On The Move spring 2011

OPEN

ING

HO

URS

Spring 2011Please note: The below opening hours are for term times only. During University vacation periods the Sports Centre and Fitness Suite will close an hour earlier.

KENT.AC.UK/SPORTS

Monday Tuesday - Friday Saturday Sunday

10:00 - 22.30 09.00 - 22.30 09.00 - 17.30 10:00 - 17.30

09.00 - 22.00 07:30 - 22:00 09.00 - 17.15 10.00 - 17.15

09.00 - 22.00 09.00 - 22.0009.30 - 17.3010.00 - 22.00

The Pavilion (Outdoor facilities)

Sports Centre Fitness SuiteTerm times

Bookable times for the outdoor facilities

KENT SPORTUNIVERSITY OF KENTCANTERBURYKENT CT2 7NL

T: 01227 827430E: [email protected]

KENT.AC.UK/SPORTS

Interview with Dame Kelly Holmes

Why coach?There’s not a better time to inspire others

Pull out insideFitness Class timetable

ON THEMOVE ALL fitness classes are now FREE to Kent Sport members

[email protected]

WELCOME

CO

NTEN

TS

ON THE MOVE 02

Update News 03You told us 05Xercise Factor 06

Wellbeing Resolutions 07

Fitness Your MOT 09

Article Why coach? 11

Interview Dame Kelly Holmes 15

Club focus Ultimate Frisbee 21

Sports Scholars Francesca Plom 24Caroline Jianqiao Huang 25Philip Birkett 26Grace Coombs 28

Membership Prices/How to join 29

Feedback Win a sports goody bag 30

to the University of Kent Sport’s Spring 2011 edition of On The Move magazine.

Thanks for picking up the second edition of On The Move, our termly magazine keeping you informed of all that is going on within Kent Sport.

Our aim is to provide you with the best possible service in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere, whilst at the same time working tirelessly behind the scenes to continually improve your experience here.

There have been a number of changes within the department over the last 12 months including (but not limited to): new staff, refurbished facilities, additional very popular fitness classes, courses, and some proposed new services that we hope to be introducing within the next 12 months.

It is a very exciting time to be involved with sport, with the Olympics now less than two years away. We are striving to encourage Olympic teams to base themselves at the University of Kent in the lead up to the games.

Over the next few months with the cold weather setting in, I truly do encourage you come along to Kent Sport and fight the winter blues by being active!

Graham HolmesDirector of Kent SportUniversity of Kent

KENT.AC.UK/SPORTS

NEWS

UPD

ATE

03 ON THE MOVE ON THE MOVE 04

Record number of Kent SportmembersThe autumn term saw the arrival of a record number of students to Kent and a record number of new memberships to Kent Sport.

Our student Win a Bike competition was won by David Phelan, and Clarissa Sorge received the cost of her membership back in our Early Bird competition. Spring and summer term membership is now available from just £85: so, if you are not yet a member, join now and be part of the Kent Sport experience!

The VC’s Cup beginsThe Vice Chancellor’s Cup was launched earlier in January by the Vice Chancellor and Kent Sport. The VC’s Cup is be an interdepartmental competition running throughout 2011 for University of Kent staff of all sporting abilities.

Staff can still get involved and do not have to be good at sport, as most events are purely fun-based and no experience is necessary. So take a look at the events listed on our website and start encouraging your colleagues to participate too!

Simply nominate a captain, enter your team online at www.kent.ac.uk/sports/vc and help your department lift this prestigious trophy. Individuals can also enter and will be allocated to a team.

Member numbers continue to grow, Dame Kelly Holmes visits the Canterbury campus, Zumba Party to kick-off Worldfest.

Backing Talent at Kent is a great successNovember saw Kent Sport host Backing Talent; the Dame Kelly Holmes Legacy Trust programme of workshops and events to assist talented youngsters to excel in sport.

Over 100 talented youngsters and their parents attended the event, taking part in a series of workshops and training sessions run by elite sportsmen and women, many of them former Olympians. The event was a huge success with much media interest. See our interview with Dame Kelly on p15.

Tell us what you think of our services and facilitiesKent Sport is looking to improve its facilities over the next couple of years and we would like to know how you would like to see Kent Sport develop. We have produced an online survey (available on our website), for you to join in and have your say.

Please take the time to complete this short survey and help us improve our services. All those completing the survey will be entered into a free prize draw to win a £100 voucher to spend at the Sports Café and Pavilion Café Bar.

Worldfest to feature a Zumba Party at the Sports CentreAs part of Worldfest 2011, Kent Sport will be hosting a Zumba Party on Thursday 24 February at the Sports Centre. The party will include a one-hour masterclass and 30-minute warm-up led by our very own Zumba master, Jeni Dexter and a select team of latino students.

The event will be followed by an After Party, with live music and DJs, a cocktail bar, chillout zone, photostand and information desk. In the run up to this event and to get everyone in the mood we will be holding extra beginners’ Zumba classes in the dance studio. Further information and tickets will be available from Monday 24 January.

New look caféThe Sports Café received a refurbishment over the Christmas vacation. We hope that you enjoy relaxing in this area, which now has wireless internet access and Freeview television. If you haven’t tried it out yet, come along and give it a go!

Sporting competitionsInter-college DodgeballFast-paced game played between two teams who

aim to eliminate opposing players by striking them

on the body with a ball.Inter-college RacketlonThe racket version of a triathlon! Participants

compete across three different racket sports.Soccerzone: Our ever-popular competition returns.

Check our website for further details.

KENT.AC.UK/SPORTS KENT.AC.UK/SPORTS

UPD

ATE


You told usWe are always keen to hear what you think of Kent Sport and our Tell Us feedback forms have provided invaluable information in helping us improve our service and facilities. Over the past year we have received 135 completed feedback forms, from both members and non-members, rating our service, facilities, helpfulness of staff, cleanliness and value for money.

Our service95% of customers who completed the feedback forms rated our service as satisfactory or above, with 65% rating the service as excellent.

Facilities82% of customers rated our facilities as satisfactory or excellent.

Helpfulness of staffOver 70% of customers rated the helpfulness of staff as excellent.

Cleanliness of facilities90% of customers rated the cleanliness of facilities as satisfactory or excellent.

Value for moneyOver 80% of customers rated Kent Sport as value for money, with 56% rating it as excellent (see chart below).

Value For MoneyFeedback Jan-Dec 2010

Your comments answered

Q. The squash courts could do with a clean (especially court 1) and a lick of paint.(K. Annoot, May 2010)A. Squash courts 3 & 4 were deep cleaned and refurbished in August 2010 and courts 1 & 2 will be refurbished over the Christmas vacation. Q. No sports drinks in the drinks machine and no nutritional bars in the vending machines - this is a sports centre! (D. Meumken, June 2010)A. The produce in the vending machines was reviewed over the summer vacation and the vending machines now include sports drinks. The Sports Café was taken over by hospitality over the summer and now stocks a larger range of produce including sports drinks and from January will be selling sports-themed smoothies.

Q. Due to overcrowding on some classes maybe a sign-in sheet should be provided to limit the numbers entering the classes and maybe pre-booking? (A. Moore, October 2010)A. To alleviate overcrowding we have now introduced a ticket/wristband system for classes and you can book at reception an hour before the class.

Q. It would be nice to have more gym facilities because it gets really busy, but other than that the service is excellent. (B Porter, February 2010)A. We are in discussions about providing new sports facilities that will include a larger area for strength & conditioning (free weights etc). Look out for further information and our survey on improvements that you would like to see at Kent Sport in the future.

If you would like to tell us what you think of our service our feedback forms are available at the Sports Centre and Pavilion receptions and online at www.kent.ac.uk/sports/contact. We will endeavour to continue to improve our service and are always keen to hear what you think of Kent Sport.

Five student, staff and public Kent Sport members are embarking on a six-week resolution fitness and exercise plan in an effort to change their health and lifestyle habits.

The lucky five are: Emily Saintas, Charlotte Adams, Jo Pearman, Matt Jones and Phil Darrell-Smith. Each will be mentored by two members of the Fitness team as they are first assessed and then supported through a strict regime in order to achieve their goals. In return for this support and motivation the contestants will be reporting their efforts for On the Move via blogs and profile updates.

Look out for The Xercise Factor updates and follow the blogs on our website and Facebook page to choose your favourite contestant.

For help with your own New Year health and lifestyle goals, turn to p7 for details of our fitness assessments and personalised exercise programmes.

WHO’S GOT THE XERCISE FACTOR?

As On the Move goes to print, this year’s

Xercise Factor participants have begun their unique

fitness plan. How will they do? Make sure to follow

their progress over the coming weeks.

Excellent56%Satisfactory

27%

Unsatisfactory 13%

Poor 4%


Resolutions

WELLBEIN

G


Lose weight - get fitEvery year thousands of you list getting in shapeas your number one resolution. It seems thateveryone wants to change the way they look andfeel this time of year.

The good news is this resolution is one of the easiest to implement and is often the most rewarding when achieved. By committing to exercise and maintaining a healthy lifestyle, you can change your bodyweight and get fit quickly. It seems obvious but the Sports Centre is hereto help. Why not pick two classes from our fitness class timetable and attend for six weeks, or ask us about setting up a personalisedexercise programme?

Learn a new skill Make 2011 the year you try something new. The Sports Centre hosts over 30 different sports every week and there are student clubs for everything from street running (parkour) to street dancing and caving to capoeira. So why not contact your union representative and get involved today?

The Sports Centre is running extra Zumba classes in January, so if you want to learn to dance, join Jeni in the dance studio and learn the moves in time for the Zumba Worldfest Party on Thursday 24th February.

As a new year begins, why not look at ways of making a difference to your fitness and wellbeing by taking steps to help improve your life?

Save money - reduce debt Times are hard. For students especially, the risein debt is almost inevitable, whilst our staff andpublic members will also be feeling the pinch ofChristmas and dreading January’s credit card bill.

Start a money diary in 2011 and record allyou’re spending. You will then be able to budgetand save once you know where it’s all going. The Sports Centre continues to offer excellentvalue for money locally, considering all our facilities. Students can also take out part-year membership from January (from £85). All clients can pay-as-you-go for individual classes, sports or gym sessions.

Spend more time with family or friends This is becoming one of the most importantresolutions, as many people find it hard to devote time to family and friends outside life’s other commitments.

Whilst it is equally important to maintain yourgym visits, our advice is to get in the gym early. The Sports Centre is open at 7.30am most mornings and an early workout will not only kick start your fat-burning metabolism but it also means that your evenings will be free to spend quality time with children and family, or socialise with friends.

Find love Statistically the gym is second only to theworkplace for meeting future partners. If you’re currently single and trying to catch the eye of someone special, you have just over six weeks to get in shape and turn heads on St Valentine’s Day.

The Fitness team is here to help and has produced a six-week Valentine’s workout card to help you get in shape for the big day.

Volunteer! Do something for charity Make a difference in 2011 with an unselfishresolution to help others. Inspire others todonate for your physical efforts or donate yourtime instead by volunteering for a good cause. If you’re a University of Kent Staff member youmay be able to work towards a Certificate inVolunteering through HR’s organisedvolunteering scheme, just log on [email protected]/hr-staffdevelopment for moreinformation.

For energetic fundraising, why notsign up for a charity race orchallenge and start gettingsponsorship? Remember to judge not how you influence your own life, but instead how youinfluence others.


YOUR MOT

FITNESS


In just one hour we will accurately measure your cardiovascular condition, flexibility, body composition, strength and endurance before interpreting the results, with a view to prescribing an exercise programme structured to assist you in achieving your health and lifestyle goals.

Once all your fitness assessment results have been gathered, we will give you a rundown of your results and a print out to take away with you. Your assessment results can also be used to identify exercise and lifestyle goals and help us create a suitable programme of exercise for you to follow over a four-to-six week period.

With regular check-ins along the way, we can chart and monitor your progress and improvement going forward whilst helping you to stay focused, motivated and encouraging you to reach your goals. After your assessment, we recommended that you take a re-assessment after 12 weeks for optimum results.

For further information, prices and to book an assessment, please visit our website or ask at the Sports Centre.

This Kent Sport service offers simple yet well-structured fitness assessments that can identify your strengths, weaknesses and fitness benchmarks on which to base lifestyle and workout changes.

What’s looked at?Blood Pressure/Resting Heart Rate Simple BP and RHR tests measure the efficiency of your heart and lung system in moving blood around your body. Best taken first thing in the morning, the test may be affected by your fitness level, lifestyle habits, diet, age, sex and family history. Positive lifestyle changes will help lower or stabilize blood pressure and resting heart rate.

Body Composition (Body Fat %)Our non-invasive test measures your percentage of body fat comparable to lean mass (muscles/bones etc) compared to fat. Measuring the resistance from fat to a small electrical charge in the body, your results will provide a benchmark on which to base a suitable exercise routine.

Flexibility (Sit and Reach)Our simple Sit and Reach test measures your hip and trunk flexibility. Good flexibility helps prevent injury and promotes a good range of movement in the gym. It is also important in everyday twisting, turning, reaching and bending movements.

Ergometer Bike Test (VO2)We use a weighted exercise bike to measure the maximum volume of oxygen (VO2) that your body consumes during exercise. The short six-minute test provides a measure of fitness by monitoring your heart rate changes whilst adjusting workloads if required. Your results (fitness level) are calculated against age, sex and bodyweight parameters for accuracy.

Peak Expiratory Flow (PEF)A PEF Test measures the amount of air that you can expel from your lungs in one breath and identifies how efficiently your lungs are working. Influenced by your age, height and bodyweight, the simple one-breath test measures lung function and can identify lung weaknesses triggered by smoking or other respiratory disorders.

Muscular Endurance TestsThese two optional short tests will provide an indication of both upper body and abdominal strength and help set a benchmark for further resistance training. Simply by measuring the number of full push ups or sit ups you can complete in one minute, you can set new goals and routines to improve your fitness rating.


WHY COACH?

ARTIC

LE

11 ON THE MOVE

There’s not a better time to get involved in sport and inspire others to learn new skills and become future stars.

ON THE MOVE 12

When asked to write a piece for the New Year edition of On the Move, I was fortunate to get a helping hand from Her Majesty the Queen.

Electing to use this year’s Christmas message to refer to the important role sport can play in society, I thought I would elaborate on the different ways working in sport can really benefit a local community.

A broad range of developmental, practical and administrative vocational opportunities exist in sport, with each role creating high quality sport and physical opportunities for all, whether it is for the complete beginner, social participant or top class performer.

A sports centre needs dedicated staff to create a positive environment for all members who have chosen to exercise there; the reception staff provide a warm welcome, the gym staff support participants in their programmes and recreation assistants ensure that the halls are set up to cater for whichever sport the members want to play.

Many local sports centres provide their own sense of community and the friendly faces working there may be the only interaction some individuals receive on a daily basis. The elderly gentleman at my local swimming pool is known by name to all the staff and many of the members. He may only swim for a short time each day but the health and social benefits of his regular outing keep him spritely despite being 90 years old.

My experience working in sport began in a leisure centre that provided many services similar to those offered by Kent Sport.

I progressed onto a series of sports development roles within local councils and school sport partnerships in Berkshire, Hampshire and Greater London.

Louisa ArnoldCounty Coaching Network [email protected]


>>

ARTIC

LE

ON THE MOVE 14

As the County Coaching Network Officer, I am charged with developing a network that will work to support coaches throughout Kent. Hosted by the University of Kent and linking with sports organisations across the county, we hope to co-ordinate the coaching services to ensure we can get the right coach in the right place at the right time.

Whether you are at the University studying, working or simply visiting we want to hear from you. If you coach regularly or have done so in the past, you are warmly invited to complete the Kent coaches register at: www.kentsport.org/coach_ed_register.cfm

Following registration, you will be informed of all the latest sports specific tips, techniques and coaching courses, as well as the more generic coaching workshops/courses that focus on skills such as mentoring, communication and goal setting.

We ask our players to continually improve but what about the coaches? Dr Hamish Telfer, a key author of Sports Coach UK’s Analysing Your Coaching workshop says ‘You have got to ask if

and where you can be even better, and how you broaden your skills’. In every other occupation you are encouraged to develop your skills and keep abreast of the latest industry updates, so why should coaching be any different?

If you would like further information on the support available from Kent Sport Coaching, please visit www.kentsport.org/coach_ed2.cfm or feel free to contact me here at the University. Having had the opportunity to work in sport since graduating from University, I can highly recommend getting involved.

Whether you decide to volunteer as a coach in your spare time or pursue a career path in sport; the enjoyment you will experience yourself and bring to others will be incredibly rewarding.

In just over a year the greatest sporting spectacle in the world will arrive in the London. Why not make it your New Year’s resolution to become part of the wider sporting community?

Louisa ArnoldCounty Coaching Network [email protected]

13 ON THE MOVE KENT.AC.UK/SPORTS KENT.AC.UK/SPORTS

The variety of development work means that no day is ever the same. Seated exercise with older adults to increase mobility and prevent falls is very different to organising a tennis event with young people. Planning road shows to promote healthy lifestyles needs a different set of skills altogether.

All programmes and interventions can have a positive effect on all generations of a community but you need to be organised, sociable and very passionate about the importance of sport and physical activity.

Another essential role in sport is that of the coach. Behind every great athlete or team whether in terms of performance or participation, paid or voluntary, young or old, a good coach is vital to the success and sustainability of sport at every level.

We all know of a team that could benefit from the right coach. A social netball team recently asked me to assist with their training sessions. A few drills, structured games and some basic tactics brought improved team performances but perhaps almost as important was the increased sense of enjoyment and confidence the women felt as a result.

INTERV

IEW


What made you decide to set up your charity, DKH Legacy Trust? The DKH Legacy Trust (www.dkhlegacytrust.org) builds on the charity work I have always done throughout my career. It is my ongoing commitment to a cause I believe in: the power positive role models have to create life chances for young people. Our mission is to inspire young people and unlock life chances for them by improving their skills, knowledge and self-belief through support and mentoring projects with sporting champions.

I set the Trust up because I have seen firsthand the difference role models and mentors can make to the development of young people. I also know how hard it can be to transition from being an athlete for many years to 'normal life': you have so many skills and experiences to benefit others not just in sport, but also in life generally. How to do that though is not always clear.

So it seemed a perfect fit for me to support retiring elite performers in making the most of their skills and experiences to help young people realise their talents, and in doing so, begin to build a new career for themselves. A number of the University of Kent's Sports Scholars have attended your charity’s Backing Talent events. What are the aims of the events and how can our scholars and other talented athletes make the most of the day?As any sports star knows, it is a long journey to becoming the best. For many it takes years of ups and downs to get to the top and on thisjourney the elite performers gain a wealth of unique knowledge and experience, which they can use to 'give back' in sport.

That's why my charity has developed our Backing Talent programme, which gives up and coming stars of the future, who are just beginning this journey, the opportunity to learn from the insight and experience of an elite performer who knows what it takes to reach the top.


On The Move EXCLUSIVEFollowing Kent’s recent hosting of the DKHT’s Backing Talent event, we were fortunate enough to chat to the Double Olympic Champion about her charity work, plans for the future and what advice she would give to young athletes hoping to compete with the best.

DAMEKELLY HOLMES


>>

INTERV

IEW

ON THE MOVE 18

Through your work with young athletes, what hopes do you have for British sporting success at the 2012 Olympics and beyond?There is no doubt about it that the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics will be a phenomenal event. I believe that on the whole, we can expect some great performances across the range of sports. After the games, I hope the platform this will give sport in this country is built on by each NGB in their talent development and coaching structures post-event.

If there is one piece of advice a Double Olympic Champion can give to aspiring young sportsmen and women, what would it be?Live your dream, and do all that you can to achieve that. I have just brought out a new book, called Just Go For It in which I share top tips of what I do to achieve success. The title says it all!

How can people find out more about the DKH Legacy Trust and support its worthy cause?Visit our web site: www.dkhlegacytrust.org or follow us on Twitter: @dkhlegacytrust.org

There are lots of ways to be involved, so get in touch!


To make the most of the Backing Talent programme, you have to be willing to listen, learn and maybe change what you currently do to make the most of the advice you are gaining.

What made you decide to bring Backing Talent to the University of Kent?I really wanted young sports performers in Kent to benefit from the work my charity is doing. So the partnership we built with Kent County Council and P&O Ferries made Kent University a perfect choice as a venue and partner, given the great reputation you have for supporting sport here.

How did the event go from your perspective?I thought it was a huge success. To have over 100 young people, their coaches and parents benefiting from the event was great to see. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive.

We are proud of our relationship with you (receiving an honorary degree from Kent, officially opening our Medway building, your work with the Kent Schools Games which we are a key host to, and now delivering one of your programmes here). What are your thoughts on the University of Kent as a whole, and what more can we do to develop that relationship?It is important to me that my charity develops strong sustainable partnerships, which enable us to really benefit young people. I am looking forward to us continuing a relationship with Kent University and bringing more of our projects and programmes to this fantastic venue. There are lots of ways for people to get involved with our work too. We are currently recruiting fundraising runners for the Tunbridge Wells Half Marathon. If anyone would like to join my team, I will be at the race as my charity is one of the official charities.

You give a lot of your time to support and inspire others to achieve their goals and potential. What do you gain from helping others?It makes me feel really good seeing other people trying to (and usually achieving) their goals. I think life's too short to live with regrets, and so if there is anything I can do to help people fulfill their potential, then great!

FRISBEE

CLU

B FOC

US


Thought of trying something new this year?

Well, if it’s speed, agility and endurance you are looking for, give one of the fastest growing sports a go.

throws, forehands, hammers, thumbers and scoobers (to name a few) and then mastering those in the wind and rain is a task that takes years of enjoyable practice. The level of fitness required for Ultimate is comparable to basketball, football and track. Combine the required levels of athleticism with the constantly evolving stratagems and counter-stratagems regarding offense and defence that are forged on the thousands of pitches across the country every day and you can’t help but lose yourself. While Ultimate has no deep history to draw from or professional league to look up to, its relative youth as a sport is also very refreshing. There is very little macho posturing and few players with a chip on their shoulder. Everyone plays hard, everyone plays to win but absolutely everyone plays fair, this is what Ultimate players call the ‘Spirit of the Game’. Previously, it was mentioned that fouls are called in case of accidental contact - these fouls are called by the players themselves.

Ultimate is an entirely self-refereed sport. Even the call on whether someone was in or out of the endzone, possibly resulting in a match-winning or tournament winning-point, is entirely up to the players on the pitch. Now this seems like a recipe for an anarchic free-for-all, where the least principled teams always win. However, this concept works from the smallest friendly match in a park to the world finals. Players just don’t cheat. At the end of tournaments teams grade each other on their levels of ‘spirit’, with the team judged to have the best spirit winning an award.

What is Ultimate Frisbee?There is a misconception that ‘Ultimate’ as some kind of novelty sport, like Frisbee golf or table football. This misconception runs deep but is easily dispelled after a firsthand viewing. Ultimate is physical, competitive - and one of the fastest growing sports in the UK. Ultimate combines the best features of more established sports to create an energetic, fast-paced game, where players compete in regional, national and international tournaments.

Originating on college campuses in 1960s America, it came to the UK in the 1970s with Warwick and Cambridge being the first universities to have their own teams. In 2004 Kent Touch This was founded and in 2006 Ultimate became a BUCS (British Universities and Colleges Sport) accredited sport.

How do you play Ulitmate Frisbee?The rules of Ultimate are simple: two teams of seven players attempt to catch the disc in the opponent’s endzone, in order to score a point. The endzones are located on either end of a large rectangular pitch. Players cannot run with the disc, instead players must throw the disc to each other, in order to make ground and reach the endzone. Possession of the disc changes when it either touches the ground or the defending side makes an interception or catches an attacking throw. Being a non-contact sport, fouls are called when players come in contact with each other.

Why play?Ultimate is a sport that is easy to pick up but difficult to master. Almost everyone has thrown a Frisbee in the past and in that way, almost anyone can play. However, mastering all the


>>

ULTIMATE

21 ON THE MOVE KENT.AC.UK/SPORTS

CLU

B FOC

US

What has Kent Touch This (KTT) achieved so far and what are its goals for the future?Kent Touch This is a team in transition. Having started as a group of friends trying out a new sport, getting together more for socialising than for practice, we are making the transition towards becoming a team that can compete regionally and nationally. This was a conscious decision taken by last year’s committee and one that the team intends to follow. A sense of fun and inclusion, as well as an unbending respect for the spirit of the game are our trademarks but KTT wishes to ally this to a growing determination to compete and to win. Last year saw KTT at their most successful, placing fifth at the indoor regionals to qualify for the national tournament where they were placed 14th. At the outdoor regionals, KTT were placed 7th, our highest position yet. Furthermore, we competed at a women’s tournament for the first time, placing 11th, and competed in a European tournament, placing 9th and winning an award for ‘Best Spirit’.

This year we’ve recruited a record number of players, with over 60 paid members. We won the plate trophy for mixed indoors, with our teams finishing 9th and 13th. We hope to go one better in this year outdoors regionals and qualify for the nationals.

How can others get involved?All our outdoor training takes place on Beverley Meadow near the bottom of Eliot footpath. On Wednesday we train from 2-4pm and on Saturdays from 1-3pm. Finally, on Sundays we have our fun indoor session in the Sports Centre from 4-5:30pm.

If you are not a University student, the Kent Open team practice on Thursdays from 6-8pm at Beverley Meadow and Sundays from 11am-1pm.

For further information or if you have any questions about Ultimate Frisbee or Kent Touch This, visit www.kenttouchthis.com or email [email protected]

‘backhanders,’ ‘hammer’ throws - a vertical launch that slows and drops as the Frisbee falls - ‘upside-down’ throws, ‘curlers’, ‘twirlers’. The most spectacular moments though, came when huge throws were only catchable by ‘laying out,’ which involved fearlessly launching your body horizontally to grasp the disk in your fingertips. If two people ever went for the same disk, either hilarity or injury ensued.

We started doing fitness sessions at the Sports Centre. Some of us joined the gym, to be on top form for our big day. When it came, Steve (now captain) drove us all to the event in a minibus and we poured out ready for combat, like the A-Team but with Frisbees. Taking to the competitive field for the first time in our dark blue shirts, KENT TOUCH THIS! in bold across the chest, (a reference to MC Hammer’s greatest rap,) and a claw-hammer image beneath, we lost pretty much every match but had fun and displayed disjointed skills. What’s more, our newly-invented disk drinking games went down a storm with other university teams, we made some friends (and enemies… Cambridge) and we were given the coveted trophy for Best Named Team. For the first time since playing rugby at school, I found a sport I thoroughly enjoyed, and was relatively good at, despite not being your typical sportsman. I was really just a student who wanted to play games and keep a bit fit.

After I left my beloved Kent University, and the team, fitter than ever from the gym and training for the sport, I found it hard to find a replacement. I occasionally went back to have a look and found the society had flourished, with talented new captains like ‘Hairy Mike,’ a giant with a powerful throw, and found that the sport had gained yet more popularity.

Every time I miss the sport and think about trying to start a new team, or find one, I realise it will never be as good, or as fun, as the group I trained and played with at Kent. Thanks for some of the best years of my life.

ON THE MOVE 22KENT.AC.UK/SPORTS

Thomas Ogier

Ultimate Frisbee pla

yer

‘CATCH!’, came the call.Too late! I turned only in time to block the Frisbee’s path with my eyebrow.‘Sorry!’, came the next shout and I recognised my new halls neighbour, Steve, running towards me across the park through the haze of my now-blurred vision. He picked up the red plastic disk and brushed it off, as though my face might have dented it.‘Want to play?’, he asked, ‘It’s a sport like American football, in that it’s territorial, and like netball because you can’t move when you have the disk, and it’s played with a Frisbee.’ ‘Sounds rubbish,’ I said, but I was wrong!

I soon learned that the game involved two teams, each trying to pass the weighted Frisbee into the opposition’s end of the pitch ‘area’, and featured spectacular airborne catches and gravity-defying throws. After heavy persuasion from Steve, I finally caved and agreed to join, no… create, Kent University’s now infamous team, Kent Touch This. Iturned up to the fresher’s fair to flaunt it to the thousands of new faces, and was assured they would be ready to try anything… happy to get involved. At our first meeting, there were only four of us. But we put on displays, roped in friends, and quickly grew in numbers, practised, and eventually even learned the rules.

By the next year’s Fresher’s Fair we had ten members, new kit and were getting pretty good, training indoors at the Sports Centre one day of the week and outdoors on another. Our fitness was gradually improving, despite the abundance of cheap grub on campus and we researched training and drills online. ‘Forehand’ throws,

One Ultimate Frisbee player tells us how he got into the sport and why being in the club proved to be well worth it.

SPOTLIGHT

SPORTS SC

HO

LARS


In every edition, On The Move magazine focuses on four University of Kent students who have been awarded a Sports Scholarship to find out more about them.

Describe a typical day for you as an athlete?A typical day for me normally consists of an early morning and a long day on campus. I will normally be in the gym or the library by 8am,I organise training and degree work around lectures and my job. Monday to Thursday I will leave campus about 5pm and head off to team training.

How does your training affect other aspects of your life, if at all?Obviously getting into Storm has meant a big change in my lifestyle, netball does dominate my life. I am currently training around 15 to 20 hours a week, this includes team training, individual training and matches.

This can be very demanding, especially since I have to travel out of the area to train not just with Surrey Storm but also my other regional side. However, I think I have a good lifestyle and manage my time considerably well. I still have a job and a social life. For me to do everything I want to do I have to be organised and have good time management. The best advice I could give for any athlete in my shoes is you can’t get time back, so don’t waste it.

What are your future hopes and ambitions? As a young player I fully understand that this season will be a big learning curve for me and am already learning so much from the more

Francesca PlomNetball Politics & International Relations

How did you get into your sport? I have been playing netball for around 15 years now. I started out mainly because of my mum. She started up her own netball club when I was young and I was always at the netball courts with her. I guess being around netball so much with mum is what gave me such a passion for it.

What is your greatest sporting achievement so far?This year I gained a place in Surrey Storm Superleague squad. This is my biggest achievement so far in netball, and was honestly the best feeling when I finally got my place as I have been working for this since I first started out.


>>

SPORTS SC

HO

LARS

ON THE MOVE 26

experienced players. My future goals are to get on the court for Surrey Storm this season and to work hard and become an established player in the team like those around me now, this way I can help bring on future young players like myself and strengthen the Netball Super league in England.

How has a scholarship helped you and what does it mean to be a Kent Sport Scholar?Having a Kent Scholarship has helped me massively this year. The staff are all very supportive and often go out of their way to help me with training, whether it is strength and conditioning training or just dragging out equipment early in the mornings. They also take a big interest in how I am progressing, particularly our University team scores and it is nice to have people take an interest in your life.

Obviously the financial support is a very big help for me too. I honestly wouldn’t be able to afford all the things I am doing at the moment without the scholarship; it has helped me with travel expenses and kit too this year. It is such a valuable programme and helps so many students.

So for anyone in my shoes I would say, you are only young once. Make the most of your time at university but make sure you have your priorities set. Do everything in moderation and make sure you are happy. I am very content with my life and am privileged to have such great opportunities in front of me.

Philip BirkettTrampoliningArchitecture

Who is your sporting hero and why?I don’t have a particular sporting hero. There are many athletes who I respect for their achievements on the international stage, however I find that I am more inspired by, and learn more from those athletes (both international and beginner level) who I personally know. I admire their achievements, and how they overcome their difficulties with learning new moves and routines. Something I’ve come to learn from such close interaction with these athletes in training and competition is that the psychological game is just as important, if not more important than the physical side of the game. You can be as close to peak fitness as possible but without a positive attitude, you will never achieve peak performance.

How did you get into your sport?From the age of 8 I attended a recreational class for 1 hour a week for 4 years. This session was for fun and not for competitive development. The coach, who took this, said to me that she thought I had potential and would I be interested in trying out at a good competitive club based 15 miles away. I decided to take this opportunity and have been training at Edgbarrow Trampoline Club, one of the best clubs in the country, ever since.


Describe a typical day for you as an athlete?My team mates and I will usually train very hard in the month before a very important game. We will also arrange a lot of friendly matches with other teams so as to get ourselves well prepared. Every Saturday we practice for one to two hours in our sports centre, and then we will take a bus to somewhere else to play matches, after that we usually have a dinner together to discuss about our performance and have fun as well.

Who has had the biggest influence on your sporting career so far and why?My parents influence me a lot because they support me all the time.

How has a scholarship helped you and what does it mean to be a Kent Sport Scholar?Kent Sports Scholarship is a great encouragement for me as it enables me to buy new equipment which helps to improve my table tennis skills. To be a sport scholar means that I have the full support from the University and I will make the best of it to improve my table tennis skills and try to play well in the upcoming games.

Caroline Jianqiao HuangTable TennisEnglish Language and Linguistics

Who is your sporting hero and why?My sporting hero is Deng Yaping, who is a legend in the world of Table Tennis. She was the champion of all the World Table Tennis games. When she started professional training at a very young age, nobody believed that she could succeed because she was considered to be too short to make it to the top. But she didn’t give up. Instead, she made every effort to improve her physical strength and table tennis techniques. She practiced harder and longer than her teammates and finally she achieved great success because of her great diligence and hardwork. Her story is really encouraging and makes me believe that I have the potential to achieve something special as long as I try hard and work hard.

How did you get into your sport?My parents like playing table tennis very much and they taught me how to play at the very beginning. Then when I was in primary school, I was selected by the coach in my school and began my regular training from then on.

Who or what motivates you?I think the confidence that I gain from playing table tennis motivates me a lot. People admire me when they know that I play table tennis well, so I want to be better to prove myself as a good athlete.

>>

SPORTS SC

HO

LARS

ON THE MOVE 28

What is your greatest sporting achievement so far?In 2008 I won the Under 17 National Title. Since then I have been selected for the senior England Squad for both individual and the synchronised events (which myself and my synchro partner won at our last competition for England). I came in the top 2 in the over 19 age group every competition of the season in 2010 and am currently ranked 4th in the UK for senior men’s synchronised event.

What are your future hopes and ambitions? As of February 2011, I will be competing at the top level in the UK. I will be up against members of the GB team and competitors that are ranked

amongst the top in the world. So this year, I aim to focus on my performance and not the competitive environment around me. Only then will I be able to produce my best, especially as I am competing with new moves and routines for the first time this coming season. It’s all very well to say that I want to go to the Olympics, and be the best in the world, but the only way to get there is through small steps and achievable goals, and persevering where others fall. I know that by focusing on making my own performance the best it can be, only then will my results and ambitions become a reality.

How often do you train?When not at University, I train 6 times a week with Nick Deacon (GB Youth Coach) and Sue Lawton (GB team manager and National Development Coach), doing a combination of high difficulty somersaults, moves and routines, and technical analytical training, where I work on perfecting tiny elements of my technique, by looking at frame by frame biomechanical movements and using this to improve my performance.

Whilst at university, my training has to fit around my course timetable. I have Fridays off, so where most people enjoy a lie-in, I am awake and up by 8.00am to do the 2 hour drive around the M25 to Bracknell where I train in the morning, then again in the afternoon and again on Saturday before driving back to Kent. Any cancelled lectures, or afternoons off, I see as an opportunity to go back for an evening to train and make up for the cut in hours I’ve had to make.

in my garden with my dad and my little brother. I joined my friend’s team when I was 6 and just went from there.

Who is your sporting hero and why? Alan Shearer. When I was young I supported Newcastle because of him and my dad took me up there to watch him. It was his attitude and commitment to the game that I admired.

Who or what motivates you? The thought of not being able to play football. Friends of mine have been injured and not been able to play or not been getting in the team and I have seen how they deal with it and I don't want that to happen to me. The thought of not being able to play scares me so I make sure I work hard to keep on playing.

What is your greatest sporting achievement so far? Being involved with Charlton’s reserves when I was 15, this was a huge honour as I went away with them to compete in a tournament, I learnt so much from the older players and this gave me loads of confidence. Also captaining two teams in the Southern Premiership, I captained West Ham when I was 17 and then Charlton when I was 18. These were proud moments as to have that honour at a young age proved how hard I had worked that season.

What are your future hopes and ambitions? To play with Charlton in the Premier League and become an established player in the top league. Obviously to play for your Country would be an amazing achievement too.

How has a scholarship helped you and what does it mean to be a Kent Sport Scholar? It has helped me understand how important my sport is to me and the strength and conditioning sessions I feel have already had an effect on my performance. It is an honour to be a Kent Scholar because it shows that I have been selected to represent the University due to my sporting achievements.

27 ON THE MOVE KENT.AC.UK/SPORTS

Who or what motivates you?Motivation is so important in all sports; if nothing else it spurs you on to succeed and push yourself to your limits. I am motivated by my coaches who I trust and know that the decisions they make will be the right ones. I am also driven by those around me in the sport. The competitive spirit around team mates and people I train with pushes me to strive to be the best and to achieve new moves before them. However nothing is as motivating as the feeling of success after a major event when I have performed to the best of my ability and all the hard work pays off.

How has a scholarship helped you and what does it mean to be a Kent Sport Scholar?Being a sports scholar at Kent, puts me into a group of other elite sports people who understand how competing at a top level can affect your life. The funding from the scheme also enables me to stay in training and keep myself at peek fitness with gym access and strength and condition sessions from specialist coaches. The scheme supports me as an athlete and facilitates my increasing development in the sport.

Grace CoombsFootballSports Science

How did you get into your sport? I just started playing with the boys when I first started at school, then from that I started playing

KENT.AC.UK/SPORTS

Do you excel at sport?

The University of Kent offers a range of

Sports Scholarships for students who excel in

their particular sport.

Applications for 2011/12 will be accepted

from February 2011. For further information,

visit our website.

JOIN TODAY

MEM

BERSHIP


Membership includes

Unlimited visits, use of all sports facilities including the fitness suite, and entry to ALL fitness and dance classes.

Discounts on courses, personalised fitness assessments and exercise programmes.

So what’s the difference between peak and off-peak? The only difference is the times that you are allowed to use the fitness suite (see below). Apart from that, memberships are the same.

Peak times: access to the fitness suite at all times.Off-peak: access to the fitness suite weekdays between 9-11am and 2-4pm, Saturday 9am-1pm and Sunday 10am-1pm.

Are there any extras that are not included in your membership?An additional fee is required for fitness assessments, exercise programmes, some courses/events and equipment hire.

Anyone can become a member of Kent Sport.We offer peak and off-peak memberships for University of Kent students, staff and public.

Prices

University of Kent StudentsStudent Membership (peak) £102 Student Membership (off-peak) £85

You can purchase membership online atwww.kent.ac.uk/sports or at the Sports Centre and Pavilion. Student membership is valid until 31 August 2011.

University of Kent StaffAnnual (peak) £204Annual (off-peak) £180

Complete a staff membership application form, available from the Sports Centre or our website. Return the form to Kent Sport with your staff contract, last payslip and payment. If you would like to pay via Payroll, please contact us for further details.

If you are taking out ‘partner’ membership you will also need to supply proof of ID.

PublicAdult annual (peak) £393 Adult annual (off-peak) £368

Please contact Kent Sport to join.

FEEDBA

CK

Win a sports goody bagWe are always keen to find out what you think of Kent Sport. Over the last year we have implemented ways for customers to provide feedback and ask us questions, including our Tell Us forms and online feedback form.

All feedback is reviewed and helps us to further develop what we offer to you, our users. To encourage customers to tell us what they think we regularly give away tickets to Gillingham football team’s home matches. This term all customers fully completing our feedback forms will be entered into a free prize draw to win a sports goody bag. So let us know what you think and complete a form today, available from the Sports Centre and Pavilion receptions, or online at www.kent.ac.uk/sports/comment

Also see our feature on p5, with details of the responses you gave us last year.

Non-membersKent Sport facilities are also available to non-members on a pay-as-you-go basis. Charges payable for each activity:

Student non-members: £3.10 per visitVisitors accompanying a member: £4.10 per visitPublic (during vacation times only): £5.10 per visit

Please note: The prices stated above include this year’s VAT increase.

Not actual goody bag


Documents

On The Move spring 2011