The School Run: Recent Episodes
Ben Kirk
This is the School Run Podcast where I will be sharing stories from former and current professional athletes, discussing their journey from childhood to where they are now.
I want to share with you their stories and what made them successful. I’m Ben Kirk and I believe that every child enjoys being active and it is our job as parents, teachers, and coaches to help them find something they love and help them to continue being active into adulthood.
Sport, PE, and physical activity have so much to offer, from developing skills and techniques to more personal qualities like teamwork, communication, and leadership.
You will hear during the podcast episodes, just how it has shaped and benefited my inspirational guests.
This is The Schools Run Podcast.
To find out more about me and my business Inspired Schools, please check below: - www.inspiredschools.co.uk - https://www.instagram.com/benkirk8/ - https://www.instagram.com/inspiredschools/ - https://twitter.com/benkirk8 - https://twitter.com/inspiredschools - https://www.facebook.com/inspiredschools
I heard this phrase listening to Eddie Jones' book - 'Leadership - Lessons from my life in rugby'.
It is the main topic this week and I will be unpacking what this means and how Eddie Jones described it, relating it to Christiano Ronaldo, Kevin Pietersen, and Shane Warne. How players and children sometimes would rather look good and demonstrate skills rather than the character to be successful within a team environment or individual sport.
As always, I bring this back to children and what implications it has for parents, coaches, and teachers.
The second section is focussing on opportunities and barriers that might exist, and prevent children from taking part in physical activity opportunities. In my mind, I believe we need to do more to remove barriers to do all we can to help children and families be more active.
I also look at how negative news is more profitable and how dangerous this is for young people going into the world of social media. Having listened to Johan Hari, it is easy to see just how damaging social media can be if measures are not put into place to stop companies like Facebook from making money from people's attention on negative news, and the amount of time they spend online.
Finally, a bit of a moan on an experience I had this week. Do people actually want to work?
I hope you enjoy this week's episode. If you liked it, please bring a friend along next week, it would really mean a lot. Have an awesome week and don't get sucked in by negative news.
When speaking to my business partner earlier in the week, he said "children's fitness levels are on the floor", this stuck with me and I wanted to discuss it in this week's episode. He was covering a year 6 lesson and was shocked that the children couldn't even jog across the length of a netball court without stopping. That's only 30 meters!!
In the second part of the episode, I'll take this further and talk about why I believe it is important to be active, children, schools, and families. It is pretty obvious and clear, but it needs saying and as always I bring it back to fun, which for me is the most important aspect of raising physical activity levels in children, but also across the board.
The final discussion point is around strengths and weaknesses. Leaning into strengths but looking to improve those areas we know are not our best. This is important for parents as well, sometimes it is too easy to let our children focus on strengths, but neglect their weaknesses. Don't. They will thank you for this later in life, I hope......
If you want to jump to different topics, below are the timings:
0:53 - Children's fitness levels are on the floor
12:41 - Why it is important everyone is active
22:21 - Leaning into your strengths and improve your weaknesss
Enjoy the episode.
Happy New Year everyone and welcome to a bit of a summary episode of the 'The School Run Podcast'.
I recently watched Russell Howard's Lubricant show and there was a section in it that really struck a chord with me, it was about moments and memories and how they should be cherished and that they are far more important than a selfie.
I also take a look back at the episodes from 2021 and what the podcast will have in store for 2022. What would you like to hear? What did you like, not like? Let me know and I will use this to shape future episodes.
There are likely to be more solo episodes which I feel will make the podcast more sustainable over the long term, but if you want your voice heard, or someone you know would be a great guest, please drop me a message.
You can do this on any of the socials, or just over email. benkirk@inspiredschools.co.uk
I look forward to hearing from you and here's to creating more memories in 2022.
Nicole nearly lost her life through her pregnancy and having sepsis. She still has PTSD from the ordeal and nightmares which must be so tough, and I could not begin to understand.
The takeaway for me is the way she has come back from this, and the role that sport has played. It was able to take her away from her own mind and solely concentrate on her cricket, a 30-minute net session became a 3 hour one and she was able to find herself again.
It is easy to underestimate what sport can do, and not just from an elite level perspective, but from a participation level, it can give us so, so much.
Every child should have the opportunity to experience the joy that sport can bring. 😁
This was just one of many things we discussed, but certainly, one that stood out.
The 2005 Ashes was an AMAZING summer, I loved that England cricket team, and Kevin Pietersen became a national hero as we took it to the Aussies for the first time in my life at that point. Mark describes an innings in New Zealand, where KP got out quite cheaply, but more frustratingly for him was the manner of the innings, he let Scott Styris bowl at him, without taking the attack to him as he had done so many times in the past. He sat on the balcony with Mark and they decided that he couldn't allow Scott Styris bowl at him like that again. 3 months into practicing a new shot, he faced Scott Styris again in an ODI, in England and the first and 3rd ball he faced from Styris, he 'Reverse hit' for 6. And, changed the game of cricket forever!
I love stories like this so much. We only ever see the result, I had no idea it had taken that long for him to perfect the shot. We often think of these superhumans, that have so much talent, that it is easy for them. But actually, the reality is one of hard graft and 1000's of hours of practice, setbacks, tweaking, and honing their craft.
My point is, if you want something, go and get it. But be prepared to work hard to achieve your goals, no one is going to give it to you, but opportunities are everywhere for the taking, don't give up.
Mark is a wonderful coach and I certainly learned so much from this conversation. With Mark being based down the road, I'm hoping our paths will cross again in the future and I can learn some more gems from him
James' passion and commitment to his work are very clear in this episode and actually, he shares many of the same values and beliefs we do at Inspired Schools.
He talked passionately about the health of the nation and how he believes we need to do more at the root of the problem, invest in our children, into getting them more active, and relieve the burden on the NHS and the crazy amount of money that is spent on obesity-related illnesses.
James is a grafter, he works so hard in his job and provides opportunities for many athletes at his running club in the evenings. As you will hear, I joked that he has some time to squeeze more in...! I sometimes get concerned with work-life balance, but James has brought his children into his working life and it sounds as though they are reaping the benefits of this. They are around this environment, this high-performance environment and I know that his children will develop their personal skill set along with developing a healthy and active lifestyle. Inspired by their Dad.
James has inspired me to look into starting a running club in my local town, giving FREE opportunities to children in the Bridgwater to be active and be a part of a community where being active is celebrated.
What could you do?
If you want to find out more about James and what he does, please go to:
http://www.teamthie.com
Enthusiasm, passion, drive, determination, infectious, fun.
I felt all of this after speaking with Alex for the School Run Podcast. When speaking to someone with such passion for what they do, it always make me think, 'could we be doing more'. Everyone that works with children, whether you are a teacher, coach, volunteer, teaching assistant, or lunchtime supervisor, can all make a huge difference. Everyone that I have spoken to can almost instantly remember someone that impacted their childhood and I think we impact young people more than we realise. This can be coaching or teaching, or simply by supporting and being there for someone. Just give it 100% and be there for the children in your care.
Learning more from your losses isn't something new to 'The School Run Podcast', but it is worth mentioning again as it is so important. Creating environments where children are able to express themselves, without fear of failing, they should feel comfortable to try new things, be creative and solve problems on their own. Then if they make a mistake or get an answer wrong, they will be willing to give it another go, to keep trying until they do get it right and this is so powerful. Even more so if we encourage problem solving, and let children work out their own solutions, they become problem solvers and will start to take ownership over their mistakes.
I loved this episode and I hope you will as well.
I love speaking to Sue, I’ve only met her 3 times, twice on Zoom and once in person. I always feel motivated and enthused after our conversations, but more so it always reaffirms that we are on the right track with what we are doing as a business.
We talked about so much in this episode, legacy, how Pe has changed over the years, but how it still remains so important in our eyes and much more. It is our job to help schools realise the power of raising the profile of PE, physical activity and sport can have, if it’s put up there with Maths and English.
Sue talked about a school in Wakefield where parents can book to go into the school and watch any lesson. How cool is that? On last week’s episode I talked about the journey back to human, and this is an amazing way to start doing this. Bringing the community together in relation to sport and festivals, which I think is the easiest way to involve parents. I think that schools can celebrate this more than they do, bring the community in to watch the wonderful things that are going ahead (thinking non-covid times here, but still possible outdoors). We typically make quite a big deal of sports days; I am a big advocate of having an inclusive sports day AND a traditional competitive one. If you embed festivals and competitions throughout the year, bring the community in and it will bring a huge amount of pride and enthusiasm into the school and the most important thing is that children will LOVE it. Plus, parents might see their children thrive in a different environment which they didn’t know they loved.
The power of community.
Take a look at the resources section of the AfPE website, there is so much in there to support you in your PE journey.
https://www.afpe.org.uk/physical-education/#
This was a thinker of an episode, certainly for me.
It has made me evaluate our business practice and actually, I think we can improve what we are delivering into schools instantly. I am confident we deliver an excellent service into our primary schools, but I think by planning in leadership opportunities and other soft skills into, we can be even better.
I believe that through PE, sport and physical activity we have a unique opportunity to inspire children to be active and help them find something they love. But more than this we can give them skills such as leadership, resilience, creativity, teamwork etc, that will benefit them in later life, when going for jobs, managing people and communicating with peers and adults.
I really enjoyed the documentary film 'Steeler', I found it thought provoking and I would recommend giving it a watch.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Steelers-Worlds-First-Rugby-Club/dp/B092C28G8Z
Bottom line - sport and physical activity can be transformative, we need to do all we can so that more children can experience this.
When out running listening to Steven Bartlett's book 'Happy Sexy Millionnaire', I was inspired to record this episode to review and give my thoughts on one of the chapters 'The Journey Back to Human'.
In this episode I take a look at some quotes from Steven's book about "Silicon Valley taking the life out of our lives" and how "18-37 year olds are the loneliest generation in human history". I review this and give my take, relating it to PE, Sport and Physical Activity and how these three things can have a huge impact on our journey back to human, the importance of human interaction and the relationships that can be forged through sport.
Have a think back to the most enjoyable parts of your life... For me, one was playing on the school playground with my friends, playing football, cricket, tag, 1,2,3 in and even street hockey at times. Anything active, as long as we were together. Amazing times. We need to cherish these moments and schools should be putting PE right up there with English and Maths, because it will have a huge impact on the lives of young people and start our journeys back to human.
I hope you enjoy the episode. The links to Steven's book and podcast are below. Hell, my book link is below as well, but get Steven's first!
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Happy-Sexy-Millionaire-Unexpected-Fulfilment/dp/B08666P6FK/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=steven+bartlett&qid=1636838522&sr=8-1
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-diary-of-a-ceo-with-steven-bartlett/id1291423644
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Healthy-Happy-School-performance-integrating-ebook/dp/B093ZSMW8R/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=ben+kirk&qid=1636839023&sr=8-1
Enjoy.
Laura was so honest in this interview and I hope that this will bring so much relatable content to you.
Just this Summer we saw Simone Biles, arguably the GOAT, the best gymnast we have ever seen get 'The Twisties' and once again, social media did it's worst. Comments like "she bottled it", "get back out there", "she's letting her team down". These comments are usually made by people that haven't competed in professional sport, and NEVER by someone that has experienced similar in their lives.
Laura experienced this in her trampolining, she was having nightmares, she couldn't get on the trampoline for 10 months! And, when she did, she was wildly out of control as she puts it.
She took herself away from the sport and actually took up hockey to get her mind away from everything. She said she had so many things going on, the pressure of being a junior world champion and this euphoria, to then not being able to get onto a trampoline. That must have been so tough for her.
Laura talks about her injury history and discovering she has coeliac disease and an under-active thyroid. She has had so many setbacks along the way, but this culminated in her competing at the Tokyo 2021 Olympic Games. This didn't go quite the way she wanted it to and has set her sights on the World Championships and even Paris in 2024, and I know that she will give it everything she can to get there.
I hope you enjoy the episode.
I could have finished the podcast after the first answer Amy gave as it was so different. Amy talked so passionately about the passion and emotional side of sport, how connected she feels with her teammates on and off the field, and what sport means to her.
This episode has reinforced my belief that there is a sport or physical activity for every child out, we just have to find it. It has so much to offer both physically, mentally, and socially. 😁
Firstly a huge thank you for listening into the first series of ‘The School Run’ podcast.
This episode is a summary of my key takeaways and my reflections from the brilliant guests I have spoken to.
During the episode I go into:
- Why did I start the podcast?
- Olympics and our young athletes talking about having fun
- Fun and enjoyment – 13 year skater Sky Brown “Be brave, Be strong. Have fun and do it because you love it.
- Kate Alder, heartbeat of the team
- Failure and resilience
- You can’t be what you can’t see – The Hundred
- We can all make a difference
- Stuart Pearce
I have loved speaking to my amazing guest, they have inspired me, and I have learned a huge amount from speaking with them.
What did you enjoy from series one, what questions would you like answered?
Who would you like to see in the next series?
If you want to find out more about me and my business the links are below:
www.inspiredschools.co.uk
https://www.instagram.com/benkirk8/
https://www.instagram.com/inspiredschools/
https://twitter.com/benkirk8
https://twitter.com/inspiredschools
https://www.facebook.com/inspiredschools
Stuart is the epitome of a thirst for knowledge, he admitted during the conversation that school wasn't for him and that he only went for the social life and sport.
But since then he has developed this thirst for knowledge and open mindest about taking on new ideas. He attended every FA course he could go on and he has such drive to become the best coach he can be.
This is something that I am going to take on and incorporate into my own life and if I can instill these values into my daughters then I will be really happy in knowing that they will go through life, seeking knowledge with an open mind that they can always improve and develop themselves. It is important that they find this themselves and as parents and teachers, we can provide the framework and enjoyment and ensure that we give them every chance to develop this mindset. Also, we HAVE to adopt this mindset ourselves.
Through every failure there is a learning to take away, it is our job to find it and take the harder option by seeking it and wanting to improve. Accept that you can always get better.
Stuart's partner, Carol's book - Joe Junior and the Dream Team - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1800941846
“In my 63-cap career, I’d been on the losing side only eight times, won six Six Nations tournaments, played in two World Cup finals (2006 was the first) and won the England Player of the Year award – a pretty good return in anyone’s book, but not mine.”
This was the standout quote from Catherine's book and one we delved into during the podcast. It was really refreshing to hear her speak so honestly about the disappointment she experienced from not winning the Rugby World Cup and one that she still hasn't come to terms with. I can empathise with this, as when I was 17 I was dropped for a National Final at Goodison Park, despite playing and scoring in the semi-final. I'm not bitter honest! But I remember the feeling of not wanting the team to win, and the player in my position to have a poor game. I know, I'm not proud of this at all. But I think this is relevant and only as I matured was I able to feel truly happy for other people's success and I believe this is a really important life skill to learn. There is a lot of jealousy out there, particularly at other's success, and only when we are truly happy with our lives can we fully be happy for others.
I loved this conversation with Catherine, she had a wonderful career and it speaks volumes about her drive and determination that she wanted more. Hopefully, in years to come, she will be able to look back and fully appreciate the amazing career she had, and the brilliant person she is.
Book - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mud-Maul-Mascara-Country-Lived/dp/1783528133/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=catherine+spencer&qid=1626875138&s=books&sr=1-1
Twitter - https://twitter.com/cathspence8?lang=en
This episode with Jason Graystone is a very different one to what we are used to on 'The School Run' podcast, but it was an opportunity that was too good to pass up. I found it fascinating, it really enforces my belief that there is something in sport out there for everyone. Jason didn't engage with sport or PE at school, but later found individual exercise and is something he continues to enjoy today. For us, as educators, we need to find every child's passion at school, so that they can find something active that they love. Moreover, traditional schooling is not for everyone and I find what Jason teaches fascinating and it is something that has transformed my own finances and outlook on life.
Jason helps people achieve true financial independence and live their most inspired life.
Jason Graystone started his first business at 22 years old. Since then, he has built multimillion-dollar businesses online as well as in the service sector. As well as being a successful entrepreneur, Jason is a professional investor, speculator, and angel investor.
His love for investing allowed him to become completely financially free by the time he was 30 years old. Jason has spoken on some of the world's most reputable stages in the investing space as well as universities, schools, and for some large corporations including the MET police.
It was a fascinating insight into Jason's experience at school, and his journey into what he does now. The school system didn't really help Jason to find his true calling in life, but it is one of his missions and passions to help find financial freedom through the lessons he teaches.
To find out more about Jason, check out his social media channels.
YouTube - JasonGraystone
Instagram - J_Graystone
Twitter - JasonGraystone
LinkedIN - JasonGraystone
Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/always-free/id1457532367
Enjoy...
If I wanted to bat longer, I had to get better!
There were 2 key takeaways that really resonated with me during my conversation with Neil Burns, former Somerset, Essex, and Leicestershire wicket keeper batsman.
Neil was hugely successful during his career and regarded by many as the best wicket keep batsman not to play for England.
This then relates to the first point, which Neil believes helped him on his way to becoming a professional cricketer, which was playing with 7 of his close friends from his neighbourhood. They would go to the local park, behind Neil's house and play cricket and other sports for hours and hours. Neil said that if you wanted to bat for longer, then simply you had to get better, there was nothing else he or the others players could do, but to improve. They managed the games themselves and it would lead to arguments, tears, and tantrums, with children trudging off home if they were out and wanted to bat longer. But this ruthless approach is reality, if you're out, you're out! If you don't get a job, that's it, you try again. For those that make successful careers, they have this outlook, 'I have to get better, 'I need to improve'. Others will often look for excuses as to why something hasn't gone their way, and then do not see the same growth. This win/lose environment was crucial to Neil becoming the player he was, but he also mentioned that his close friends all went on to play high-level sports, not professionally like Neil did. But instead, they forged successful careers in different fields, and whilst Neil couldn't categorically say that sport had anything to do with their success, there is no doubt in my mind, that it played a big part.
The second point was opportunities. Neil has coached cricket in the townships in South Africa and talks about sport being a universal language. I know I bang this drum a lot, but I'd like you to reflect on your school and whether you feel you provide enough extra-curricular opportunities to the children to experience clubs and playing sport with friends. As Neil pointed out, which I had never thought of previously there is so much for the children to enjoy, and the feeling of scoring a goal, or the clean impact of a ball hitting the bat and flying for 6. This on top of the social and personal skills that can be developed is so important.
"You can't be what you can't see"
Following my conversation with Sophie Luff, Somerset Women's team cricket captain, I love this quote and what it means to girls growing up wanting to play sport.
We are in a far better position now with women's sport than we were when I was growing up. There are more matches on TV, it's more accessible, but there are still barriers to participation.
Sophie played in boys teams growing up and I wasn't sure how to best ask her about this, because it made me feel a little uncomfortable knowing that there were not 'all girls' teams for her to play in. However, Sophie looks back really fondly on those memories and she captained her school team, in which she was the only girl.
However, there were other barriers and she mentioned that parents would sometimes make comments on her playing, that she was only playing because she's a girl. When actually, she was more than good enough as her career has proven, but more than this it never came from the boys and they just saw her as a member of the team. It reinforces to me how much children learn from their parents and others, whether it is beliefs that girls are not as good as boys at sport or negative perceptions of what PE at school was like for them being passed on.
This takes me then to the "you can't be what you can't see". There are still so many barriers to participation for girls. In my re-cap (link below), I talk about girl-only clubs, or children that are less confident in sport. It isn't always about performance and schools need to start providing more opportunities for children to take part in sport and be active.
I've talked and written many times about my belief that schools should have a broad club offering, catering to all children, not just the 'sporty' ones.
Sophie's hero is Marcus Trescothick and being a Somerset boy myself, this is an amazing choice! However, it did surprise me that it wasn't a female cricketer that Sophie identified. It says to me that whilst there is absolutely no problem having a male hero if you are a girl or vice versa, there is still is a long way to go and more female athletes need to be 'seen' so that more girls can aspire to 'be' like their heroes. This doesn't have to be as a player, but also we need more female coaches, more female pundits, and keep smashing down barriers.
Following my conversation with Steve Phillips, 3 parts of the podcast episode stuck out for me:
- Life Skills
Steve is a little bit of a throw back in his coaching and his philosophy. But I like that. He isn't afraid to really challenge the children he works with, make it physically tough for them and ingrain a work ethic that will serve them well not only in their footballing career but also their life in general.
- Parents putting too much pressure on their children
Steve has created a culture around his players and their parents, where they are supportive and not critical. I asked Steve where we draw the between wanting to win, but also valuing the process of becoming the best goalkeeper they can be. This is very closely related to what we do. We are all about children finding something they love, enjoying being active and finding a sport or activity that they can enjoy and continue through the rest of their lives. But this needs to be balanced with challenge and failure. We cannot wrap our children in cotton wool, they need to learn how to deal with failure, see it is a chance to improve and grow.
But I agree with Steve, in that we must create fun environments where children are able to express themselves.
- Xbox!
What was very clear is that Steve hates the Xbox! His son is obsessed as he describes it and we can all think back to when we grew up, 'the good old days'! When they were not as prevalent in society. But how can we use today's technology to our advantage? Xbox's certainly aren't going anywhere!
Please send us you suggestions. PLEASE?!
We can all make a difference
It is easy to underestimate the impact we can have on young people's lives.
Following my conversation with Lora Fachie for The School Run Podcast, she highlighted the impact that a support worker at her secondary school had on her life. He became her guide runner and sounded like he was full of life, humor and clearly made a massive difference to Laura.
I think when we are working in schools, we forget, or as I mentioned underestimate the impact we can have on young people's lives. Whether you are a headteacher, classroom teacher, sports coach, teaching assistant, lunch-time supervisor, or parent, we can all make a difference.
I started an external club at a central venue and it was for children that excelled in PE across my hometown, Bridgwater. My idea behind this was to bring everyone together and try to challenge them, get them competing against one another, building relationships, and prepare them for secondary school sport. It was on a Thursday evening, and I was working in a school in quite a deprived area during the day. There were some children at said school that I really wanted to attend the club, but I knew that they would struggle to get there if it meant relying on parents. I did what anyone would do and offered those children a lift, so they didn't miss out. 2 boys, in particular, stand out here and I won't mention their names, but one was from a traveler family and the other's dad had been in jail and mum was an addict. The second boy wasn't the most talented, but his knowledge of every sport, understanding of tactics and I knew he would get so much out of the club meant that I wanted him to attend. The first boy was the most talented I've ever worked with, a bit of a 'street kid', he would be out until all hours, playing football with his older brothers and he was brilliant. He had refined his skills and technique, just by practising. He was fiery, but could turn his hand to anything, sports he had never played before, he was a natural athlete and could pick things up really quickly.
I'm telling you this because sport was their outlet, they LOVED it and they are both now in their final years of secondary school and if I ever see them, they always say hello and it is clear to me that I've made a difference in their lives. Just by doing something really simple.
The message from this is that no matter your role or job within a school, do it to your maximum. I am guilty of not being present enough with my daughters, work taking over, but my goal this year is to be more present when they are home. I always work to give the maximum impact on the business and I need to start seeing parenting as the same, give them my undivided attention and be the best Dad I can.
The same can be said if you are on the playground at lunchtime, or volunteering at your child's team, taking a PE lesson, give it everything and the impact you will have on young people is immeasurable.
Be the difference.
I used to love watching Scott Murray flying down the wing at Ashton Gate (Bristol), so to speak with him was an absolute pleasure and privilege. I was a little star-struck!
There is only one thing I wanted to surmise here and that is that Scott went back to work at the fish factory in his local town, AFTER, yes after he signed his first professional deal with Aston Villa.
He didn't have to but felt that it was the right thing to do given the support they gave him with time off pursuing his dream of becoming a professional footballer.
This tells me how humble Scott is and appreciative of his grounding in his hometown. His family clearly instilled some really important values in him growing up, which was amazing to hear, what a story.
Scott's enthusiasm for the game shone through, but not just for football but all sport, and this was infectious listening to him describe the benefits of playing in team sports growing up.
I really enjoyed speaking to Scott and I hope you enjoy listening to this episode as much as I enjoyed recording it.
Building Failure and Resilience
Neil is such an inspiration and what came across during the interview was his attitude towards failure. He said during the interview that he believes in failure, which might sound a strange thing to say, but what he meant was the way he dealt with losing, setbacks and failure helped him to build resilience and that competitive edge that has helped him to win 19 gold medals, including gold at the London 2012 Paralympic games, with hopefully more to follow this summer in Tokyo.
Neil said that he struggled in his teens, coming last a lot and losing confidence. His attitude towards this was remarkable, instead of competing against the other athletes, he set out to beat his personal bests. He kept a journal of his times, so he could measure his progress. To do this at this age, with no coaches this is fascinating and very impressive.
Even into his professional career, he was released from Team GB following Beijing 2008 as a sprinter. Neil then suffered from depression, before remodeling his career and becoming a cyclist!! To then winning gold in 2012. Phenomenal.
I found Neil's mindset around his visual impairment, attitude to his craft, utterly inspiring and I can't wait for you to hear this episode.
To find out more about Neil and to get his book check out the links below:
- Website - https://earn-your-stripes.co.uk
- Book - Earn Your Stripes - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Earn-Your-Stripes-insights-business/dp/1781334080/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8
- Twitter - https://twitter.com/neilfachie
- Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/neilfachie/
Please rate, review and subscribe to the podcast and I would love to send you a FREE copy of my new #1 bestselling book, 'The Happy Healthy School'.
Just drop me a message on my social media or email benkirk@inspiredschools.co.uk and we will get one sent out to you or your children's school.
Also, please share this episode and podcast with someone you think will benefit, to help us get more children and schools active.
Thank you for listening.
Everyone can enjoy sport
Following a conversation with Somerset cricketer Max Waller, it made me think and reflect about my own experiences of sport.
Thinking back, despite playing to an ok level, being a semi-professional footballer, the most fun I ever had was playing football and for that matter, any sport after school and in the holidays with my friends.
No care in the world, just out having FUN.
Isn't this what sport and physical activity should be about at a young age?
I was pleasantly surprised to hear that Max didn't just play cricket growing up, in fact, he didn't start bowling leg-spin until he was 12. I could clearly see the passion he has for cricket, but he simply loves sport, he still plays tennis, golf amongst other things, and playing lots of sport was a big part of his childhood. He said that it is important children play and experience all matter of sport and physical activity. Team, individual, or just anything outdoors, building dens, exploring, this is what childhood should be about, and I can't think of a more fun time in my life.
If I think of my sport, football, it is a dangerous obsession for some children, there are other sports out there!! 97% of children that are part of a football academy, don't become a professional, and by 21 they stop playing altogether. It is a flawed system, no doubt, but my point is around playing lots of sports. Some children only want to play football, but there is so much to gain from playing and taking in lots of different sports and activities. Meeting new people, gaining new skills that are transferrable, and not putting all of your eggs in one basket as it were.
I know that not all children will have the same opportunities at home, but they can at school... During this time when children are at their least active, when they all return we need to provide as many opportunities as we can for them to be active and have fun.
- Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/m10tcw/
- Twitter - https://twitter.com/MaxTCWaller
Please rate, review and subscribe to the podcast and I would love to send you a FREE copy of my new #1 bestselling book, 'The Happy Healthy School'.
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You need to feel the heartbeat of the team.
One of my favourite conversations with the brilliant Katie Alder, the captain of Wasps Ladies.
I loved hearing Katie talking about leadership and her role as captain. I think society has changed and the typical leaders of the past, loud, lead by being vocal, this is definitely changing as society does. Katie talks so well about understanding her teammates and knowing what makes them tick.
Beware the quiet ones!
How can this relate to parenting and teaching? Well it goes without saying that we differentiate work to suite the children that we teach, so that everyone has the same chance of succeeding and achieving success within the lesson. From a behaviour perspective, shouting all the time does not, work, but giving choices, making lessons fun and knowing the children you teach or parent is vital. With my daughters, I know exactly what they love, sometimes I will use this as an incentive, but also when doing some homework, or playing in the garden, thinking about what makes them tick and planning around this helps so much. Praise, positive feedback, praise those behaviours you want to see more of.
Katie talked about a really close match, which her team lost, but gave everything! This then helps the team to reflect, as effort is something you can control and nobody can take that away from you. My eldest has struggled with fractions this week and has got quite anxious about Maths. I've supported her this week, helping her to understand the ways to work the sums out (even though I found them tough myself, she's only 7!!), but the resounding message I wanted to get across to her was that you can only ever do your best. If you tell me that it's hard but you have tried your best, then I will be so proud of you, but if you haven't and give up, or choose a way out, then I will be dissapointed.
My Dad's favourite message to me growing up "you only get out, what you put in." It has stuck with me ever since.
- Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/katealder13/
- Twitter - https://twitter.com/_katiealder
Please rate, review and subscribe to the podcast and I would love to send you a FREE copy of my new #1 bestselling book, 'The Happy Healthy School'.
Just drop me a message on my social media or email benkirk@inspiredschools.co.uk and we will get one sent out to you or your children's school.
Also, please share this episode and podcast with someone you think will benefit, to help us get more children and schools active.
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Pain and Getting Back Up
It was amazing to speak to someone that I watched playing in an England shirt and has had such an interesting and challenging life.
As you will hear in the interview on 'The School Run' podcast, it started a little frosty and it took a while for Adam to open up and relax into the conversation. This is completely understandable, I've never met Adam and giving the life he has had, I'm sure he gets asked questions about the tragic loss of his brother and losing all of his money frequently. But I didn't want to go there, this was about Adam's childhood and how his experiences shaped him to be the sportsman he became. Adam himself said he was 'loose' growing up, into plenty of scrapes along the way, but sport and the outdoors were his fuel and he loved playing cricket with his brother Ben at home, as well as rugby and Adam's passion for boxing and MMA shone through.
Sport was always Adam's passion and his Dad was his biggest influence, his best mate, and someone that was, and is still always there for him. His Dad challenged them both, not letting them win, not because his Dad himself wanted to win, but more for the lessons that could be learned. Adam said that he and his brother only ever won if they deserved it. If they had displayed a certain work ethic, or skill acquisition, something that their Dad recognised and something that should be praised.
As the conversation went on, Adam brought up his losses, I guess as I had built up some trust as I genuinely wanted to know about his childhood and school. It is an awful thing to happen and clearly Adam misses his brother very much. Adam also lost his best friend and then in his adult life, all of his money. But it was his reaction to this that was inspiring. 'What else can I lose?' Adam has bounced back from all of these setbacks and it is a lesson to all of us, that we have to keep going, no matter how tough something gets, because we will be stronger for it. It is really difficult to take this viewpoint, but Adam has done it and I will use this and reflect on his story in my own life.
- Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/adamhollioake/
- Twitter - https://twitter.com/adamhollioake
Please rate, review and subscribe to the podcast and I would love to send you a FREE copy of my new #1 bestselling book, 'The Happy Healthy School'.
Just drop me a message on my social media or email benkirk@inspiredschools.co.uk and we will get one sent out to you or your children's school.
Also, please share this episode and podcast with someone you think will benefit, to help us get more children and schools active.
Thank you for listening.
Should there be girls-only clubs?
Florence talks brilliantly about her take on the Ireland Rugby Team's Women's Kit launch and how they messed this up, using models instead of the actual players!
Also, we talk a lot about FUN. Sports, PE, and physical activity have to be fun, don't they?
Think back to your childhood...
When did you have the most fun growing up?
For me, it was on the playground, either before/after school, or during the school holidays.
My friends and I used to get to school early to play sport before the school day began and then again after school. I would get home, grab whatever food was there, usually unhealthy to be honest, biscuits being my snack of choice and I'd be straight out the door with the instructions 'be back for dinner from my Mum, or 'be back before it's dark!'
During the holidays, of course, I remember playing on games consoles, an amiga, and then later Nintendo (yes, I'm that old!). But most of all, I remember being out. Out exploring. Mostly my friends and I would be at my Primary School which was an open site. We would play sport, or tag, or whatever game we had made up that day. These were my most enjoyable moments growing up.
Why? Because it was FUN!
The reason for me sharing that story is that I firmly believe that fun has to be at the center of everything we do to get children active. Of course, we want children to learn, and we ask our staff to deliver high-quality lessons, but not at the expense of making the lesson fun. Because ultimately, if it isn't fun, what is the point?
You can have the most detailed scheme of work, progression of skills, assessment tools, but if it isn't fun, all of that is secondary. As a nation, the children are at their most inactive ever in history, we HAVE to help as many children as possible LOVE PE and being active. Our goal is for all the children we teach to find a sport or activity that they continue to enjoy beyond Primary School, in secondary, and into adulthood.
This I believe will be a game-changer to creating a more active, healthier society. But it needs a whole school approach, everyone has to buy-in.