In the Spotlight

By Ms Megan Fritsch, Director of Sport

Sport at Radford College is not just a co-curricular activity – it is a powerful platform for learning, belonging and achievement. Whether students are representing the College at a pre-elite level or participating for the love of the game, sport plays a central role in shaping the Radford experience from Pre-Kindergarten to Year 12.

While most families see sport on the field, court, snow or on and in the water – at training sessions, Saturday games, or House carnivals – what is often less visible is the incredible scope of work taking place behind the scenes. Sport at Radford operates on a scale comparable to that of several sporting clubs combined, with a team of committed professionals working year-round to ensure students have a safe, enriching and high-quality experience.

A year-round operation

Sport at Radford runs for almost the entire year, with just a short break over the Christmas holidays. For most sports, students train during the week and compete on weekends as part of ACT sporting association competitions. Radford sport enters teams into more than a dozen different sports across multiple competitions, including basketball, football, rowing, tennis, netball, snowsports, cricket, futsal, Oztag and more.

This requires not only a great deal of coordination, but also a significant human workforce. Radford sport employs over 390 coaches each year, delivering programs across all age groups. These coaches are supported by a small but highly skilled sports department, many of whom are starting at 5:00 am for rowing to 9:30 pm when external facility hire concludes.

During a sport’s scheduled season the role of the sport staff intensifies. They oversee selection processes, registrations, schedules and game-day logistics, all while managing student well-being by connecting with teachers and Heads of Year, supporting coaches, communicating with parents and carers, and handling venue setup. They are a team of dedicated, highly specialised sport professionals who care deeply about the development and experience of every Radford College student.

The sports team works through term breaks, while others in the school are on leave, ensuring students are supported during tournaments, holiday training blocks, or representative duties. They work long hours, attend games on weekends, and invest time in building inclusive, respectful team cultures. And while their presence at every training and fixture is visible to students, their email inboxes and phone messages often go unattended during those hours – not from neglect, but from the demands of a hands-on, active role.

We therefore ask all families to please be patient with email and phone responses. Your messages are important to us, and the team will always respond as soon as they can.

More transparency, better communication

We know that good communication is essential, and we have made significant improvements over the past 12 months to ensure that families have the information they need, when they need it. All Radford sports now have a dedicated Nexus page, which is regularly updated with season overviews, trial and training schedules, uniform details and contact information.

This ensures families can access timely, sport-specific information in one place – whether your child is new to sport or already representing Radford at the highest level. It also reduces the reliance on last-minute emails and helps our staff manage communication more efficiently.

We encourage all families to check Nexus regularly, and refer to these sport pages before contacting sport staff directly.

Balancing excellence and inclusion

One of the things we are most proud of at Radford College, is our ability to support both performance and broad participation, alongside a vigorous academic program. We aspire for excellence in everything we do, whether it is celebrating student achievements at ACT, regional, national or international levels. But just as importantly, we also value participation for the sake of enjoyment, health and personal growth.

Sport is where students learn to lead, win with humility, lose with grace and show up consistently for others. We believe every student should have access to that experience, whether they are a first-time netballer or a state-level rower. Our programs are designed to meet students where they are and help them grow.

Facilities, support and future investment

Offering sport on this level would not be possible without the incredible support of the Radford College Executive and Board.

We are blessed with outstanding sporting facilities that are used not only for school programs but also hired by community clubs and associations, further enhancing our partnerships with the local sporting ecosystem.

Looking ahead, the future of Radford Sport is exciting.

The Stage 6 landscape project, which will include the installation of new sports lighting, LCD scoreboards, new cricket practice nets, solar lighting, etc. will significantly increase our capacity to develop our depth, reach, and impact at Radford College for years to come.

Working together

Sport at Radford is a shared effort. It relies not just on coaches and staff, but also on the support of parents and carers. Whether it’s by managing a team, running a scoreboard, helping with transport, rostering on for a BBQ, or simply being present at games, your involvement makes a difference.

It also relies on families recognising the structure of sport at the College. When registering for a sport, students are committing to a full season, including training and games. We ask families to take this seriously when registering and to communicate early with sport staff if there are concerns.

Every Radford student on the field represents something bigger than themselves – the Radford College values of Truth, Compassion and Wisdom. The expectation is that every student who partakes in sports wears the correct uniform and wears it with pride.

A final word

Sport is one of the most powerful tools we have for shaping confident, connected and compassionate young people. It teaches discipline and resilience. It provides a space for leadership, failure, reflection and improvement. It builds friendships that last well beyond the school gates.

As Director of Sport, I am deeply proud of our students, our staff and our community. The Radford sport journey is one of growth – and we are only just getting started. Thank you for being part of it.