Lindisfarne College is very pleased to announce the appointment of Glen Petersen as our new Director of Sport. Glen is well-known to the Lindisfarne community as he taught at the College for a number of years before being Director of Boarding for 14 years and then returning to the classroom.  Glen is also an Old Boy and his 360° experience of the College and how it operates will be an undoubted asset in his new position. Glen is an accomplished sportsman himself, having played tennis at national level in his youth and later for Manawatu and Hawke’s Bay. He is a nationally certified tennis coach and played other racquet sports competitively. Glen has also played football at club level and is a keen adventure racer. He has coached many sports teams over his years at the College, specialising in tennis and football. He has an interest in all sporting activities and recognises the value sport has in young men’s lives and in communities as a whole. Glen is passionate about fostering the development of sport for everyone. 

Glen started secondary school at HBHS before moving to Lindisfarne for his final two years. He immediately loved being at Lindisfarne for the all-round balance the school provided across its four corner stones. As Glen explains it:

“At school, I was like many other boys, who loved sport and prioritised sport above everything else. Lindisfarne taught me about balance and the importance of service and community, culture, sports and academics. I am a very proud Old Boy of the College and will always be grateful for the positive experiences Lindisfarne gave me.”

After qualifying as a teacher, Glen was appointed to his first position at Lindisfarne College and was fortunate enough to teach alongside his father, Ray Petersen, for a number of years before Ray retired. Glen is married to Cherie and has two children,  daughter Ashleigh who lives in London and son Andre who is currently employed at HB Refrigeration in Hastings.

Glen believes that sport and being active are important to everyone’s general health and wellbeing. Ensuring quality sport experiences for all young people will be a large part of his focus in his new position, Glen says.

“For some, just participating is the goal, for others competition is what makes them feel alive. Giving all students the opportunities to experience sport in a way that makes them want to be involved is a big part of the goal. I’d love to see Lindisfarne aspire to be the best, regardless of ability, needs and motivations. We are a small school so we face many challenges in our quest to be competitive, to be the best, to be at national events, but if there are ways we can improve, to at least say we tried, then that is also part of the goal. Overall though I hope to encourage as many young people to stay involved in sport for life, post school, while also realising their potential while at school as for many of us, our best sporting experiences were the ones we had at school with our mates alongside us.”  

Glen brings to the role of Director of Sport, his life-long passion for all sporting activities but this passion is backed up by his comprehensive knowledge of the school and his meticulous organisational skills and eye for detail. In a position which requires the co-ordinated planning of a myriad of events, this organisational skill will be an undoubted asset. The College congratulates Glen on his new appointment and is sure that he will make a great success of this new chapter for him and the College.

Article added: Wednesday 27 April 2022