Parent Volunteers Cultivate Strong Sportsmanship Culture In Sports School

A team of 33 parents of student-athletes from Singapore Sports School make up the Sporting Parents Network (SPN), a volunteer group that works closely with the school to develop and prepare student-athletes for holistic growth and sport excellence.

Set up in 2006, SPN members commit their time and effort without any financial gain to ensure the welfare of the school and act as “ambassadors” for the school, working closely with school staff to establish a healthy communication line. Its goal is to partner the school to inculcate good values in student-athletes and to nurture their sport and academic potential to the fullest.

The SPN Executive Committee comprises 10 parents from different sports, and is headed by Chairman Colin Foo, whose 2-year term is extended to three for this year. Another 20 parents fill the roles of Sports Representatives from the Academy Programme and Individual Programme sports, and three overseeing the Post-Secondary Programmes. With the involvement of these parents responsible for their programmes, parents of student-athletes in each Sport and Academic programme are sure to have their voices heard in decision making processes.

Parent volunteers contribute in ways such as encouraging fellow parents to participate and support in sport events and competitions, highlighting parents’ involvements, and lending their presence and to events such as the Ministry of Education Junior Sports Academy selection trials, Sports School’s annual Open House, Boarding Check-In, and Academy Townhouse Meetings. The SPN committee also holds for meetings a year.

SPN’s participation is crucial as they help to resolve contentious issues among parents and the school during Academy Townhouse Meetings, and help to provide a parental voice in mediation of such issues. As parents of student-athletes themselves, they empathise and understand the issues raised by fellow parents, yet they are able to communicate and resolve issues with the school by bridging perspectives from both sides.

Sports School, student-athletes and staff reap multiple benefits by engaging parent volunteers as part of building the school culture. Contributions from parent volunteers in terms of time, talent and skills are invaluable and all play a significant role in promoting a caring school culture and enhances parental bonding.

In engaging parents to lend their support for school events and competitions, the SPN encourages participation and involvement, helping to nurture strong positive traits in student-athletes, and fosters a stronger sporting spirit, both at school, and at home.

Find out more about the contributions of a few team members behind SPN: Colin Foo, Chairman, and Patrick Elangovan, 2nd Vice-Chairman.