Last Word: Charlie Falconer

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On Wednesday, we celebrated 33 boys who earned their sporting Blues. 33 boys who have pushed through the pain. 33 boys that have made their mum proud. This isn't easy. It takes years of early mornings, late nights, training sessions when no one else was there, and sacrifices that most people will never see. I want to thank the coaches, parents, organisers, and anyone else who turned up on the sideline. Everyone always says this, but it doesn’t take away from how important it really is.

These boys showed our school values throughout the year. They showed excellence by always striving to be the best version of themselves. They showed respect by leading their mates, and caring for the people around them. They showed manaakitanga by helping out with younger teams, supporting other students, and giving back to the school. The best athletes aren't always remembered because they scored the most runs or won the most games. They are remembered because of the standards they set, the way they treated others, and the example they left for the younger lads.

I know some boys will leave today disappointed, and that’s okay. It means you care. Blues is one measure of success, but it doesn't define your sporting career. Character, commitment, resilience and the way you represent your teammates and your school matter even more. Don't compare yourself to the people around you. Compare yourself to the person you were yesterday. Improvement isn't about being the best, but rather becoming a better version of yourself every single day. If you’re disappointed, use it as motivation. Keep turning up and keep trying. Because success is found in the small personal wins that you have.

One of the hardest parts of becoming successful isn’t the physical struggle that you must go through, but rather the mental difficulties along the way. I want you to know that it's alright to stand up above the rest. It's alright to be the best, even if others want to cut you down. Sometimes this world wants to pull the best back to the level of others. But the boys that we celebrated today didn't listen to that. They pushed through the hate, and continued to give it 100%. When Jed spoke last week he asked us to think about the concept that ‘if one of us wins, the whole school wins.’ These boys have succeeded, and this is something we should all be proud of.

So the 33 boys who received their blues today deserve more than a red strip on their blazer. They turned up when they didn’t want to. They turned up when others didn’t want them to. And because of that, this red strip shows more than success. It shows struggle, pain, and sacrifice. That's what a Blues award really means.