Leadership qualities developed through sporting endeavours were on display at Bethlehem College last night, where the school's football club celebrated the season's achievements.

The school's 1st XI side's undefeated win of the Baywide Youth Premiere Division was a highlight for the long-serving players moving on to university study and other pursuits next year.

Tom Rutherford, Jay Silcock and Nat Glenn at last night's awards.

Captain Nat Glenn is incredibly proud of the team for their undefeated achievement.

'It's the first time that Bethlehem College has won the league in 10 years, so it's quite big for us, and this is my last year, so I'm quite proud that we've won after 10 years of trying.”

Nat comes from a footballing family. His grandfather played professionally for Leeds United in England, and his parents have a keen interest in the code.

His mother Jill Glenn is also the team manager.

She says interacting with the boys is 'a whole heap of fun”.

'From my perspective, I've always been involved in football from when I was a little girl, and being involved with my son has just extended that passion.

'It's just really nice to be able to do it with him.”

Jill says the role has allowed valuable time with her son before he leaves home.

'They grow up really quickly. Nat's in Year 13. He's off to university next year, and it's all over, so it's a real joy to be involved in an area that you're passionate about, and you see your children being interested in and passionate about, too.”

Jill says the leadership development within the 1st XI is amazing.

'We've seen a big difference in the last two years. When they first joined the 1st XI, they were the younger members, and they had some very good role models to help them through the years, and as they got older they've stepped into those roles.

Nat also reflects on how far he's come.

'It's run through the whole family and it's been passed on to me, and I've been playing since I was four.

'This is my last season for the school after quite a few years, so it's been reasonably emotional, especially at the end of our last game we played.

'Everyone was quite sad that this was the last we were playing together, but it's been a lot of fun and the journey's been cool.”

The Year 11 and 12 students in the team will take their experiences into the future.

Nat talks with an affinity for the school and its future team by including himself in the way he speaks of it.

'Hopefully the team next year can carry on this legacy, maybe, and we can step up, again. That would be cool.”

Nat believes the success of the team has been the result of many years of development.

'We've had a pretty consistent team over the last three or four years, and just getting to know each other, and we work well as a team together. We've really gelled as a unit.

'So, I think it's just the fact that we are a strong kind of unit of boys, and we all know each other's strengths and weaknesses, and we just work for each other on the day.”

Nat acknowledges the dedication of the team's coach, Tani Ramohitaj.

'His son isn't in the team, so he's doing it out of his own passion for football.

'We've had morning trainings at 7am every week. The trainings we've done and the coaching he's given us really helped us out.”

Parents involved with the school's football club speak favourably about the way Bethlehem College supports their players via the presentation ceremony and with an emphasis on personal development.

Ingrid Evans, whose daughter Hannah plays in the 1st XI Girls, says, 'I think it's great, because you're celebrating the achievements of a lot of the children.

'You know, you've got some really good footballers out there, both boys and girls, who not just only represent their team here for BC, but also for the Bay of Plenty.

'So, I think it's great that we celebrate that, and that we celebrate competition.”

Brett Yeatman, whose son Brett plays with the school's 1st XI says it's great thing the way the school promotes Christian values.

'Just bringing in Christian principles into the sports field, you know, like how to win in humility but to lose graciously.

'It's not just about winning. It's also about, ‘So, what happens if you lose? How do you handle that?' because that's what life's going to be like, you know.

'You're going to win some; you're going to lose some. How are you going to handle them? In humility and then graciously, you know, graciously lose, which I thought was really good, so it's teaching them that, which is good.”

Brett says other aspects of personal development happen within the school sports programme.

'The players learn what it's like working in a team, working as a team, having a coach and listening to your coach, you know, just the whole discipline of being part of a team.

'So, it's not just about you; it's about the team. You're teaching them life skills.”

Team senior leader Tom Rutherford facilitates off-field activities to enhance the team's camaraderie, and says Otumoetai College offered intense competition.

'We had a team break up on the last Saturday of the season. We had the bye that round, but other games were still being played.

'Otumoetai, who were second in the league, were playing Trident from Whakatane, who were third, and depending on what that result went, depended on whether we won the league or not.

'Otumoetai needed to win. They lost: one nil. We all found out at the break up, and you can imagine the celebrations.”

Although the team's Year 13 students will move on, Year 11 student Jay Silcock is looking forward to a leadership role.

'Maybe captain or something, hopefully. That's probably my vision.”

Jay says he watches and learns from the team's leaders.

Teacher in charge of football Tanya Germann acknowledges the time and effort put into the club by volunteers.

'Basically, the football club run everything. Paul [Shakes] and Brian [Christiansen] and the committee do a lot of the work.”

Tanya expects students' personal development and leadership development to continue within the context of the school's football programme.

'I think the team stuff is really good here.

'They do try to encourage a lot of the team spirit, and the value of the players not just in winning, but in the rest of it.

'That's why we give out the servant leadership roles and those kind of awards.”