Jaffa Super 6s: Runner’s Up

To practise what you teach is a good mantra. It is rare, however, to be able to celebrate and praise member of staff who has successfully shown that she does indeed practise the game she loves in competitive play outside school.

Lottie Porter, a highly respected PE staff member of GMS, was a key member of the team who participated in and was runner’s up at “The Jaffa Super 6s” indoor hockey event, run by England Hockey.

The journey to being selected for the final playoff was an endurance trial and a feat of skilled sportsmanship.

The team Lottie belonged to was called Buckingham, and they were very successful in qualifying through the league stages. Placed in 4th overall meant that, in the initial playoff, Buckingham were up against Bowden Hightown, who had qualified in 1st place.

Nine teams qualified for the Premier League. Their games were played in a round robin format, to decide which of the top four teams would go through to the Jaffa Super 6s indoor finals. That final took place on 27th January at the Copper Box in the Olympic Park.

Bowden were the 2018 champions and as they had won the title 12 times before, they were favourites to win again.

The Buckingham team, were promoted from Division 1 last season, so this was their first season playing in the Premier League: some may have viewed them as definitely the underdogs!

Buckingham’s first game against Bowden finished in a 2-2 draw, which meant the outcome was decided through a penalty shoot out. In indoor hockey, penalties are a 1v1 against the goal keeper, where you have just 6 seconds to score.

Buckingham won the shootout, which took the team through to the final, where they were up against East Grinstead. Unfortunately, being ultimate winner wasn’t meant to be this time, but being runners up meant Lottie is officially recognised as being part of the team that is the second best team in the country, ‘Absolutely Fabulous’.

Lottie writes,

“Steve Goodright, Emma Boddy and Harry Magnay , from the PE Dept, took 18 students to watch and they were INCREDIBLE supporters! They had banners and shouted and chanted all the way through both games. It was an amazing experience for the team: even better to be able to share it with some of the GMS students. They were brilliant!”

GMS are in celebratory mood basking in another high profile achievement, well done to Lottie and her Buckingham team.