Day 6

Inbound Travel

Students will return to LGW on Monarch Flight ZB737 from Malaga ETA 13:40 Sat 7th Jan. Parents planning to collect students from the Airport must confirm their presence in person to Seaford College Staff prior to departing with the children. The main party will return to the college ETA 16:00 Sat 7th Jan.

Day 5

The final day! We were very impressed with the girls when each one of them gave the time trial run a go this morning, at 7am. Everyone met their target and were woken up ready for the day.

Warm down following the 1500 Time Trial - 07:00 am!

After breakfast, and a final study session, we went out to sea on the dolphin adventure tour. Some much deserved R & R. We headed back to the stadium and worked on some principles of defending, which the girls completed with great success. They worked hard in the heat, right up until lunch. The girls then completed a final stretching and aerobics session, loosening them up for the match. A short rest in the sunshine meant that it was time to warm up for the final time. The girls looked so professional in their matching dresses and T shirts, showing the U17 Gibraltar national team that we were ready for a good game. The girls put on their best performance, with every single individual focussed and using all of the skills they had learned this week to beat the opposition 21-19. A well fought out game and a much deserved win to end on. We were so impressed with how the girls worked here on this final day and hope that they can continue to use all of the new things that they have learned; including their stretching and core exercises. The girls enjoyed going for an end of tour meal and receiving their awards for achievements over the course of the week.

Half time team talk in the final match

The fifth and final hockey match of the tour was against another club side that included a number of ex professionals from both Spain and Gibraltar. Despite a number of injuries from the previous game, Seaford were determined to finish the tour on a positive note. As a result of these injuries, a number of younger players were given the opportunities to show there skills again against some strong opposition. It was young l Bowden that broke the deadlock between the teams after fifteen minutes when a ball from J Whitehouse was struck from deep, towards the DHaythornthwaite who deflected the ball in to the circle for a diving L Bowden to deflect the ball high into the net. However this lead was not long lived as the club side were awarded a short corner in which they dispatched into the top of the net. Seaford worked hard to get back on top with some great individual skill from F Pelzner and J Whitehouse creating a number of chances but were unfortunate not to convert them. However, after an excellent run and finish from F Pelzner put Seaford ahead once again. However once again the opposition capitalised on a short corner just before half time ending the half 2-2. In the second half Seaford continued to show a good deal of composure on the ball and strong mental toughness to hold the structure as again the club side put on the pressure attack after attack. Despite some good defending from H Collins and C Mansell, the pressure told and the opposition scored to more short corners before the end of the second half, ending the game 4-2. 

Tour now Reads: Played 5, Won 2, Lost 3, Goals for 15, Goals against 13; Coach still happy!

Day 4

There’s nothing quite like a morning aerobics session to wake you up for the rest of the day. It was hard work, but very enjoyable and the girls put in a great effort. After a shower and a study session, we boarded the buses and headed to the Upper reaches of the Rock. Having enjoyed some breath taking views from the viewing galleries and explored the countless caves and tunnels, we were fortunate enough to see the famous Barbary Apes in their natural environment. While some took photos, others got a bit closer than intended. Many of the students stood closer in order to entice the ape onto their shoulder. This went a step further with some climbing onto our heads and in one case, caught off guard. It was a very entertaining and interesting tour of the Upper Rock. We finished the tour with a visit to the beautiful Europa Point, the most southerly point on Gibraltar. 

                                              Aerobics before breakfast, Tessa Monkeying around and a view of Spain from inside the Great Seige Tunnel within the RocK itself

When we arrived at the stadium we got straight to work, developing some areas identified in the matches on previous days. A short lunch break in the sunshine was followed by another netball session. Some drills to test the girls’ competitive edge showed that Tiegan came out on top, showing assertiveness and determination. We ended the physical section of the day with another attempt at the strength and conditioning circuit. The girls all showed improvement on a number of stations, and were rewarded with some R & R, watching the boys play hockey. On the way back to the Retreat, we stopped in town to see the traditional 3 Kings Cavalcade, a celebration of the ending of the festive season. Dinner was followed with a team meeting, which included video analysis of yesterday’s match. The girls were able to identify areas of weakness and as a result have made their personal targets for the final match tomorrow. After all this, the girls still had time and energy to continue with study and stretch their tired bodies. 

                                                                      Harriet working on the practice court, Defending a Short Corner and in action against Eagles 1st X1

Seaford’s fourth hockey match was against a side currently sitting third in the Premier League of the Spanish and Gibraltar league (The Eagles) fielding four former full Gibraltar Internationals. Despite this, Seaford were confident going into the game after yesterdays excellent performance but a tough start with a questionable decision from the umpire went in the home team’s favour asking a great deal of mental strength from such an unlucky start. Excellent defensive performances from J Nelems and C Reilly kept the home side from scoring for sometime, although The Eagles continued to test Seaford’s defence which was eventually breached with two further goals despite all players giving tooth and nail for the cause. Seaford managed to create a number of chances but were unfortunate not to consolidate these chances as a result of some good defending and keeping from the home side.

Half time came and Seaford regrouped after a very tough half. In the second half, Seaford came out strong and with excellent skills from J Whitehouse and F Pelzner created some good chances. The forwards continued to work hard by pressurising the home side defence, which did result in Seaford wining a number of short corners but they were not able to convert these chances. Nevertheless patient probing eventually led to J Whitehouse stealing the ball from the opposition and passing to F Pelzner who crossed the ball across the goal for D Haythornthwaite to beat the goalie at the far post. The game finished 5-1 to the home side but Seaford should be proud of their performance against a very good side.

More Ice Baths before a trip to witness the Cavalcade, Dinner and into the Post Match analysis. The Coach released us at 10:00 and the S&C Coach was on hand to stretch us before heading upstairs to bed.

Tomorrow we are scheduled to complete a second 1500 meter time trial along the coast before a cruise into the Bay of Gibraltar to see the Dolphins and then our final match.

Tour now Reads: Played 4, Won 2, Lost 2, Goals for 13, Goals against 9; Coach still happy!

Day 3

This morning we saw the stars yet again as we threw ourseleves into a Zumba class!

Brenda Murphy was waiting for us at 6:55 music thumping ready to put us through our paces. Connor & Aiden led part of the class joining Brenda on the stage for 40 minutes of workout. Breakfast followed Zumba and an hour's Study followed before we boarded the buses for the stadium and a heavy session of fixtures but first we were coaching with the Gibraltar Netball Association Coaches while Messers Paxton & barnes went to work with the Hockey Squad.

Hockey Specific Circuit Training for the outfield players and the Keepers pelted with high velocity balls courtesy of the Gibraltar Cricket Association Bowling Machine and Mr Barnes; all this under Azure Skies and 21 degrees heat with players ordered into the shade and water replenishment a constant process.

The Netball Squad met up again with the Gibraltar Netball Coaches for a coaching session before returning to the Hockey Astro to support the U16 Hockey Team.

Resistance Bands tied to Hockey Sticks, The 'Long and Short of it' as Julias Michaelis checks the run of Gibraltar's young super star & Mr Barnes and the Bowling Machine

The game of the tour so far was Seaford U16 against a local club (Eagles) of mixed ages. Seaford started well with a fast tempo and it wasn’t long before L Bowden opened the scoring with a reverse stick shot from the top of the circle, which took a kind deflection helping it over the keeper and into the goal. Seaford continued to pressure the local side with some excellent tackling from C Dimond and M Gray. The Eagles tried to break through the defence but B Paxton and his defence held firm to keep the score only 1-0 after 10 minutes. However after a superb aerial from L Bowden set C de Candole free to score Seaford’s second goal of the match. Seaford took further command of the game after J Whitehouse scored a drag flick into the top left corner with excellent precision. The half finished with Seaford 4-0 up, however the Eagles fought back creating a number of chances but excellent saves from D Jones kept the Eagles at bay. Seaford continued to attack despite being tired after working very hard to maintain their lead managed to score two further goals to end the game 6-0 to the good against a strong local side. Man of the match performances going to B Paxton, L Bowden and D Jones for excellent work throughout the match.

The Tour now reads Played 2, Lost 1, Won 1, Goals for 8, Goals against 2, Coach happier!

Seaford's third game of the tour was against the U21 National Squad they had lost to the day before but 24 hours of Coach Paxton's method training was about to be tested! Out for revenge, Seaford started very well working the press with devastating effect, creating many chances but each matched by the Gibaltan goalie and the first 20 minutes were even and the opposition were showing signs of suprise at their change of overnight fortunes. On 23 minutes some excellent work down the right hand side from D Haythornthwaite and F Pelzner saw the ball crossed for L Bowden to score Seaford's first. Seaford began to take a hold of the game as the opposition struggled to string passes together as a result of tiereless work from the midfield and defence in particular C Reilly. After some strong defending from Captain J Callaway and J Nelmes Seaford broke forward and with some excellent individual skill from J Whitehouse passed two players & was able to slot the ball past the keeper at the tightest of angles; 2 - 0 Seaford !. We grew in confidence and the team played some very attractive hockey, particulary after a well worked corner ended with F Pelzner finishing in to the top corner; 3-0 Seaford at half time. In the second half we made a number of changes giving a number of others the chance to prove themselves. One individual that took his opportunity was H Collins by scoring a stunning fourth goal nicely into the corner of the goal off an unselfish piece of play by F Pelzner. The game finished 4-0 and man of the match performances went to J Whitehouse and F Pelzner but some greatly improved performance from J Callaway controlling the defence. 

The Tour now reads Played 3, Lost 1, Won 2, Goals for 12, Goals against 2, Coach very happy!

The girls were fortunate enough to receive some more quality couaching from the Gibraltarian International coaches, which developed their skills in a range of areas. They worked hard in a netball related fitness circuit that followed this and earned a well deserved lunch out in the sunshine. The team worked through some pre match tactics and prepared for a tough afternoon.

The Netball team took to the court for the first of two, back to back matches. The first match tested the girls in many ways. They worked as a team and showed determination through the whole match, competing for every ball. With some excellent shooting and dynamic passages of play, the girls showed 'Storm' how we play netball at Seaford College. The Gibraltarian players were playing very fast netball and shot with the upmost precision. 'Storm' ended the game 21-14 ahead of us, but a very well contested game and whole squad effort.

The second saw the stiffest test so far with a cream of the Gibraltar Netball fraternity represented by their U17 Squad.The Match finished 15 - 3 to Gibraltar. The girls' fatigue was starting to show as mistakes began to creep into our game. None the less, the girls continued to play with enthusiasm and did not give up until the final whistle was blown.

Dinner was followed by a trip to the local Tenpin Bowling Centre. Located within an old fortress. The Rock Bastion was a great night out as we split into teams of 5 to compete against each other.

Day 2

Once again we rose before the sun but this time to a bit of a surprise – total power failure across Gibraltar! Did we get a lie in ? not a bit of it. Mr Paxton was ‘up and at em’ and before we knew it we were being limbered up by the S&C Coach and on the start line for the 1600 meter Time Trial. Christopher Mansell led the field with an impressive time of 5.45 which considering the route included four 6 in 1 inclines (well we are on the Rock of Gibraltar) the Coach was very pleased with our performance.

Back to the Retreat but still no power so breakfast in the dark as the dawn came up. Study followed and then we boarded the buses for the Stadium. The girls began this morning with study session to prepare for the exams. This woke them up and got them ready for a rules seminar and umpiring workshop, which made them appreciate how hard it is to umpire. They picked up on some new rules and put their skills into action. They continued to work hard throughout a short coaching session and a strength and conditioning circuit. We were very impressed with some of the girls who despite initial self doubt, achieved a number of full press ups! They had worked up an appetite for a well deserved lunch. This was followed by a very beneficial coaching session with some Gibraltarian International coaches, helping the girls to adapt their attacking play. This must have had a positive affect on their game play, as they successfully won their first game 16-13 against a team called All Stars. This was the first game in a very long time for some of the girls, so they got back into it and put on an excellent performance. It was a fantastic squad effort and they all worked very hard as a team. Their reward included a 5 minute ice bath (beating the boys time of 4 minutes), which once they had stopped screaming was very relaxing and enjoyable.

The boys took to the Astro and were put through their paces by the Coach before a session with Gibraltar International Umpire Brian Buckley who took them through scenario after scenario through the ‘umpire’s eyes’ – all very interesting and hopefully a useful start for the season. After lunch we continued the coaching drills in preparation for the first fixture against the Gibraltar U21 Squad. The match started nervously as players got use to the conditions and the high tempo. During a tough first five minutes Aidan Mullins made some fantastic saves to keep the score level however the Gibraltar U21 side kept the pressure up and capitalised on a lapse in concentration between the defenders scoring the first of two within a few minutes. Despite this, Seaford started to impose themselves within the game creating some excellent attacking moves. Endless running from Bradley Paxton created space for Florian Pelzner to give an excellent pass to Ben Barnes in space down the right hand side. From this Ben won a short corner which Florian dispatched high to the keepers right side with superb accuracy and speed. Despite good work from a number of players, Seaford were 3-1 down by half time. The second half began a lot more positively and Seaford started to take the game to the U21 side creating some good chances for Jamie Whitehouse and David Haythornthwaite. Seaford College got another got back to make it 3-2 but Gibraltar scored a late goal to make the final score 4-2. Warm down followed and as we prepared mentally for the ‘Sea’ we were ambushed by the Coach who had requested and receive 6 ice baths which we were all processed through to ease aching limbs.

                                                 Seaford v Gibraltar Premier All Stars                                                                                                           Seaford v Gibraltar U21

Ice Baths improve circulation to restore tired muscles

A tiring day meant and power restored we all tucked into a 3 course meal back at the Retreat, including chocolate cake!!!!! After another study session, an early night was much appreciated by the girls and the boys sat down to analyse the match video in preparation for the match tomorrow. Looking forward to Zumba class at 7am followed by coaching, 2 matches each & Tenpin Bowling tomorrow night.

Good Night from the Rock

Day 1

Fixtures

The Fixture list is as follows:

Tue 3rd Jan:    Hockey U16 v Grammarians U16 HC, U18  v Eagles HC U18, Netball v Premier All Stars

Wed 4th Jan:   Hockey U18 v Grammarians U19, Netball Tri Tournament v Sapphire Storm & Gibraltar U17

Thu 5th Jan:    Hockey U16 v Eagles U16 HC, U18 v Gibraltar U18

Frii 6th Jan:      Hockey U18 v Andalucia U18, Netball v TBA

Inbound Travel

Students will return to LGW on Monarch Flight ZB737 from Malaga ETA 13:40 Sat 7th Jan. Parents planning to collect students from the Airport must confirm their presence in person to Seaford College Staff prior to departing with the children. The main party will return to the college ETA 16:00 Sat 7th Jan.

Contact Information

Dukes Sports Travel

UK Office: Phone  01733 210996 mail: susie& dukessportstravel.com

Gibraltar: Tour Managers: Mobiles 07720 035785, 07809 388 353 mail: mjbb@dukessportstravel.com; jeni@dukessportstravel.com

Europa Retreat Centre: 00350 200 49343

Seaford College Staff

Mr Paxton Gibraltar: Mobile 07510 521 025