Thought For The Day – Tuesday 16^th September 2025

As we commence the academic year, and experience the first two weekly cycle of the timetable, our mindset, our attitude and approach, alongside, and as an expression of,  our values, is very important.

This is true of our studies and in our lives generally.

Our open, and growth, mindset empowers us to create, and make the most of, opportunities, and learn from experiences.

Our mindset, with the support of others, helps us to respond to challenges and demonstrate emotional intelligence and resilience.

Our good mindset ensures we care for others.

We can be inspired by the mindset and attitude of those around us, our family, friends, those in school and those in the wider community and world. There are champions all around us.

The foundation of our mindset is our values.  What do we wish to do? How do we wish to do it?  And who are we?   What is our unique journey and story?   How do we help others?

A good mindset can often be seen, for example,  in the worlds of culture and sport.

In our winter, early in 2025,  the tennis player Madison Keys, from the United States of America, won her first ever major tennis championship at the Australian Open.  Madison became a professional tennis player in 2009 aged fourteen.  Madison Keys, who has always represented good values on and off the court,  achieved the major victory through therapy, reflective and targeted tennis practice and training,  and playing fearlessly and positively as herself in the moment of very challenging matches.

In the spring, the golfer Rory McIlroy won his first major championship after 10 years and 249 days. His victory in the “Masters” tournament meant Rory was only the sixth men’s player in history to win all four major men’s golfing tournaments.  But it was a long wait.  Rory, like Madison, had to lose it to find it: taking the pressure off;  putting himself in good positions;  being patient, and trusting, that the opportunities would come.   Last week,  Rory talked briefly, humbly, politely and respectfully, about dealing with pressure:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_U1E2BULF8c&t=65s&ab_channel=SkySportsGolf. 

Trust the process, focus on the performance and results will follow.

In the summer,  the England women’s football team, the Lionesses, won the European Championships for the second consecutive time.  This was also their third consecutive major final.  It was the fifth consecutive major final for their coach, Sarina Wiegman.   Their qualification for the tournament was challenging with a tough group, injuries and retirements. In the tournament itself, another difficult group and a first game loss was experienced.  In the final stages,  the Lionesses were ahead for only four minutes and fifty-two seconds of all the matches combined.  But, at the final whistle, or after penalties, of those four games, they were ahead.  Every time the question was asked the coach, the team and squad responded. “Calm down” was Chloe Kelly’s celebration with the supporters.

Resilience is at the heart of mindset. This is not a resilience that carries on regardless and does not talk about challenges. True resilience is both quiet, reflective, honest and humble.  The tenderness is the toughness.

It was interesting and inspirational how a number Lionesses spoke of bereavements of people from this life, whether that be on the eve of the tournament or even of the final itself.

Last Autumn, T.B.S.H.S. hosted athlete Sam Reardon.  Sam is currently competing in the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo in Japan.  In the summer of 2024, Sam was called up late to represent Great Britain and Northern Ireland at the Paris Olympics after an injury. Sam’s mindset was ready.  He won two bronze medals.  Sam’s mum, in whose honour, and with whose inspiration, he runs, passed away from this life of cancer when Sam was 15 years old.  Sam is an ambassador for the Brain Tumour Research charity.

Today T.B.S.H.S. hosts Mr. George Fouche to speak with the Sixth Form. George is a former professional rugby union player and South African international, who after devastating injury resiliently returned to play,  and then transitioned into coaching.  George became a mindset coach to athletes.   In football, Ronaldo said:  “George changed the way I think about pressure. He helped me find clarity, focus, and confidence when I needed it most.”  The iconic Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps stated: “George is that rare coach who connects on a human level then challenges you to step up.”   We very warmly welcome Mr. Fouche today.  Mr. Fouche will be having lunch with us if anyone wishes to meet him.

What is our mindset this academic year?

How are we improving, looking after, and nurturing, this mindset?

And how are we helping, and caring for, others in this process?