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4. Organised Games.
Instructional periods for the teaching of organised games
during school time are well catered for in most schools and facilities
are well used. It might be possible, however, to encourage more
free practices and dinner-hour matches which would produce a
corresponding improvement in the general standard of play.
The lack of suitable footwear for games has once again proved
a handicap. Boys and girls must be suitably shod if they are to
play major games during the winter season and to take full
advantage of the excellent outdoor facilities and equipment provided.
In spite of the continued efforts of heads of schools,
supplies of foot gear have not been forthcoming for hockey and
football and this acts as a serious deterrent to regular practice and
progress.
Cricket.— The installation of a small number of concrete
practice cricket ends has proved popular and most successful and
has given added incentive to the boys to the regular practice of
correct stroke play without fear of injury or the handicap of poor
and often unplayable conditions. It is a fallacy to suggest that
practices on artificial surfaces do not promote effective standards
of good batting and bowling techniques.
Schools still prefer to play friendly matches and not to form
a league.
Basket Ball.— Basket Ball has now been accepted in
secondary Schools for Boys as an active and vigorous team game
holding the interest of the boys and it is showing steady progress.
5. Schools Sports Associations.
Athletics.— Many schools organise their own sports meetings
in addition to entering:—
(a) The North West Kent Sports for Secondary Boys.
(b) The North West Kent Sports for Secondary Girls.
(c) The Kent County Sports.
(d) Triangular competitions with neighbouring areas.
Though many records have been broken at district level this
year, we have not been so successful in the more challenging competitions
of the Kent County Sports or in representative spheres
generally. Coronation festivities probably interfered in some
degree with the continuity of training in the schools. Athletic
practices have now been accepted as part of the normal programme
of work in the gymnasium throughout the year and we hope that
these will result in improved techniques and in a raising of athletic
standards.
Football.— Two Secondary Boys' Schools and ten Primary
Junior Schools are affiliated to the West Kent Schools Football
Association and Bromley gained the Senior and Intermediate