Independent Schools Cultural Alliance - ISCA – Summer Programs in the UK

Day 7 – On Campus Sports Day – Charterhouse

As a new ISCA day dawned with a heightened buzz of anticipation and energy at Breakfast for ‘Campus Day 2’, the competition intensified yet further for the brightest look in global sports apparel on campus , with the South Americans just edging ahead of their northern neighbours in ‘ you got the look!’  Let’s see how that story develops, as we all know how the US loves a challenge!  Anyway, enough of that, let’s get on to the nitty gritty, the sports and that flair and panache on show across these Charterhouse fields of play.  On the menu we had Soccer, Rugby, Cricket, Netball, Tennis, Squash and Fives -a veritable sporting smorgasbord.

Rugby (a more civilized version of US Football…no bouncing on top of the heads of oncoming players) was popular! New giants emerged on the hallowed turf (rookie colossuses in this strange sport) and darted their runs and spun their passes with skill and smiles, boys and girls alike.  Watch out New Zealand, your rugby dominance is under threat!

It´s hard to bamboozle an Isca camper, they are too savvy and alert to be distracted by the prospect of a sport where you can catch the ball but you can´t run with it thereafter, not even bounce it for a laugh…shucks man…well that´s netball, but it is fast, fun, a thinking and anticipating game and a steady hand on the shot brings great rewards….ask Robin Hood he knew the feeling!

Meantime, Cricket was occurring on the sacred squares where wood on willow is music to the ear and our Isca stars were walloping the ball to all four corners of the globe in Christopher Colombus fashion as the Isca staff bowlers (pitchers) looked on ashen and red-faced..subdued by these novice whizz kids!

However, it was down in the Charterhouse Fives court where new neural pathways were forging out of control quicker than Neo showed us in Matrix revolutions.  Here, a new game on a strange-shaped court, with  a concrete buttress blocking the ball´s clear path to the front wall was enthralling the Isca clan.  ´Gloves on, bouncy ball, concrete walls and floors, my opponent to outwit (even with strange bounces to contend with)…no problem, bring it on – and that was just the girls.´ The boys were battling like gladiators in the ring. They entertained and they beamed – a new sport had been grasped and conquered.

Squash too…´easy, and I get a racquet this time, another  4-walled court no buttress…piece of cake just use my power and my passion to outbattle my opponent…I´m hooked! ´That was the general reaction – they loved it.

Finally as if we didn´t have enough drama going on…we had the real thing, our Isca actors impersonating the staff and making frozen sketches of their sporting talents or specialities…skiers to ice dancers to free-fall specialists to high divers to equestrian experts to Olympic bobsleigh champions and modern pentathletes. I could go on…

As for the rest of the day….Tuck (candy) shop excitement, a fun lecture on William Shakespeare, Students v Staff Volleyball….I can´t talk about it I´m still crying into my pillow after the humbling we staff suffered.