schools out” dual slalom, where teams compete in a relay slalom race – an exciting end to the year.
Squash
The squash club provides coaching on a Tuesday after school for those wishing to learn the game with fellow pupils, have fun and keep fit in an enjoyable environment.
The Friday after-school club is for more accomplished players who intend to compete at an elite level. This session is by invitation only and is intended to help the elite players achieve Regional and International recognition.
The squash club has a long tradition of producing both Regional and International players and this is currently illustrated by the standards of 3 of our senior boys. They have all competed in European Open Tournaments this season, with one of the boys storming up the latest European ranking from 314 to 20 in the last twelve months and as a result being selected for the Scottish National squad for the Home Internationals in Cardiff and The European Junior Championship in Prague.
Swimming
Our swimming teams compete in a range of competitions throughout the year, both at Prep and Senior level.
A number of pupils enter the Glasgow Schools heats and as a result of their performances several go on to represent the school at the finals.
The school has been well represented at the Scottish Schools Swimming Championships, and has enjoyed some podium finishes, most notably setting a new Scottish Schools record when claiming gold in the 12 and under girls 200m freestyle relay in 2016.
Tennis
This tradition remains today and hundreds of our pupils enjoy playing, whether it be during afternoon games lessons, school clubs, inter-school fixtures or tournaments. A range of school tennis competitions is organised annually to allow boys and girls from P6 to Senior 6 an opportunity to challenge for a trophy and earn points for their House in the process.
Tennis is an activity our pupils are exposed to in PE from Kindergarten. Basic ball and racquet skills are taught and this progresses to short tennis before moving onto full-court. We ensure our pupils have the correct equipment to play with, which includes suitably sized racquets and appropriate balls (red, orange, green or yellow) to match their experience and ability.
After-school tennis clubs are offered to our pupils from P6 and pupils have the opportunity to come along for coaching to develop their skills or simply to play games with their friends.
Where are our pitches?
Lower Windyedge (Hockey and Football pitches) Anniesland Road, Anniesland, Glasgow G13 1YQ
Top Windyedge (Hockey pitches, Tennis courts) Ryvra Road, Anniesland, Glasgow G13 1XW
School Ground (Rugby, Cricket and Athletics facilities) Anniesland Road, Anniesland, Glasgow G13 1XS
Glasgow Academical Club (Rugby and Cricket facilities) Helensburgh Drive, Jordanhill, Glasgow G13 1RR
External venues
Firhill Sports Complex, Hopehill Road, G20 7HH (Netball)
Scotstoun Leisure Centre, 72 Stanes Drive, G14 9HD (Netball)
Western Baths, 12 Cranworth Street, G12 8BZ (Netball)