SPORTS TOUR

Despite a wet and windy start upon arriving in Salou on Sunday, October 27th—after an epic 26-hour coach journey—55 Kingsdown students and staff dived straight into a week packed with adventure. From the first day, students made the most of every moment, beginning with a splash in the pool as soon as the weather eased, followed by a hearty feast at the ‘all-you-can-eat’ buffet.

Monday brought an early start at 6 a.m. as we headed to Valencia for a guided tour of the iconic Valencia CF stadium, the Mestalla. After a quick stroll through Valencia’s sights and local parks, students enjoyed learning about the club’s history before emptying their pockets at the team store. The group then hit the beach for some lively beach football. Later that evening, Mr. Mason’s team claimed a 4-0 victory over the Spanish side Les Borges, while Mr. Holmes’ team narrowly lost 1-0 to La Selva in a game they had dominated—until a surprise cross found the back of their net.

Tuesday the 29th kicked off with more early-morning training: footballers trained in Riudoms, and netballers at PLOMS. After regrouping at the hotel, the students set off for Barcelona, where they enjoyed an impressive immersive stadium tour filled with the club’s trophies and memorabilia. Another shopping spree followed, along with some evening karaoke, which our students tackled with enthusiasm and bravery.

Wednesday the 30th saw more training sessions and tournaments for both football and netball teams, playing against other English schools in a spirit of friendly competition. Mr. Mason and Mr. Shepherd led the youngest team to CF Reus, while Mr. Dadge and Mr. Mason returned to Riudoms, and Mrs. Ridley and Miss Maller took their netballers back to PLOMS for their matches. In the evening, Mr Dadge’s U15s took on Morell FC in an impressive stadium. The first half was tightly contested, with the score remaining 0-0 despite Kingsdown having most of the possession. However, in the second half, the boys responded superbly, playing some outstanding football and scoring a string of brilliant goals. The match ended in a resounding 4-0 victory for Kingsdown, driven by the enthusiastic chants and unwavering support from the Kingsdown fans, which undoubtedly spurred the team on. After some well-deserved downtime, students capped off the night with a hotel disco.

On Thursday, October 31st, our final day, we spent an exhilarating day at PortAventura, one of Europe’s largest theme parks. After one last meal at Playa de Park, we boarded the coach for the journey home.

Throughout the trip, the students consistently demonstrated the Kingsdown values: Pride, Ambition, Stretch, Challenge, Respect, and Responsibility.

Their energy, resilience, and eagerness to seize every opportunity made it an unforgettable week for all involved.