The boys faced three group stage matches versus Nottingham High, winning 5-2, Malvern College winning 7-0 and drawing with Newcastle Under Lyme 1-1. The performance levels were high during these encounters, only NULS offering any real resistance to the brand of Hockey being played by the LGS boys.

Moving on to the semi-finals, the boys faced Ratcliffe College, who had successfully defeated us in the county rounds, 3-1. A tense affair ensued with LGS falling behind twice yet showed, the courage and the belief in our processes to equalise twice, and with minutes remaining, the score line set at 2-2, a penalty stroke was awarded to our boys. Sadly, the effort was saved excellently by the opposition goalkeeper; who deserves mention for his all-round display throughout the game. A penalty shootout was to decide which side would grace the Midlands Final, LGS were successful 4-2, with our Goalkeeper responsible for making two fine saves.

And so, to the Final against Worksop College, who had again beaten us at the Midlands Zone round, 3-1, just a few weeks ago. The level of play from the Team in LGS Red, was truly outstanding, a team display to make any coach proud. To say we were in total control would be a slight exaggeration, but certainly once the game arrived at a 2-1 score line in our favour, our opposition had no reply. The game management and team ethos of the magnificent Loughborough boys, in the final 10 minutes of the second half, was outstanding.

Across my 20 years as a Hockey coach at Loughborough Grammar School, I have worked with many fabulous boys, and some strong teams, especially at 1st team level, whereby we combine two, perhaps even three age groups. However, I struggle to recall a year group team, who have developed so well over their short careers here. There is talent, real talent, in four boys, there is determination and courage in four, there is intelligence and willingness to offer support to others in four more, there is a growth mindset and unerring grit in the other four, oh and there’s a Goalkeeper, who carries all these qualities in there too. The acronym GREAT men is promoted and encouraged here at LGS, there is surely no finer way of incapsulating this than what sport can deliver. G=Growth mindset, R=resilience, EA=Emotional Awareness and T=Talking. Our very own GREAT men delivered on these throughout a challenging, developmental and emotional day; they embodied everything that we should all aspire to live by, adults as well as children.

To conclude, as my players were told, “we have the ingredients, we have the utensils and we have the recipe, to make the cake. You just need to go to the oven and bake the cake”, my word, did they serve up a delicious cake!

Jez Clarke – a very proud coach