Swim England’s Post

Well done

Should you always build #padel courts under cover? Yes. Temperatures as low as minus 4 in #Stockport this week and snow on the ground for the first time this year ❄. We lost 48 hours of play to weather and when you also consider the impact of Storm Bert, not a great week for outdoor padel play. We always knew this was a project site to test and trial everything and so it is what it is but.. Every single Soul Padel club we open will have covered courts, not indoor courts as that's not our model, but courts with a roof and sides to protect against the "great" British weather. Us Brits are hardy souls and we do almost anything in any weather, we love the great outdoors but we dislike getting wet. Covered courts are a non-negotiable for us even when we open in #Australia... 🇦🇺 #padel #growth #sport #investment #community #weather #accessibility

Check out what our chapter has been up to and what’s coming up!

Yesterday I was lucky enough to attend the #LiveLongerBetter Celebration event and to listen to an amazing range of inspiring speakers bring to life the collaborative work that has taken place across the country. Thank you Annie Holden and Sir Muir Gray for your energy in driving this forward. I am still digesting what I heard but some initial reflections are: ·     Why it is important - Events like this remind me of why I am passionate about working in this industry. Physical activity, movement and sport does change people’s lives for the better. Enabling people to live longer happy and healthier lives, reducing loneliness and improving community cohesion.  But huge inequalities still exist, and change will only continue to be made if we work together connecting the system at a national level and local level, I want to play a role in making this happen. ·     Its not simple! We have the evidence of the huge impact being physically inactivity has from a health and economic perspective. Some amazing work from partners was shared across the day so why is not more change happening? We need consistent policy asks to make changes across multiple sectors and levels and need cross sector buy in. ·     We need to meet people where they are at – not just geographically but understanding their situation and barriers and motivations. Peoples lived experiences need to be embedded within our work and we must not assume we know what they are. I am looking forward to the release of the @WeAreUndefeatable Big Talk report to bring this to life. ·     Importance of behavioural science and language. What are our consistent messages? What resonates with people? Do we need to reinforce that something is always better than nothing, focus on what people can do for themselves. We have more work to do to ensure we build confidence around reassuring people, family and friends that moving move out ways perceived risks. ·     People age at different rates – people with different lived experiences, living in different parts of the country age differently. This reinforces the importance of incorporating movement across all aspects of the life cycle. ·     Disease is caused by the environments we live - we have designed movement out of our lives. The link between active environments and making it safe and easy for people to move more in their everyday lives is vital. It was also great to catch up with colleagues at the events and make new connections. Thank you to everyone that organised and presented at the event.

This is SO important. As fans, we revere and celebrate athletes across all sports. We recognise the dedication and sacrifice it takes to become an elite athlete. But when the time comes to retire from sport, often that’s when the real challenge begins for them. Many athletes face varied vocational, emotional and practical barriers when transitioning into work and life beyond sport. These interventions are extraordinarily valuable for elite athletes, but we also need more support from the private sector, for example by: funding more 1:1 help, supporting training and work experience, creating jobs, adjusting recruitment processes, and making reasonable adjustments to allow athletes to adapt and achieve their potential.

Community facilities are not just spaces - they are the vibrant heartbeats of our neighborhoods, nurturing much more than just physical health and fitness. These spaces are where children learn invaluable life lessons - resilience, teamwork, the importance of hard work, and the realities of both winning and losing. This, in turn has immense benefits for future generations of our communities. Being a part of a sporting community goes far beyond the physical activities. It lays the foundation for a lifetime of benefits, from improved health and fitness to building extensive networks and fostering strong mental health. I would be very interested to see a long term cost analysis of providing and maintaining community sporting facilities against the long term savings on our medical system and criminal justice system. I understand that Basketball is one of the fastest growing sports in WA and is also an inclusive sport. In this way, I recognize the significance of community facilities in contributing to shaping well-rounded individuals and fostering a sense of belonging and togetherness in our communities. Investing in these spaces means investing in the future of our society.

A time for change The current steady decline in golf club membership and vastly reduced income from the clubhouse generally, are itches that clubs are struggling to scratch. There are a small number of clubs in Scotland, relatively speaking, mainly the ‘Trophy courses’ that notice little difference or an even an increase in clubhouse income, but for the majority, these holes need plugged. The reality is that this will worsen steadily for the majority. The is no evidence to suggest otherwise as all the facts point to: 1. The impact of the financial crisis and energy costs still loom large; 2. The Covid bubble has well and truly burst. Clubs will probably reduce prices, make offers that will irritate existing members and cut costs in the wrong places. Make no mistake, there is no magic wand for the majority, but there are good practices that can reduce costs in the right places, which may offset reduced income. There have been a number of articles recently about the ‘Race to the Bottom’ and they are absolutely accurate. The race has started. Don’t be sucked into this competition as it will damage your club, maybe irreparably. We offer experienced advice at www.golf-insights.co.uk where our help may cost your club nothing at all. Don’t wait any longer or until your next committee meeting. Get in touch if you have noticed this change at your club and allow Golf Insights to help you. #scottishgolf #sgcma

Inter Club match drama is upon us. I always remember the explanation a member gave when I asked them about why they paid their annual subscription so promptly – they wanted to be part of a club set up and if good enough they were excited to be involved in an inter club team. The handicap dilemma that Irish amateur golf currently finds itself in will hopefully not detract from the 2024 version of one of the cornerstones of the amateur game here in Ireland. It is regrettable that there will have to be more attention revolving around the administration of playing and handicap records than the selection of team pairings this year. I have not been involved in this aspect of club golf over the last few years but with my imminent return to a new role at a more members-based club in the coming weeks and months, I’m looking forward to the challenge and assisting where I can. Ignoring the handicap issues for a paragraph or two, the selection of golf teams is unique in sport. The dual format of singles and pairs gives rise to many late nights and attention to detail that Luke Donald, Paul McGinley and to a lesser extent Sir Nick Faldo are all too familiar with. No doubt is some clubs’ spreadsheets containing winning margins, weather conditions and pin placements are all password protected but in all honesty, teams are normally selected based on the combined memory or lack there of about previous campaigns, grabbing victory from the jaws of defeat and nights where dog licenses were the order of the day when teams came home from a car crash in the away leg. The ability to blow one’s own trumpet or your relationship with the team captain is also a very amusing aspect of team selection once you are not on the receiving end of a demotion. Many a player has announced that the fact that they are unbeaten a home consistently over a number of previous campaigns is a good enough reason for automatic selection in the forthcoming season; one may presume that those of us in the cheap seats are happy to see them selected in the hope that the aforementioned presentation of a dog license will never be too far away thus ending this selection drama every year. Regretfully the close relationship of a player with a captain is a slightly darker aspect to the game and this ugly part of an otherwise fun and enjoyable experience can get out of hand very quickly. Every effort should be made by the Club Captain when appointing team captains to have a sense of the dynamic of each team. When hard decisions have to be made especially after semi-final victories, the responsibility should not alone fall on the shoulders of a volunteer to make a change. As always a reminder to support the opposition club when playing an away leg to leave some revenue with the host PGA professional and the caterer. 

As a part of industry week Caroline Spanton, CEO of Beicio Cymru had a Q and A session at Cardiff met with level 5 and 6 students. The points I found most interesting about her talk was that formal training is arguably not as important as practical experience in the sporting industry for example, Caroline didn't get amazing A-levels and did not complete a masters degree for sport development; However, she has a lot of experience on different director boards in a range of different sports such as Hockey, rugby, cycling and rowing. Secondly, I found it interesting that she talked about how an increase in resources such as more funding available and a higher budget doesn't necessarily equate to an increase in passion for the job you are working in. For her she was hired to a football directory board which had a greater budget and higher pay but she didn't feel as passionate for the role. Sport Industry Hub - Cardiff Metropolitan University

Keeping sports fields in top shape is a year-round job that requires strategy, resilience, and hard work. Transitioning from one season to the next takes careful planning, precise execution, and a deep understanding of what is needed to maintain a perfect playing surface. From aerating and fertilizing to mowing and watering, every detail counts. Whether you’re into footy, cricket, soccer, or rugby, we’re experts in preparing and renovating turfed sports grounds. Pictured: Turf Renovation for Heathfield Highschool. #turf #turfrenovation #turfmaintenance #assetmaintenance