Chichester and Arundel Lifestyle Mar - Apr 2020

ADVERTISING FEATURE
Sport for all
Director of Sport, Rob Kift, tells
Chichester & Arundel Lifestyle why
sport at Hurst College really is for all...
Hurst College has a growing reputation
for the quality and breadth of its sporting
provision and over the past year has met
with unprecedented success.
With a superb 140-acre campus, Hurst
has made huge strides in developing a
sports programme which has, at its heart,
a sporting achievement for all policy
which pays equal attention to those
students who simply want to participate
as well as for the elite performers. There
is a ‘nobody on the bench’ policy, which
means anyone who wants to compete in
a team can, no matter what their level.
The college has built upon its strong
traditions to arrive at a position where
both boys and girls compete on an even
footing and at all levels of ability and
interest.
Central to this programme is the ambition
to supply every student with a sporting
diet which engages them in an enjoyable,
challenging and meaningful way, be that
traditional team sports, individual sports
or a whole host of outdoor pursuits - and
encourages them to pursue activities
which they can continue to develop when
they leave. The programme doesn’t stop
there, many students access the gym as
well as taking part in aerobics, pilates
and yoga, where they are encouraged
to exercise with a view to adopting a
healthy, active lifestyle.
A sustained programme of development
which included three AstroTurfs, an
expanded netball/tennis court area
and a new gym – with a new swimming
pool/sports complex in the planning
stage - have all served to demonstrate
Hurst’s genuine commitment to sport.
These facilities play an important role in
improving the effectiveness of the sports
programme, providing a broad range of
activities and the capacity to host major
sporting events. Hurst is also committed
to delivering and hosting sporting events
for the local and regional community.
The college has assembled a talented
coaching team whose passion for their
sport has driven a culture which supports
the students to be the best they can be.
Many come from the classroom, but are
supported by professional coaches, who
are all experts in their field.
The unique Player Welfare medical
provision, which not only provides pitch
side cover on match days but also clinic
time and rehabilitation during the week,
helps support athletes when managing
injury. It is also a part of the college’s
wellbeing programme which includes
strength and conditioning, sports analysis
and individual mentoring.
Students have competed in more
tournaments and competitions than
“Many students access the gym as well as
taking part in aerobics, pilates and yoga,
where they are encouraged to exercise with a
view to adopting a healthy, active lifestyle”
ever before and the results have been
striking not just because of the number
of national successes but also in terms
of the range of sports on offer and the
numbers of teams in each sport. Many
students also represent county and
regional sides at national level – and
some go onto to become professional
athletes in their chosen field.
Major sports include rugby, hockey,
netball, cricket, tennis and athletics; other
team sports include football, swimming,
skiing, triathlon, equestrian, climbing and
golf. In the Senior School, there are more
than 45 boys’ and 45 girls’ teams - which
means, in the college’s principal sports,
there are often four or even five teams
at every age group, emphasising the
inclusive nature of sport at the college.
The college operates a bus route to and
from Chichester and Arundel on Monday
mornings and Friday evenings, to
accommodate flexi and weekly boarders
from the area.
www.hppc.co.uk
For further information or to arrange a
visit please call 01273 836937.
12 | www.chichesterlifestyle.co.uk