Sydney Boys High encourages participation in team sports for educational reasons. Team sports build a sense of belonging in boys, a connectedness with the school; teamwork skills are developed; individual self-confidence and self-esteem are enhanced through group endeavour; and socialisation at school is fostered through ready topics of conversation among team members. Teams help and protect their members.

Sydney Boys High is unique among NSW state secondary schools due to its membership since 1906 of the Athletic Association of Great Public Schools, formed in 1892 to order and regulate sporting fixtures for schools with senior students. The other eight members of this Association (commonly called the 'GPS') are private schools. The school expects students to engage in at least one GPS sport per year. This commitment includes Saturday competition. We encourage boys to get involved in aerobic fitness activities (the athletics, cross country and swimming programs) to help them in their chosen sports. To help their strength in anaerobic activities we offer supervised weights training.

The policy of the school is that sport is compulsory all year for students in Year 7, Year 8, Year 9, Year 10 and Year 11 and up until the Trial HSC exams in Year 12. Those students who are unable to participate in Saturday sport are to address this in writing with complete details to the Head Teacher-Sport at the beginning of the year. It is the policy of the school to support GPS sports in the season that they are contested by the members of the Athletic Association of the Great Public Schools.

Saturday Sport Absences Procedures

For Sydney Boys High School to be recognised as a serious opponent in the AAGPS, then a number of procedures are put in place for future Saturday fixtures absences and training day absences. Students and parents are asked to communicate known absences to the Master in Charge (MIC) and to their specific team coach in the week leading up the match. If a student is ill, it is expected the illness will be communicated directly to the coach and Master in Charge (MIC) on the day of the match. Students and parents are asked to follow this absence up with a written note to be handed to the MIC on the next school day the student is present.

Students who do not communicate illnesses or absences will be given a warning ‘Yellow Card’. A further breach in terms of an unexplained absence will mean a student will be given a detention in the following week of the absence. If a third unexplained absence occurs, then the student will be removed from the sport for the remainder of the Term or ‘Red card’. For a student to receive credit towards their Half Yearly and Yearly Reports, 100% attendance or full communication of absences is expected.

In summary:

Communicating Known Absence Procedures for Sport

• Obtain the contact details of the Master in Charge (MIC)/Coach or Manager/staff member of your team at the beginning of the season
• Communicate directly with the Master in Charge (MIC) and the coach of your team in the event of being sick on the day of absence, 1 hour before the commencement of your match
• If your absence is known ahead of time, then you must communicate this one week in advance and remind the coaching staff/MIC during your timetabled sport session in the lead up to the Saturday fixture.
• Your known absence requires a written explanation signed by your parents or by competing the ‘Sport Exemption Form’ found on the schools website which needs to be completed in full, signed by the MIC and given to the Sportsmaster on the first school day of the week leading up the Saturday fixture.