On Monday 5 March, Oundle School Sixth Form pupils had the pleasure of welcoming Mr Michael Vaughan, former England and Yorkshire Cricket Captain, as part of their General Studies programme.
Pupil, James Hunt (18) commented, “Mr Vaughan, the England captain who reclaimed the Ashes after 18 years, fielded a range of questions from the audience, and spoke of his previous visits to Oundle when he represented a North of England and an England schoolboy’s team. He talked about his Yorkshire upbringing, the huge characters he had to deal with (including the ever amusing Geoffrey Boycott), and offered some vital life lessons.”
Mr Vaughan told the audience how he had to ‘grow up quickly’ as a cricketer when he was moved up from his age group team to a 1st team aged only 12, and realised how ‘average’ he was in a changing room full of adults. He also spoke about the opportunity he took at 15 and the commitment he made to the sport that allowed him to progress from a good to a world-class cricketer. He admitted that one needs to allow for ‘obsession’ in order to be successful. While there is some good luck involved, "you make your own luck"; a strong work ethic is as important as anything to be successful, and a lack of it is ultimately what stops someone's true potential from flourishing into actual achievement. On reflection, he said that the only thing he would want to change in his past was his failure to continue with football in the Sheffield Wednesday Academy.
Mr Vaughan first played at Oundle School in the ESCA 1990 Bunbury Festival. He made the England U15 side…..as twelfth man, but returned to Oundle two years later as captain of England U17.
Mr Vaughan, who now commentates for Test Match Special and coaches Yorkshire and the England Under 19s, was also interviewed for the School’s OSCAR radio and attended a cricket net session with the 1st XI and the U15s and U14s with Oundle School batting coach, Ray Swann (father of Graeme Swann (Notts CCC and England off spinner), Old Oundelian, Will Jefferson (Leicestershire), and John Wake, Head of Cricket.