On behalf of the BBC Co-curriculum team, we welcome back boys, families, staff, and our broader community and look forward to a terrific 2024!  

Earlier this week, we met with all the boys at our assemblies to ensure we set expectations going forward for 2024. As well as these expectations, we reflected on the success of quite a few boys from the 2023 cohort and how that success was achieved. Several points are especially relevant for aspiring athletes, musicians, performers, and leaders across the College.  

Make a strong commitment to training, practice, rehearsals, and co-curriculum meetings. Be on time and wear the right uniform. Boys who make this commitment recognise that consistent effort over time is crucial for achieving excellence in any activity. 

Successful boys are effective communicators and understand the importance of teamwork. In any co-curriculum activity, there is lots of teamwork, which boys need to build positive relationships with teammates, coaches, staff, leaders, and the broader BBC community. Boys who tend to do this well also understand their unique role within their group and how this contributes to the overall success of their collective performance.   

Balance time management. Successful BBC graduates prioritise effective time management to balance their academic and co-curriculum pursuits. They understand the importance of allocating sufficient time for studying, homework, part-time jobs, socialising, and completing assignments whilst also dedicating focused time to their training or practice. A well-structured schedule ensures that boys can excel in all fields.   

Maintain health and fitness. Being physically fit and active is the foundation of success in sports, but it also contributes hugely to performance in the classroom and to mental health. This includes maintaining proper nutrition, adequate sleep, and downtime, as well as incorporating strength and conditioning exercises into daily routines. 

Resilience and mental toughness. Every boy will face challenges, setbacks, and failure at some point. It is how they respond to these that is crucial. We encourage boys to develop a resilient mindset, stay positive, and learn from their failures. Developing this mental toughness prepares boys for the future by challenging them to overcome obstacles and maintain focus during competitions or performances.   

We strongly encourage all boys to take on this advice, and we look forward to their co-curriculum contributions in 2024.   

Staffing Changes 

We congratulate Ms Tina Campbell for her promotion to Director of Volleyball. As part of her new role, Ms Campbell will also continue coordinating the representative sports pathway and interhouse sports, as well as seeing through the new co-curriculum platform Clipboard.   

We thank Mr George Clutton for his work and efforts in directing volleyball during 2023 and wish him all the best in his new role as Head of Year 7.   

Volleyball – Director of Volleyball – Ms Tina Campbell  

Welcome to the 2024 GPS volleyball season. I’m thrilled to be leading the program into 2024 and beyond!   

I officially started this role on 15 January, and we were straight into the preseason camp, where teams had training sessions and trial games against Nudgee and Gregory Terrace. Last week was a great benefit to the development and cohesion of teams and provided opportunities for boys to refine their skills. A big thank you to the boys and coaches involved in the camp week. Your time and commitment to the program are valued.  

The preseason also saw teams participate in the Junior Schools Cup early in Term 4 and the Australian Volleyball Schools Cup in the first week of the holidays last year. Well done to the six BBC teams that participated, as it’s an extremely tough competition with some of the best teams across the state and nation.   

For more information on BBC Volleyball – please click here  

Swimming – Director of Aquatics – Mr Andrew Hancock  

During Term 4, 2023, our swimmers completed the preseason phase of our GPS season. This period was a successful one for our program and featured strong attendance numbers, impressive swimming, and (most importantly) high degrees of morale and support among the boys as they prepared for the challenge ahead. While the preseason featured the usual Friday night meet opportunities, all of which featured ominous weather, it also featured a new initiative: our inaugural ‘Club and Fun Night’. This event saw swimmers from both the junior and senior programs divided into six teams, competing in a trivia contest before continuing the action in the pool. The Rock Paper Scissors Challenge to conclude the water portion was a highlight, with Lachlan Munchow (Year 12) taking out the title as our overall champion. After a well-earned break over the Christmas period, our swimming program ramped back up in earnest last week, with 62 swimmers from our junior and senior programs participating in our traditional performance camps to open the calendar year.   

For more information on BBC Swimming – please click here  

Rowing – Director of Rowing - Mr Zoltan Shepherd  

BBC teams have completed the January camps, and some of our selected crews have participated in the 2024 QLD Rowing Championships at Wyaralong. All our different age camps went well, and the boys gained valuable rowing skills and fitness during that time, thanks to our dedicated coaches and the members of our Rowing Support Group. 

I have entered seven U19 scullers in the QLD Rowing Championships:

• one U19 double scull 
• three eights for the U19 and U21 races 
• the Year 10 First Quad in the U17 Quad race 

All our crews had to qualify for the final through heats. Firstly, Conrad Scott (Year 12) managed to race in the final of the MU191x, finishing third out of 92 entries. Parker Pohio (Year 11) and Henry Wake (Year 11) managed to get into the semi-finals (top 20 scullers). Great effort, boys.  

For more information on BBC Rowing – please click here 

Cricket – Director of Cricket – Mr Paul Woodford  

The 2023/2024 cricket preseason was filled with many fantastic memories for our boys and coaches to take away. Furthermore, the addition of the specialist coaching structure enabled our boys to gain access to high-quality, individualised coaching within their specific skill sets. As always, I am excited to see what the in-season brings for the BBC Cricket community. There will be some more information coming out over the next couple of days regarding tactical/get-what-you-need sessions as well as the First XI, new student, and Year 7 baggy presentations. Prior to the weekend, please ensure you are registered on PlayHQ.  

For more information on BBC Cricket – please click here  

Debating – Director of Intellectual Activities – Ms Emily Lurje  

Our Debating boys are easing into the season with a Round 1 bye this week. However, in the individual teams, it has been a flurry of activity as the boys make the most of the extended lead-up to Round 2, which will be against formidable opponents at Brisbane State High School. Our Year 8s to 12s have all met with coaches this week to start preparation for the debate in Week 2. Our senior boys (Year 11 and 12 debaters) returned to school early last week to attend preparation workshops run by Head Coach of Debating Development, Mr Emmett Hanley. Mr Hanley arranged short preparation simulations and an exploration of the upcoming Year 11 and 12 topic ‘That we oppose the medicalisation of learning disabilities’.  

On Monday, Nudgee debaters visited BBC for a friendly debate to dust off the cobwebs. The boys then unpacked the debate cases with the help of both the BBC and Nudgee Head Coaches.    

For more information on BBC Debating – please click here

Mr Mark Pavone
HEAD OF CO-CURRICULUM