• Our School
    • News & Events
      • News & Events
      • Ballymena Academy Newsletter
    • Our School
      • Principal’s Welcome
      • Staff
      • Board of Governors
      • History
      • Contact Us
      • School Sponsors
    • Vision & Values
      • Our Aims
      • Our Ethos
      • Policies
      • Development Plan
    • School Life
      • School Day
      • Facilities
      • Curriculum
      • Co-Curricular
      • Physical Recreation
      • Swipe ‘n’ Bite
  • Curriculum
    • Curriculum
      • Departments
      • KS3
      • GCSE
      • Sixth Form
    • Careers
      • Careers
      • Further & Higher Education
      • Work Experience
    • Resources
      • External Examinations
      • Internal Examinations
      • Pupil Subject Big Pictures
        & Parent Guides
  • Academy Life
    • Sport
    • Clubs & Societies
    • Music
    • Drama
    • STEM
    • School Trips
    • Charities
    • In the Community
    • Careers
  • Pastoral
    • Pastoral Care
      • Our Approach
      • Support Team
      • Policies
      • Health & Wellbeing
    • Pupils
      • New Pupils
      • Leadership Development
      • Co-Curricular
  • Parents
    • Key Information
      • Parent Handbook & Information Leaflets
      • School Calendar
      • SIMS Parent
      • Swipe ‘n’ Bite
      • Vision & Values
      • Uniform Regulations
    • Transfer 2024/25
      • Transfer 2024/25
  • Prospective Students
    • Key Information
      • Year 8 Admissions
      • Subjects
      • Information in Relation to Special Circumstances
        and Special Provisions
      • Uniform Regulations
Ballymena Academy Crest

Ballymena
Academy

Past Pupils BA Foundation Enrichment Fund Shop
  • Ballymena Academy Crest
  • Our School
    • News & Events
      • News & Events
      • Ballymena Academy Newsletter
    • Our School
      • Principal’s Welcome
      • Staff
      • Board of Governors
      • History
      • Contact Us
      • School Sponsors
    • Vision & Values
      • Our Aims
      • Our Ethos
      • Policies
      • Development Plan
    • School Life
      • School Day
      • Facilities
      • Curriculum
      • Co-Curricular
      • Physical Recreation
      • Swipe ‘n’ Bite
  • Curriculum
    • Curriculum
      • Departments
      • KS3
      • GCSE
      • Sixth Form
    • Careers
      • Careers
      • Further & Higher Education
      • Work Experience
    • Resources
      • External Examinations
      • Internal Examinations
      • Pupil Subject Big Pictures
        & Parent Guides
  • Academy Life
    • Sport
    • Clubs & Societies
    • Music
    • Drama
    • STEM
    • School Trips
    • Charities
    • In the Community
    • Careers
  • Pastoral
    • Pastoral Care
      • Our Approach
      • Support Team
      • Policies
      • Health & Wellbeing
    • Pupils
      • New Pupils
      • Leadership Development
      • Co-Curricular
  • Parents
    • Key Information
      • Parent Handbook & Information Leaflets
      • School Calendar
      • SIMS Parent
      • Swipe ‘n’ Bite
      • Vision & Values
      • Uniform Regulations
    • Transfer 2024/25
      • Transfer 2024/25
  • Prospective Students
    • Key Information
      • Year 8 Admissions
      • Subjects
      • Information in Relation to Special Circumstances
        and Special Provisions
      • Uniform Regulations

Past Pupils’ Boxing Day Bonanza

7th Jan 2019
A morning of top class sport was witnessed at the school on Boxing Day as former and current pupils turned out in fine weather.

Rugby and hockey players, cyclists, cross-country runners and tennis players all filled the school grounds in front of a large crowd.

The cyclists ably organised by Sam McLean were the first to get going and went through their paces with a scenic tour around the outskirts of Ballymena.

The cross country race under the watchful eye of James Turtle was a competitive affair with David Stewart coming home first with Mark Alexander was close behind. Nicola Weir was the first woman home just ahead of Sarah McBride. The star of the event was the junior winner Ross Coleman.(Age 9) He got the biggest cheer of the day during the informal awards ceremony in the Sixth Form centre afterwards. He is definitely a cross country star in the making.

The tennis matches were organised by Karen Cherry with a good mix of youthful and more experienced players and nearby Mary Glass took charge of the hockey events

The hockey games played in the festive spirit in front of a good crowd proved to be very close. The school First XI were narrowly beaten 4-3 by the Immediate Past Pupils and an Over 26 XI beat the Under 26 XI 5 – 3.

The format for the traditional rugby match was changed slightly this year with two well-known rugby stars going toe to toe as “celebrity coaches “. An Ian Humphreys XV made up of players who were over 23 took on an Andy Warwick side that consisted of players who were under 23. Experience won the day in a thrilling game of running rugby with the older players triumphing by 38 – 31.

Andrew Munce officiated and Rory Corr, Peter Crabbe and David Stevenson helped to organise the players.

Afterwards a large crowd gathered in the Denis Jagoe Sixth Form centre for refreshments and an informal awards ceremony. There was a charity collection for the Buddy Bear Trust and the Intensive Care Unit at Antrim Hospital. Donations were in memory of past pupil Laura Burn who died suddenly in December. Our thoughts are with Laura’s family.

Ken Storey helped to make the day go smoothly and many members of the Past Pupils Association were on hand to organise refreshments and tidy up afterwards.

After the disappointment of 2017 when the event was cancelled due to bad weather it was great to see the school grounds filled with sportsmen and women and friends and families.

Boxing Day at the Academy is firmly back on the calendar.

View all photos on Flickr

< Previous

1st XV v Wallace High School 29 12 2018

Next >

Carol Service

You might also like

Advertisement – Bursar

Transfer Information Evening for Parents

More Articles Make A Difference

through our

Education Enrichment Fund
Thinking of joining us?
Discover More
Academy Shop
Shop Now
Proudly Sponsored By



89 Galgorm Road, Ballymena, Co. Antrim BT42 1AJ
Tel: (028) 2565 2782 info@balacademy.ballymena.ni.sch.uk

This website has been funded by donations from the Ballymena Academy Past Pupils Association.

© 2025 Ballymena Academy | Privacy Policy