This week year 7 and 8 have been on camp with Andrew, Will and I. Here are some thoughts from one of our year 8 students: Day 1 - On day one we travelled to camp, we arrived just before lunch. When we had been sorted into our cabins and had lunch we were sorted into our activity groups and we … [Read more...] about Stage 4 Camp Update
ITS welcomes Ivan Rusev
ITS welcomes Ivan Rusev as Assistant Coach. My name is Ivan Rusev and I am the father of two wonderful children. I have coached tennis for my entire working life and I continue to have the same passion for tennis and coaching that I have always had. I gained my advanced tennis coaching … [Read more...] about ITS welcomes Ivan Rusev
The Expertise Curse
There is a quote by Michael J Fox that I love: “If a child can’t learn the way we teach, maybe we should teach the way they learn.” This is definitely true of coaching children as well and we need to be mindful of it so we don't fall into the trap of believing that we are great teachers or … [Read more...] about The Expertise Curse
The Honeymoon is Over
In my experience, it is common at about this time for parents to start asking themselves, "Why is my child coming home so cranky and exhausted?" Children may seem out of character and might even be saying things like, "I don't like this college anymore". This is where the honeymoon phase has started … [Read more...] about The Honeymoon is Over
To NAPLAN or not to NAPLAN?
A nationwide survey of over 8000 teachers and principals raises significant concerns about the negative impacts of NAPLAN (see link below). http://www.smh.com.au/national/education/naplan-is-the-pain-worth-it-20121125-2a1mf.html It’s that time of year again, when talk of NAPLAN appears in the … [Read more...] about To NAPLAN or not to NAPLAN?
Will you take 10,000 hours or 3,000?
Hopefully you’re familiar with The 10,000 Hour Rule researched by the author of the book Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell. He says that it takes roughly 10,000 hours of practice to achieve mastery in a field. I was reminded this week that 10,000 hours is actually the average amount of time required for … [Read more...] about Will you take 10,000 hours or 3,000?
Working with Living Legends.
Over the last year many stories have come to light about the experiences and achievements of our coaches at IFS. These have been humbling and inspiring - the quality and credentials of these individuals is truly gob-smacking! Fortnightly we conduct mentor sessions in each of our stages. In a … [Read more...] about Working with Living Legends.
Supporting Children in Sport
What do you tell children about sports participation? Do your children tell you how they feel about their sport before or after a game or match? Do they let you know about any stresses, frustrations and expectations that come with participation? Do they play with fear? In my last blog I wrote … [Read more...] about Supporting Children in Sport
Bring on the ITS Cup
This week at the International Tennis School we launched the inaugural ITS Cup. After three solid weeks of training and scouting, Ivan and I have formed the four teams to take part in our in-house competition. The players are still buzzing from the announcement of the ITS Cup event and are eager … [Read more...] about Bring on the ITS Cup
Shift in Culture
As many of you know, our college has grown significantly in the short time from the end of last year and this brings a whole new set of challenges for all. The recently completed NSW Government State Census revealed our total student enrolment as of 14 February was 233, up from only 76 at the … [Read more...] about Shift in Culture