Ryan Carters – Key note speaker at Awards Night 2017

Ryan Carters (Class of 2008) was this year’s Awards Night’s key note speaker. Ryan acknowledged that Radford has been a major part of his life, and was delighted to be back.

Ryan said that he could “remember Richard Browning teaching me to step forward, not back, when I addressed my teammates as captain of the U14s rugby side. I remember Mrs Bateman showing me the importance of community, and Mr Golding’s English class opening me up to the beauty of poetry, which was quite something for a sports-loving maths nerd. I remember learning to be more empathetic and community-minded through Mr Huitker’s inaugural Team Support program, and I also remember H making me feel like a badass rockstar when playing the drums at his charity gigs”.

But a strange thing happened over the next few years. I began to notice that I was not happy or satisfied. I was living out my childhood dream, but I wasn’t a child anymore.

So, how did Batting for Change fit in with my cricket career? Well, a surprising thing happened after I started Batting for Change. I started playing much better cricket. I had my best season ever, and I was named Player of the Year in the NSW team that won the Sheffield Shield. I felt freer and lighter with my new attitude, and this allowed me to perform at my best.

I’m excited about the road ahead for all the young people in this room. One privilege of education is the opportunity to ask questions, and so I invite you to all to ask yourselves:

Where can you be a little bit braver? What conversations might be missing from your life? And what is worth trying, regardless of the outcome?

See his collegian profile here.