Narrabeen North Public Receive Outstanding School Achievement Award

Narrabeen North Public School has been awarded Snow Australia’s Outstanding School Achievement Award in the 2023 Community Sport Awards. 

This award highlights an outstanding or unique school snow sports activity, program, or initiative delivered in 2023, which grew and/or supported participation at the school level.

Narrabeen North Public School has delivered an exceptional parent volunteer program to support students at the school who are interested in experiencing snow sports, with 17 students joining the team.  

Interschools Coordinator Kris Hocking initiated the program in 2016 after being inspired and mentored by Mark Tickle from Newport Public School team, taking on the role so that his children and other students at the school had the opportunity to compete. 

With the school over six hours away from NSW snowfields in Sydney’s northern suburbs, Hocking shared the success of the program is attributed to the parents enjoying their participation in the program. 

“Organisation is the key to having our students returning to the team,” he said. 

“It’s a lot about the parents having a good experience and enjoying it, it is a big commitment. We really try to make sure the team is well organised through clear communication and management.”

Many of the Narrabeen North Public School students have previously never been involved in snow sports competitions, let alone one with the number of competitors and popularity of the Interschools competition. As such Hocking established a creative way for the students to prepare locally on the Northern Beaches. 

“We have had to become quite creative with our training especially with dryland sessions.

“Using cul de sacs we have the kids in old race bibs and practice getting into race order on scooters, to try and mimic what the competition environment will be like. 

“I have also created a mock-up gate to expose them to that process. While we aren’t in a snow environment we try our best to prepare them for what is to come.” 

Narrabeen North Public School efforts have been rewarded with several impressive placings over the past few years, including placing second in 2019 at regionals. 

“We’ve been consistently competitive over the past seven years. I’m really stoked for the school to be recognised for our efforts as a group. 

“I don’t see it just as an award for this year, I see it as recognition for all our hard work since the beginning.”

Hocking is looking forward to continuing the program and introducing more students to snowsports for years to come.