How teamwork helped me and my team compete at our best.
Something we teach the children we work with is teamwork, and we talk about it a lot as it is one of our school games values. But as adults, just like them, we often fall into the trap of overthinking about ourselves and letting self doubt sink in. This can lead to a negative outcome when trying to work effectively as a team.
Myself and 3 others competed together in a teams competition in Manchester. Throughout the day we had to complete a series of events aimed at testing our strength, speed and stamina amongst other elements that determine ‘fitness’.
I was physically the smallest on our team and therefore couldn’t put up as high a score during the strength tests as the others. This made me very insecure on the day however my team supported me through each weight I lifted and I was able to match my PB in training.
A similar situation unfolded later on in the day as a member of our team struggled with running and this next event featured 2 team runs. On the same day the Gym I was part of at the time had several other teams competing. Luckily for us, during this event we were positioned in a lane beside one of our other teams. Throughout the event they were cheering for us as well as themselves and vice versa because of this we were all able to rally around one and other to help her keep going and complete the event as a team all crossing the finishing line together!
Upon reflection the day wasn’t about shining as an individual but rather giving your best efforts as an individual to support those around you.
Playing sport has been a major part of my life and has brought me great enjoyment from a very early age. My earliest memories are playing badminton on Friday nights, football matches and training for Abbeytown on weekends, before starting to play tennis- with training taking place on weeknights and local/ regional competitions taking place on weekends. As I got older this then led to playing for local badminton and tennis teams in Cumbrian leagues and I continue to do so to this day (prior to the pandemic).
For me, the reason why I’ve had so much enjoyment playing sport over the years is due to the competition. I love the concept of battling against an opponent, coming up with tactics/ strategies and testing my own skills against someone to see if I’m able to come out on top. Without that competitive element I wouldn’t have carried on playing sport to this day.
I’ve some great memories, from winning tight matches, to winning competitions and leagues in badminton and tennis. For me, those are great memories as they represent an accomplishment and achievement that my performances were good enough to win, and the victory’s were rewards for the hard work put in when practicing and training.
However there was also a lot of defeats and set backs in similar situations. Although obviously disappointed at the time- those defeats were just as important as they were a reality check that my performances weren’t good enough. After reflection, I’d use those defeats as fuel in training to make the changes needed in order to improve. This was so id be better prepared and next time that I’d be in competition I’d be able to reverse the previous result and come out on top. This then making the victory feel even greater and make me want to carry on working hard in training.
I believe that having this kind of perseverance is a vital quality that all young athletes should have. Rather than taking an easy option to give up or lose faith in their ability, they should look to work on their weaknesses and work hard to improve. This is something that I try to instil in all my groups when coaching now.
Sport is, and always has been the biggest part of my life, from playing since I was in primary school, to moving up and playing for district and county teams in netball and cricket, I have also built myself a career in sport and soon to being going into teacher training. Sport for me was one of the only subjects at school I found a real love for, and to be honest, it was the only subject I was any good at. I was captain of the hockey, netball and rounders teams all the way through school, I then moved onto playing for West Cumbria Netball and for the County. I started to play for league teams in Workington and Whitehaven and at this point, all I wanted to do was have a career in netball.
I moved to University after my A Levels, and I just presumed I would make it onto the 1st team, assuming I was at the top of my game. I really wasn't. My confidence disappeared into thin air, I had lost all coordination and fitness, my social skills were extremely at breaching point: I trialled and by the skin of my teeth made it onto the 5th team. I could not comprehend or understand this, I was absolutely gutted, I felt a complete failure and didn't even want to go to training. This is something I really was not used to. Before I moved to University, I played goal shooter or goal attack, at University I was moved to a centre court player or defender. I couldn't of got the ball into the net, even if it was 10 times the size. There was several times I almost quit, the pressure to keep my place in the team was too much and I had 0 confidence left whatsoever.
However; I persevered, gave myself some positive encouragement, listened to my team mates and coaches and eventually by my 3rd year I was in the 3rd team. I had to accept that I had come from a small town, which lacked in resources, to play unless you travelled miles away. I had to accept if I was constantly putting myself down, constantly engaging in negative thinking and living in the 'fixed mindset', I was never going to get any better or get my confidence back. I ended up playing weekly, making friends and joining in at socials (all of which I hadn't done until my last year at Uni).
I stopped putting pressure on myself and started to believe in myself. Since Uni, I haven't really had the opportunity to play for a team with other commitments, however I have set up 2 Netball now sessions, a walking netball session and volunteered to coach at West Cumbria Netball- to give back and help others onto the pathway into sport. I turned my negative thinking, into a positive step in the right direction. I now have a love for organising and running netball sessions for women who may lack in confidence, or have lack of opportunities to play netball. This is now my favourite involvement in sport to date.
We are now lucky enough to have a base at Cockermouth RUFC, where finally after the pandemic, we can go back to playing and get ourselves back into netball and fitness. We are hoping to make this facility accessible for all, see our crowdfunding page here: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/crufc-wasps-get-active-outdoors
There is always a positive in every negative, you just have to find it yourself sometimes!
We all know that regular physical activity is one of the most important things that you can do for your own health. There are so many physical benefits from exercising regularly, such as helping you maintain a healthy weight- by burning off those excess calories. It helps to keep a healthy heart and reduce the risk of having heart disease, stroke, blood pressure & cholesterol. It also helps to protect and maintain strong muscles, bones and joints which allows us all to lead a healthy happy life! Research suggests (Hirvensalo & Lintunen, 2011) that playing and enjoying sports/ exercise from an early age can lead to a lifetime of participating in physical activity. This would help someone remain healthy throughout their life, and reduce the risk of any of the health issues listed above. My earliest memories is me being taken to lots of different sports clubs as a child. Although over the years I decided not to continue in some, I have in others- and believe I will continue to for the rest of my life.
However there are so so many more benefits other then physical. One is mental (brain health). It’s commonly known that exercise is effective in treating anxiety, relieving stress and tension, clearing someone’s mind and helping improve someone’s sleep. By exercising, your brain releases chemicals such as dopamine and endorphins which trigger the positive feeling in your body. These act as mood boosters which improve your mindset. So much so that studies suggest the exercise can treat mild- moderate depression just as effective as antidepressant medication. A recent study done by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health found that running for 15 minutes a day or walking for an hour reduces the risk of major depression by 26%.
When exercising more blood travels to the brain, sending more and more oxygen & nutrients. This can help stimulate growth which in turn can lead to improving long & short term memory, thinking and overall brain function.
I know a lot of schools in the past & still do implement the daily mile challenge, where children walk, skip and run for a one mile first thing in a morning. One reason for the physical benefits it provides the children, but the other is from the mental benefits- where it wakes children up, allows them to focus on their work and sharpens their minds for the day ahead.
Another would be the social aspect that playing sport provides. It allows children to meet new people, develop new friendships and helps improve social skills when communicating and speaking to other people that they’ll need in later life. For me personally some of my closest friends have come from playing sport with & against and I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to get to know them without doing so. It also provides personal benefits. As a child, going to clubs to train to improve at your own skills, to compete against other people or teams can help build up a determination and work ethic that is required as an adult in order to achieve in life- whether that be competing against others to get the job or having the drive in order to complete a task.
It just shows how important sport & exercise is, and how the many different ways it can have an impact on someone’s life.
As we enter another year we also enter another national lockdown. The lockdown's purpose is to work together in staying at home as much as possible to help save lives and protect the NHS during these testing times. All of us here at Wright Sport Services/Chance Camp hope that you are all staying safe and well and are hopeful we will be able to see you all again soon. In the meantime we hope that your families lockdown experiences are keeping you active at home. This half terms blog is going to discuss why developing a love of exercise at a young age will bring about not only physical benefits but a great deal of mental and social benefits too.
We are currently experiencing some of the most testing times any of us have faced in our lifetime, during which many young people are facing various emotional encounters that are unavoidable, such as feeling disconnected from friends and family and an anxiety of going outdoors amongst many others. It is important that children and young people are made aware that these feelings are perfectly normal and should be provided with methods of helping ease these unsettling feelings; and it should come as no surprise that exercise is one of them! Research by Mayo Clinic found that those who take part in 3 or more aerobic based exercise activities each week felt more relaxed, had lower symptoms of anxiety and depression, experienced a more positive outlook and had better sleep patterns than those who participated in less aerobic based exercise activities. An improvement in our sleep quality can raise concentration levels meaning an overall improvement in academic performance, leading to boosts in confidence/self esteem levels. This is because when we exercise our brain releases neurotransmitters known as endorphins, or in simple terms, feel-good hormones, these help to boost our mood and create a more positive mindset. This research has been backed up by the Institute of Medicine (2013), who found that exercise helps to increase basic cognitive functions by connecting neurons in the brain leading to an increased level of memory, attention and concentration in the classroom. The research also found that this increase in brain function following physical activity, resulted in an increase in the overall thinking ability of children and improved problem solving abilities, particularly in reading and mathematics. This research should be a key consideration to help young people who are currently experiencing home-schooling and also the parents and carers of those young people who are providing home-schooling.
We hope that it won’t be too long now until schools reopen and PE is back, grassroot sport returns and gyms/leisure facilities are able to run as normal again. And when this does happen, children and young people will be able to continue to be active and social once more. Sport and physical activity are key to developing not only physical motor skills, but also what is known as “soft skills”, these are skills such as competitiveness, teamwork, leadership, risk taking, confidence, communication skills, ethics and positive attitude. These skills are often overlooked in day to day life, however they are the key skills that employers look for when hiring. Being able to possess these skills creates a positive character, and a positive character breeds success.
For some at home activity ideas please click on the link below for 5 weeks of challenges designed to get the whole family moving!
https://www.chancecamp.co.uk/lockdown-3-chance-camps-5s-pe-programme-at-home
Physical activity has countless health benefits for children and adults. It not only improves a child’s overall health and fitness but it can massively improve their overall wellness such as their attitude, mental health, behaviour, concentration and cognitive development as well.
Speaking from my own experience at first hand with my own children, who are ages 8 years and 7 years. My daughter used to really lack confidence, she would not try things in the fear of getting it wrong or not being able to do it correctly. After a lot of perseverance and keeping things simple and fun, she will now have a go at anything, and has found passion for swimming, gymnastic, dance and running, but more importantly will give everything she tries 100% effort. Now this didn’t happen overnight, but by making physical activities a daily routine and keeping it fun and still challenging, it grew her confidence and social skills immensely.
My son has always been incredibly sporty and everything came very natural to him and more of an ease. He can literally run like a rocket going off! He has always loved nothing more than to be outside on the go, often with a ball! By attending Chance Camp where he got to try numerous challenges and different sports, it improved his social skills and motivated him to be more independent. It would challenge and push him to do his best and he would come home so happy and literally buzzing about it all. So not only did it lift his mood, he ate very well and also slept well, so a win win all round!
So I see daily what impact of children having daily physical exercise really does do to our children. By making it a big part of your child’s and family’s routine makes your children happy and smile from inside to out! It makes them feel so much better in themselves, by boosting their confidence and improving their self esteem to concentrating and learning; eating and sleeping improves also.
There is no better time to start than now, to get out and get moving! Soaking up some fresh air is a great way of unwinding, and letting off some steam from home schooling!
Try and find activities that make your children happy, and even connect as a family and remember to make it fun! Active children is not only healthier children, but happier children.
From personal experience developing a love for exercise and physical activity in primary school, brought about many benefits throughout adolescence and in my day to day life now. I not only have a career in physical activity and sport, but I also have developed a wide social community, have a strong willing mindset and a relativity fit and active body. Yes sport, physical activity and exercise provides immense physical benefits such as; decreasing the risk of obesity, creating strong and flexible muscles, decreasing the risk of bone diseases, diabetes and cancer, and helps towards a healthy balanced lifestyle. However, when we promote exercise or try and motivate others to take part, we also need to embed the other benefits such as the psychological and sociological benefits.
There have been many studies undertaken to look at the long-term benefits of exercise from participating as a child. The Guardian (2017), reports on studies by scientists and researchers that suggest that exercise has colossal lasting psychological, as well as physiological benefits of exercising daily in early life. It is suggested that if children take part in sport, physical activity or exercise early in life their bones and brain retain a “memory” of that early life exercise, which provides health benefits even in a sedentary adulthood. Exercising young can help prevent Alzheimer’s disease, prevents cognitive decline, releases anxiety and stress and increases serotonin, which in-turn increases motivation and has therefore lasting psychological benefits. Creating a habit and developing a love for exercise at a young age, can truly be a perfect way to creating a happy and healthy brain and body.
As a young person playing sports and taking part in regular exercise, I was always found of how easy it was to socialise and connect with other people outside of my regular friendship group. Each individual was different, but had a similar interest to myself, which made us connect on a different level. Exercising with other people helps to encourage one another, creates a sense of fun and competition and makes you feel wanted. Taking part in exercise from an early age has exactly the same social benefits, as it does, taking part in exercise throughout adolescence or adulthood.
I believe that psychological, physiological and sociological benefits are closely connected here; you are exercising and working your body hard, you make friends and feel accepted, therefore boosting motivation, confidence and self-esteem.
With everything that’s happened this year with the pandemic (being in lockdown, maintaining social distance and sticking to bubbles) it can be difficult for children to complete their daily exercise. The pandemic could also be used as an excuse for not taking part in daily activity. However in all of my schools that I’ve been in, I’ve seen good practice and rules adapted in order to help children keep active.
Unfortunately in the North West we don’t have the warmest of weather- especially this time of year! And with some schools having their halls unavailable it’s meant most of my delivery has had to be outside. However the weather hasn’t prevented any lessons from not going ahead! Special mention to years 3, 4 & 6 at Maryport Primary that have faced all the elements on Thursday mornings this term and continued to be active in the lessons! Just shows that weather is no barrier to sport. And credit to the schools for not cancelling!
In most schools I’ve noticed that different bubble groups have different playtime slots, giving children the opportunity to still be outside, running around, playing games whilst still only having contact with their bubble. In Silloth & Maryport Primary schools, children in each bubble have their own set of playtime equipment- that only those children can use. This helps to give a variety of different games & activities to play.
In Silloth Primary school, netball & basketball court lines were painted on the playground over the summer, with new netball and basketball posts bought and set up to be used every day in lunch/ play times. When we returned to school in September, the Key Stage 2 classes were taught the skills, rules and different netball/ basketball games to play- so that they could then replicate them during their own break times.
In Dean Primary school, a lot of the teachers and children were following & still are completing the daily Chance Camp challenges that are uploaded to our Facebook & website pages. These challenges range from testing physical fitness, skill and coordination. From completing and repeating the different challenges the children’s fitness and skill levels have improved with skipping being the main one!
Finally this half term, for the first time I delivered Sports Leadership training to Fell View Primary School. The yr 5&6 class took on the role of leading activities, coming up with rules, officiating and finding ways to maintain fair play during games which they all did brilliantly. This will help the class come up with different games and activities during their own playtimes- providing a way for the class to be active. Ellie is currently doing the same in Dean Primary School and it was great to hear today that the children & staff that she’s been working with are listening to her advice, activities & games and are replicating them during their breaks & playtimes. Well done to them!
Working throughout many schools in Allerdale, it is extremely evident that schools go out of their way to providing excellent opportunities for participation in physical activity. It is so important towards a child’s physical, social and mental well-being to have further opportunities to keep active throughout the school day; whether that be taking part in activities at break times, extra-curricular clubs, or other activities throughout the day and not just PE lessons. In my blog, I would like to talk about 2 positive case studies, in which show fantastic efforts towards the governments requirements of 30 active minutes every day within school; these are Maryport Primary School and Wiggonby Primary School.
This is my first term working with Maryport Primary School myself, however Wright Sports Services have worked with them for some time now. During lunch times, they have had a fantastic idea to bring in qualified and experienced coaches to provide lunch time activities to the playground. Last term, Chris Wright provided skipping challenges every Thursday and the children would challenge one another or Chris to mini competitions; many of the children now still challenge myself, and explain how they have been practising at home or have asked for skipping ropes for Christmas. Personally, I found it quite hard to engage lots of children in skipping, and had the same group of children want to take part for the first couple of weeks; so now I bring out a number of types of equipment e.g. footballs, basketballs, hoops and skipping ropes. I allow time to set up their own mini challenges or games and then everyone takes it in turns. This is a fantastic initiative by the school, as it engages different children and allows them to be creative. They are active for the full 30 minutes, setting personal challenges and competing with others. Well done to Maryport Primary School!
This is my 2nd year of working with Wiggonby Primary School and each year more opportunities arise for the children in the school. During the first lockdown, Andrew Brookes (headteacher) had a tarmacked track put in place around the school field. This is one of the most beneficial elements to the playground now; it has used up the wasted space, is an all weathered surface and is multi-functional. It has been extremely beneficial to our PE lessons, as we have been working on Stamina, skipping and moving at the same time and great for warm ups and cool downs; it is also going to be used for biking, which Andrew has also invested in lots of bikes and helmets for the school. The children from reception to year 6 absolutely love it- asking if they can run around the tarmac every time we start a lesson. It really has boosted the motivation of each child at the school. Well done Wiggonby!
There are so many other primary schools I have witnessed doing so much to provide physical activity to their schools, for example: Playtime leaders at lunch times at Seaton Primary School, Fairfield Primary School ensuring they do their 1k run a day and Bridekirk Dovenby Primary School ensuring every child is catered for and allowing me to work with their SEN pupils with extra PE lessons. You are all doing amazing and there is so much more I wish I would write about- please keep up the hard work, by helping our youngers reach their potential!