Over the past year, I have had the privilege of visiting a different school and Director of Sport (DoS) almost every week. These visits have provided a unique perspective on the hallmarks of exemplary leadership in school sport. The most effective DoS demonstrate a confluence of strategic vision, operational acumen and a deep commitment to fostering a thriving sporting culture within their institutions.

Purpose-Driven Leadership

The most successful DoS articulate a well-defined purpose and vision that align seamlessly with their school’s values. Their clarity of intent fosters a shared ethos that permeates the school community, ensuring...

The historic significance of sport is still visible in many schools. It is immediately evident in the honours boards, international jerseys, colours systems and Sports Day trophies that often go back more than 100 years. Attending that are the special mechanisms which recognise the top performers. In some schools the caps, blazers and ties are still coveted currency; in others they have been consigned to the archives, but live on in the team photos which often still line the walls. There is a clear, but unintended, consequence: an implication that the sports prowess of a small number of top performers...

It’s not an easy time for school Rugby. Nor, indeed, the coaches who are running it – or the heads of the schools which play it. Safety concerns, and bad news stories, abound. There is vanishingly little positive press, to the ongoing frustration of those who believe in the capacity of the game to enhance lives.

But maybe reports of its death are premature. Despite predictions to the contrary, many children continue to love the game, as much as they ever did. The regular routine of training and playing provides a high point of the Autumn Term. Weekend contests...