Sport

The Worth sport programme aims to facilitate a lifelong love of sport and physical activity with competitive opportunities alongside health and wellbeing activities. More aspirational pupils are supported to achieve their performance goals and those that simply enjoy being active are supported too.

The major sports at Worth are rugby union, football, cricket, hockey, tennis and athletics for boys and hockey, netball, tennis, football and athletics for girls. Badminton, basketball, cross country, fencing, golf, lacrosse, girls’ rugby and squash are also offered.

All pupils take part in the formal timetabled sports programme. Enthusiastic games players, and those who represent the School in sports teams, will generally train more frequently than this. Each year/age group usually fields three or four teams in each sport. In this way, important opportunities are assured for enthusiastic games players to represent Worth School regularly in competitive fixtures.

Beyond the formal structured games programme, the extensive activities programme provides further opportunities for pupils to sample and enjoy different sports and develop new skills. In addition, the sports facilities are available during leisure time which adds a further dimension to the recreational and social life of a busy boarding and day school. Whether pupils are seeking excellence and high-level performance or simply enjoyable recreation, Worth School sport makes provision for all.

At Worth I was taught to seek out and enjoy a challenge; it seems in-built into those at the school, and there is always the encouragement to strive for something greater. _{Tom Mitchell, Team GB Rugby Captain and Olympic Medallist.}

Facilities

Worth has extensive and excellent sports facilities. There are nine rugby and 12 football pitches, three cricket squares and a floodlit Astro pitch. The School has its own golf course, floodlit netball and tennis courts (and access to indoor courts) and an indoor golf facility with a simulator, state-of-the art launch monitor and analysis capabilities. The Worth Sports Hall, squash courts, fencing salle, hard court 5-a-side pitch, multi-gym and cardiovascular suite provide additional facilities.

Strong affiliations and links with local clubs provide even greater opportunities for our pupils, including the use of 3G playing surfaces, competition standard athletics facilities and an Olympic-sized swimming pool at the nearby K2 sports centre.

Click here to see a panoramic view of our Robertson Fitness Suite.

Academy sports

In recent years, Worth has developed Academy-style structures for some sports. These sit alongside the traditional sports but pupils in the Academies experience a more bespoke programme which focuses on high performance development. Our Academy sports are cricket, football and golf.

All pupils in our Academy Sport programmes receive:

• Year-round coaching
• Option to specialise in a sport as part of a guided process
• External coaching provision to supplement school provision
• Possible bespoke academic programme for highest level performers
• Bespoke strength and conditioning, psychology and preparation for next stage of performer’s journey such as university advice, links to professional academies etc.

Worth Golf Academy

The Worth Golf Academy aims to provide our pupils with the opportunity to learn, develop and perform at whatever level of golf they aspire to. In partnership with Tilgate Golf Academy we are able to provide outstanding coaching from highly experienced PGA Professional coaches, access to a 32-bay driving range equipped with Toptracer technology in every bay, an 18-hole course and short game practice facilities. On-site Worth has a 9-hole golf course and an indoor golf facility complete with a simulator, state-of-the art launch monitor and analysis capabilities.

Worth golfers access a wide variety of competitive opportunities including internal Order of Merit, inter school matches and national competitions such as ISGA and HMC tournaments.

Beginners and less experienced golfers form our Development Squad and enjoy 3-5 hours of coaching per week. The more experienced and aspirational golfers form the Performance Squad and can expect 5-8 hours of coaching and playing per week.

The Worth Golf Academy provides a vehicle for combining a first-class academic education with an outstanding golf programme. For further details contact Mr David Burton (Director of Sport) dburton@worth.org.uk

Golf scholarships are available at Worth.

Click here to see a panoramic view of Worth's own golf course.

The Worth Football Performance Programme

Worth has a long and proud history of success in football and the development of the Football Performance Programme creates a vehicle for our most aspirational footballers to further enhance their skills and competitive experiences in support of their personal goals within the sport. Boys and girls in the Football Performance Programme benefit from:

• Year-round football coaching from UEFA and FA Licensed Coaches
• Support and opportunities through Crawley Town Football Club
• Video analysis and support
• Individual player development plans
• Opportunities to play externally through representative and local non-league football
• A challenging fixture list including regional and national competitions

For further details contact Mr Daniel Collins (Head of Football) dcollins@worth.org.uk

The Worth Cricket Academy

The Cricket Academy is our longest established Academy and has an enviable record of success in developing aspirational cricketers to district, county and national representative level. Boys and girls in the Academy benefit from up to eight hours coaching per week throughout the year with excellent facilities including indoor and outdoor nets, three bowling machines and video analysis capabilities.

With a strong ethos based on developing confidence through competence, the Worth Cricket Academy is an outstanding vehicle for developing and supporting aspirational cricketers to achieve their goals in combination with an excellent academic education.

For further details contact Mr Raj Chaudhuri (Head of Cricket) rchaudhuri@worth.org.uk

To watch our film about cricket at Worth in 2023 click here.

Talented athlete support programme (tasp)

TASP is designed to offer the essential support a committed and ambitious sportsperson requires to help them towards achieving their goals in their chosen sport(s) whilst they are at Worth School. These pupils may be Sports Scholars but the programme is open to all athletes who aspire towards high performance levels. TASP encompasses all elements of training and performance as well as academic and pastoral support.

Elements of TASP include:

• One-to-one/small group coaching with top coaches
• Access to video analysis and performance monitoring
• Strength and conditioning
• Nutritional advice and performance monitoring
• Access to top-quality competition through school fixtures, pathway programmes and club links
• Co-ordinated development with National Governing Bodies
• Time management and academic support through mentoring
• A Performance Diary including:
• Training programmes and logs
• Goal setting/targets and performance monitoring
• Nutritional information and advice
• Player profiling
• Access to visiting sports professionals for lectures and coaching clinics

Our excellent links with local clubs provide further opportunities for pupils to develop outside of school in a structured environment and many Worth pupils participate in sport at county or national level in a wide range of sports.