The Josephine Butler College community gathered on Monday, April 22nd night for the annual Sports Formal, a highlight of the year where teams and individuals are recognized for their achievements. It was an evening filled with celebration, camaraderie, and well-deserved awards.
Sports Officer Niamh Morton opened the evening with a rousing welcome, expressing her excitement and gratitude for the fantastic year the college's sports teams have had. "I've been looking forward to this all year, partly because it's always a good night, but also because it means I officially no longer have to reply to your emails," she joked, setting the tone for an evening of celebration and light-hearted fun.
Reflecting on a Successful Year
The past year has been one of the most successful for Josephine Butler College's sports teams. Niamh highlighted the college's impressive achievements, including eight league wins from teams like Pool, Darts, Women's Basketball, Netball A, Netball B, Men's Squash, Volleyball, and Men's Badminton. The Women's Basketball team took home the trophy in the knockout competition, and Men's Rugby secured the plate win. Additionally, Josephine Butler's Butler Tigers won first place in the intercollegiate champs, retaining their grand championship title for the second year in a row.
The college's teams also made remarkable progress in other competitions, with Josephine Butler Women's Football Club reaching the final and Lacrosse, Women's Hockey, and Netball C all making it to the semi-finals. The Boat Club showed steady improvement, and the new mixed netball team had a strong start.
So far this year, the college has participated in over 300 fixtures, earning 1,795 college points, which currently places them 4th in the points table. Cheerleading represented the college at the Loughborough varsity, and four teams headed to York varsity, with three coming home victorious.
The college's sports teams also made a positive impact through their charitable efforts, raising over £1,000 for the charity MIND through fundraising initiatives by the Pool and Cheer teams. Niamh expressed hope that this total would continue to grow in the upcoming term.
Looking Ahead and Passing the Torch
Niamh's term as Sports Officer is coming to an end, and she took a moment to reflect on the year and express her excitement for the future. "It's been an overall great year, and I have absolutely loved being Sports Officer this year. I'm excited to see how the rest of the year goes, and I know I'm leaving Team Butler in great hands with Mya." She also wished her successor, Mya Downing, the best of luck and urged everyone to be supportive of her.
Honouring the Award Winners
The evening concluded with a series of awards recognizing outstanding contributions and achievements throughout the year. The awards and their recipients were:
Team of the Year: Women's Basketball, for their unbeaten league and trophy wins, despite being a newly formed team.
Club of the Year: Netball, for their consistent performance across all teams and their significant contribution to the college points table.
Most Improved: Mixed Lacrosse, for their impressive growth and fostering a welcoming atmosphere.
Fresher of the Year: Hannah Boot, for her enthusiastic participation in multiple sports (football and cheer) and her athletic halftime performances.
Highest Achievement: Scarlett Spavin, for her success in Durham Hockey W1s and representing England in the U21s squad at the World Cup.
Outstanding Contribution: Ruby Crook-English, for her leadership in revitalizing the Basketball Club and creating a strong sense of community.
Unsung Hero: Esme Gee, for her relentless dedication to her teams and her role in taking JBWFC to the floodlit final twice.
Sportsperson of the Year: Will Price, for his outstanding contributions to numerous sports and his positive attitude.
Moment of the Year: Men's Rugby, for their resounding 64-10 victory over Hatfield in the plate final.
The Sports Formal was a fitting occasion for an extraordinary year so far for Josephine Butler College's sports teams, with everyone looking forward to more success and memorable moments in the upcoming term. The sense of community and camaraderie that permeated the evening was a testament to the dedication and passion of all those involved in the college's sports programs.
