We provide inclusive sports activities for students of all abilities. Students gain personal satisfaction and develop socially and emotionally through team participation.
St Andrew’s Cathedral School is committed to the ongoing development of all sports offered at the School. We want to see all participants, across all ability levels, developing and improving their sporting skills and sport-specific fitness.
St Andrew’s Cathedral School is a member of the Independent Sporting Association (ISA) which conducts competitions across a range of sports. In addition, the ISA also provides pathways to Combined Independent Schools (CIS), NSW All Schools and national levels in these and other more niche sports.
The School has Head Coaches in each of our ISA team sports. They are responsible for the training programmes, coach and team development and they have targeted strategies and programmes appropriate to each team’s skill level. In addition, they create styles of play that students will follow throughout their time at the School.
Coaches
Our Head Coaches are supported by a talented pool of staff who are highly trained and/or have performed at the highest level of sport themselves.
St Andrew’s Cathedral School has full-time Athlete and Team Development Managers, whose primary role is to oversee the individual and team skill and strength development of all students. They work closely with our highly experienced strength and conditioning coaches, PDHPE staff, coaching staff and our students, to develop training programmes and drills that will improve health and performance.
Our Head Coaches
Antonietta Del Pinto and Rafael Briant
ATHLETE DEVELOPMENT MANAGERS
Antonietta Del Pinto and Rafael Briant are our Athlete Development Managers.
Antonietta is a qualified strength and conditioning coach and physiotherapist with a Masters degree in High Performance Sport. She has worked with a large range of athletes, including national-level Paralympians, elite rugby and football teams and grassroots teams in other codes. Previously, Antonietta was the Head Physiotherapist at Melbourne City Football Club and has spent time at the Waratahs and Western Sydney Wanderers as their strength and conditioning coach. She has been a coach at the School for the past three years.
The Athlete Development Manager role is also shared with Rafael Briant within the PDHPE setting, where you will find him assisting PDHPE practical classes. Rafael has worked in the School’s Strength and Conditioning Centre for the past four years and is also the Head of Women’s Football at St Andrew’s.
You’ll see Rafael and Antonietta attending team training sessions and game days, looking for ways to improve systems and identify talented athletes.
Jess Bowden
NETBALL
With a dynamic background in both playing and coaching, Netball’s Head Coach Jess Bowden boasts an impressive history in the Premier League competition as a player for seven successful years.
Her innate understanding of the game’s intricacies is further underscored by her representation at a NSW level.
With an Intermediate coaching accreditation under her belt, her coaching journey has seen her nurture and guide junior representatives for a remarkable four years, displaying an ability to develop young talent.
Currently pursuing a double degree in Sport and Exercise Science as well as Psychology, her ambitions extend beyond the field.
With a keen interest in the mental aspects of sports, Jess aspires to become a Sport Psychologist, combining her rich experiences to offer holistic guidance to athletes. Jess’s multifaceted expertise ensures a well-rounded approach to both the technical and psychological aspects of the game.
Laki Konistis
FOOTBALL
Laki Konistis has been our Football Head Coach since 2015. Prior to 2015 Laki was the First XI coach
Laki is a former Australian squad player and played first-grade football in the National Soccer League, the predecessor to the A-League. He has a Level 3 coaching qualification and has led several NSW junior teams to victories on the national stage.
Laki provides guidance and development for players and coaches across our football programme.
William Hill
BASKETBALL
Our Basketball Head Coach William Hill is a former US college player.
Will has trained athletes in the NCAA Basketball at the Division I, II and III levels. Formerly, he was both player and Team Captain at Ithaca College New York.
As well as leading the School basketball programme, Will coaches the Sydney Comets NBL-1 side, the NSW U18 basketball team, and the ISA 1st V representative team.
Will has coached the St Andrew’s Cathedral School Boys 1st V to five consecutive ISA Division 2 titles.
He possesses a strong drive to help athletes fulfil their desired goals – in sport and life.
Bill Ronald
FENCING
An Old Andrean, Mexico Olympian and Commonwealth Games silver medalist, Bill was nine-time NSW Champion at age and open in foil and epee. He was the first ever Australian Junior fencing champion and won five national titles at age and open. Bill is a past President of the NSW Association and served 16 years as President of Australian Fencing. He delivered the fencing event at the 2000 Sydney Olympic and Paralympic Games. Bill returned to School as Head Coach in 2013 and has consistently increased the participation numbers. He was inducted to the Hall of Honour in 2019.
Sam Mooney-Grand
FENCING
Sam is an Old Andrean, having graduated from St Andrew’s Cathedral School’s inaugural IB cohort in 2010. He began fencing at the School, winning both Individual and Team State Championships for the School. He has been part of the national team and has represented Australia since leaving the School, competing first at age group and later open level Commonwealth, Asian and World Championships as well as winning three Open State Championships along the way.
Sam began coaching at Sydney Girls High, before returning to St Andrew’s Cathedral School to coach. Sam and Bill Ronald are both passionate about introducing new students to the sport. They cater to all levels of participation, whether that be for students who want to give fencing a try for fun or those who have competitive aspirations.
David Deep
TENNIS
David Deep is the owner of Indeep Tennis based at Sydney Boys High School, Moore Park. David has over 20 years of experience in the tennis industry and has spent his last 10 years at the city location. He has worked with St Andrew’s Cathedral School as Head Tennis Coach for six years, and always brings high energy and enthusiasm to every session. Dave works with our students in both Winter and Summer seasons at afternoon training sessions, during offsite PDHPE sessions and our ISA Winter competition.
Aaron Frankcomb
SQUASH
Aaron reached an impressive #38 in the World PSA Rankings (winning 4 PSA titles in total), played eight of the world’s top ten players, in 2009, won the Premier Squash League in England (the strongest squash league in the world), and represented Australia at the World Team Championships and Commonwealth Games. Ambitious and competitive from a young age, Aaron was Australian Champion in all his age groups at the Australian Junior Championships for under 13, under 15, under 17, and twice for under 19.
Aaron is the founder of the East Coast Squash Academy. With 28+ years of squash playing experience and 16 years of coaching experience of which eight years included full-time coaching, he intimately understands sports science and the psychology of the game. Aaron is also a representative NSW Junior State Coach.
Fitness Centre, and Strength and Conditioning Coaches
The Fitness Centre is open Monday to Friday before and after school. It is available for all teams and students to use during the season to improve their strength and fitness.
We have a qualified team of Strength and Conditioning Coaches who instruct and supervise students.
Venues
Our city location allows students the opportunity to play and participate in high quality environments such as Centennial Park, Moore Park, the University of Sydney, Wentworth Park and The Domain.
St Andrew’s Cathedral School also has a multi-purpose basketball court on-site, as well as a modern well-equipped gym and spin room. Our priority is to see students playing and participating in safe, high-quality facilities and environments.
Buses are provided to and from offsite training, and some fixtures outside of the Sydney Metropolitan Region.
Sports Contacts
| Name | Title | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| David Moore | Director of Sport | dmoore@sacs.nsw.edu.au |
| Richard Butler | Acting Head of Sport | rbutler@sacs.nsw.edu.au |
Seasonal sports
St Andrew’s Cathedral School provides a broad range of sports options for students to choose from. These can vary depending on demand, but at their core they are the ISA sports which include:
- Football (Soccer)
- Tennis
- Girls’ Hockey
- Netball (winter)
- Basketball (summer)
- Touch Football (summer)
Winter sports
Winter sports also include Fencing, Water Polo, Squash, Fit 4 Life, Cross Country/Middle Distance running and Boys’ Volleyball.
Summer sports
During summer we offer Rock Climbing, Rowing, Fencing, Cricket, Girls’ Volleyball and Water Polo.
Many of these options can be chosen by students to meet their compulsory sports commitment, which can be completed in either the winter, or summer programme. Only one sport is required to meet the compulsory commitment, but students are welcome to participate in both seasons of sport.
Most sports train on weekday afternoons, with competition or other activity on Saturdays. Middle School training is generally held on Tuesday afternoons and Senior College training on Thursday afternoons but this can vary.
The School also offers access to other sporting opportunities, such as involvement in the Kanga Cup Football Tournament and Inter-Schools Snowsport Championship.
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