SEPEP, or Sports Education in Physical Education Program, is a unique student directed task. Unlike other assignments, after the initial planning stage the teacher has a limited active role in directing the students other than to supervise the students and give active and instant feedback on student performance of the three roles students take on. The tournament consists of a schedule of teams playing against each with a class developed game called Speedball. Within various roles the class selects teams, create rules, develop a code of conduct, produce a register for each team, allocate dates to rounds and determine playing times and duty rosters. The tournament extends to training sessions, media roles for promotion of the game, and of course safe gameplay so that all students can reach their full potential and enjoy the game of Speedball as their skills and confidence develops.

It was important for the class to have five strong leaders that could be the driving force of the tournament. Five students nominated themselves and formally applied for the position. The Board Members are the voice and face of each team. They are the class members who negotiate amongst each other and with the class in the event of wet weather, student absences, class issues and possible conflict. The Board Members watched the trial game carefully and successfully developed an even distribution of skilled players into five teams. Students participated in a trial game so that they get the feel of what the game is all about and they can determine ways to make the game flow and keep players safe.

Once teams were selected, the allocation of other roles to make the tournament successful happened. Students needed to select a Duty Role when their team was acting as the Duty team.  These include roles such as:

• An Umpire, who has to select and issue rules of the game as well as be able to enforce them during the tournament.
• An Equipment Officer, who is accountable for all of the equipment used throughout the tournament, they must ensure that the equipment is set up before the players get to the court and is packed away correctly after the game has finished.
• A Scorer, who is responsible for keeping score during gameplay and reporting the results to the records officer.
• A Timekeeper, who is responsible for keeping track of the time during the tournament, this includes recalculating the game time in the case of a shortened period. And a First Aid Officer who is responsible for updating the first aid kit and ensuring there are fresh ice packs and bandages. They are also required to have basic knowledge of how to treat injuries relating to Soccer an Netball (Speedball).

Students also have the opportunity to choose a Team Role which are roles that make a contribution to either improving players' performances in the game of Speedball, developing communication within and outside of the class about the tournament, help with the effective running of the tournament, or preparing for the end of tournament celebration. Such roles include:

• A Coach and/or Trainer, who is responsible for setting drills and stretches to enhance the players' performance in the tournament.
• A Publicity Officer who notifies the players of any changes to the normal proceedings of the tournament, as well as keeping the community updated on all things SEPEP.
• A Media Officer, who is responsible for taking photos and videos of the game. The Media Officer and Publicity Officer work closely together.
• A Records Officer, who plans the draw for the tournament, keeps track of the score sheets and enters them into the final results table.
• A Celebrations Officer, who is responsible for music, best and fairest awards, and the entire grand final celebrations.

In 10.1 the Board Members are:

• Team 1, Elizabeth C
• Team 2, Alexandra F
• Team 3, Zara H
• Team 4, Minduli T
• Team 5, Rahniesha W

And the students in Team Roles are:

• Coaches: Priya S, Elizabeth K, Bridie B and Mackenzie M.
• Trainers: Yeheni F, Ellie F, Indira H, and Cody D.
• Publicity Officers: Gabrielle P and Stephanie N.
• Media Officer: Claudine V
• Records Officer: Alisha B
• Celebrations Officers: Ruby D, Steph M, Rebecca O, and Kira J.

On behalf of  Year 10.1 I’d like to say how excited we are about this assessment and how keen we all are to give it our best shot. If you would like to stay updated on the events of Year 10.1 SEPEP keep an eye out around the school for some posters and don’t hesitate to email Stephanie notts@saintpatricks.nsw.edu.au or myself pottsg@saintpatricks.nsw.edu.au if you have any questions or queries.

Gabrielle P - Year 10 Student