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Of course, DeFreitas is not the only sport professional at MCS. He joins ECB Level 3 Coach and Head of Cricket, Richard Gilbert.
Hockey has been coached at MCS by former Australian hockey international Todd Williams since 2010. Following a distinguished playing career which included international and national titles and seven years at the Australian Institute of Sport, Todd currently coaches Hampstead and Westminster in the England Premier League and guided Slough Ladies to a Women's Premier League title and a silver medal at the European Cup Winners Cup in 2008. He has also worked with various elite hockey programs including the national teams of France and the USA as well as in Australia, Malaysia and Japan.
Richard Gilbert (left) |
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Andrew Watts is Head of the Sports Academy. Alongside his degree in Business Studies and Sports Science, Andrew was the Head of Hockey at Marlborough College. He is an England A hockey international who has scored over 100 goals in the England Premier League for Reading HC, one of the country's most successful clubs. In June he will be playing for Reading as they become the first English club to reach the semi-final stage of the elite European Hockey League - hockey's version of the Champions League.
Head of Rugby is Grant Seely, former Northampton professional, Heineken Cup winner and senior England A representative. Along with playing no less than 252 games with the Northampton Saints, Grant's coaching expertise includes a Level 4 RFU coaching accreditation and he was, up until joining MCS, the Assistant Manager of the highly successful Northampton Saints Academy as well as being involved in various England regional squads. |
Todd Williams (below) |
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Andrew Watts (below) |
Michaelmas term also saw Stacey Francis join the school for the term as Head of Netball. Stacey is currently an integral part of the England team which won a bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games before coming to MCS. Her busy schedule has meant that she was only able to run the program in between her Superleague commitments and England's preparations for the Netball World Championships but we hope that she will be able to find the time to take the role on again next year.
What is the thinking behind this extraordinary level of focus on sport at MCS? The school has long been known for its enviable academic reputation, not to mention outstanding achievements in art, drama and music, largely as a result of significant support and investment by the school in staff and resources. These sports professionals are able to coach our pupils and support other members of staff in such a way that in a very short space of time, MCS has established a department that offers a level of experience, expertise and knowledge the equal of any school in the country. |