A Week in the Life of....
Wed, 16/06/2010 - 07:15 | by 73miss
Just a quick reminder that I am putting together a Performance Coaching group session for Saturday 26th June.
The session will run from 10am to 3pm (ish) and will be for a maximum of 6 archers. I have a couple of spare spaces if you or anyone you know would like to come along. Give me a call or drop me a mail to book your place.
Before the session you will be sent a brief questionnaire in which you will be asked to provide information about your bowstyle, current shooting level and anything you would particularly like to get out of the session or areas you would like to cover. This is to ensure I can plan and tailor the session to your needs and requirements. There will be plenty of shooting, analysis and the chance to chat with archers about issues you may have in common. Its good to chat about stuff like this and realize you are not alone!!
Each archer will leave the day with a video of his or her own shooting form and an individual action plan will be sent out following the course so you can continue with the good work.
Cost for the day will be £65 per archer.
Pretty busy on Monday with the Junior club followed by the pay and play sessions. The usual mix of beginners, those who have been shooting a while and some “old hands”. Lots of tea, banter and shooting. Its nice to see progression at all levels and sometimes just pointing out small areas for improvement can make a huge difference to their shooting.
Tuesday saw me travel to Worcestershire for a Corporate event for Rochester Medical. 30 or so delegates at a sales conference unwinding after a LONG day of seminars etc. Great group, loads of banter and general joviality and some pretty impressive shooting considering virtually none of them had seen a bow before, let alone shot one. Hopefully I will get an invite back next year.
Wednesday had me back home and working with a local school. 6th week of a 8 week series and we still have the same number of students as when we started!!!
You need to work pretty hard with this age group, judging the mood of the students and varying the activities to keep them all enthusiastic and enjoying themselves. It’s not an easy balance to strike – keeping the sessions safe and with all participants learning but without making them too regimented and boring.
All are really enjoying the sessions and we have even had some parents join in towards the end.
Thursday was a bit of a day off, (apart from the usual paperwork and other dreary stuff) followed by a leisurely drive to Scarborough ready for a days training for holiday centre staff on Friday. Lovely place Scarborough. Only ever been there when it has been raining so it was nice to wander about on the seafront in the sunshine.
Non nutritional food intake from donuts, chips, candy floss etc was approaching 3000 calories an hour.
Training went well with 6 enthusiastic and switched on staff. For most of the people the staff will teach, this will be their first experience of archery and although safety is paramount, the overall experience needs to be upbeat and fun. I often wonder if the reason we lose so many potential archers after a short period is that we forget that the sport should be (at least for the first few times) less about rules, regulations and green blazers and more about flinging arrows and having a bit of a laugh.
Instead of rushing straight back, I treated myself to a night in Scarborough where I witnessed what henceforth will be known as “The Miracle of the Grand Hotel”.
An elderly woman in a wheelchair was seen being wheeled about everywhere by two equally elderly (and somewhat fragile) friends. It appeared that she was incapable of anything other than sitting in the chair and was constantly calling to hotel staff (and her long suffering companions) to help her in and out of the rather comfy looking lobby chairs.
Even members of the general public were not exempt from her demands and she appeared to be constantly on the look out for someone to “get me that magazine deary” or something of that ilk. In short, she gave the impression that whatever the cause, she would forever be stuck in the chair, unable to do anything other than just sit there totally reliant of her kith and kin to service her every need..
Anyhoo, the sea air must have done her some good because her dutiful servants parked her in the bar whilst the football was on, and, leaving the room for whatever reason, abandoned her to the mercy of a couple of hundred football fans and a televised match between two countries who she had probably never heard of.
Realizing that despite her pleas, none of the assembled throng were willing to give up their match side seats to get her alchohol, she virtually leapt from the chair and moved with a surprisingly sprightly gait to the bar, ordered herself a drink and returned to her chair to enjoy the second half.
I, and the bar staff were totally gob smacked. A real “Little Britain” moment. I wonder how long this has been going on and whether her “staff” have any idea exactly how mobile she is?
Driving home, I had the great pleasure of driving over the Humber Bridge. I have done this quite a few times but each time I am just awe struck by the scale and beauty of the thing. Just goes to show that when we want to, us Brits can still build things that rival anything in the world.
The new Pay and Play sessions start at Broadland High School, Hoveton on 17th June 2010.
Sessions run from 6.30 to 8.pm and cost just £5 per person. All equipment is provided although you are welcome to bring your own if you have any.
For the novice or those who just want to try the sport these are great session to “Have a Go”
For club archers they are an opportunity to get a bit more practice in with someone on hand to identify and discuss any areas for improvement.
That’s about it for now so as usual, keep that shoulder down and good shooting.
Andy