Why do we do what we do? Our activities, the Instructors. Read on to find out!
Edusports is different. There are other organisations which offer similar activities and are similar to us in many different ways, however, in a lot of ways, they're also very different. So we all provide activities, indoors and outdoors, on the water and on land. We all want to provide the best, but how do Edusports do this?
It starts off way before you possibly think. The background of Edusports is very much a teaching base. With this in mind, we come into each activity and situation with what is best for the participants, who are going to be joining us. Most of the activities, which Edusports runs, are started by one of our current participants suggesting something or asking the question. This is exactly how our Splash Squad started and most of our different programmes. It's also the case when we've asked for feedback. It was one of our participants, who came up with the statement of "Chris is built differently" when we asked for some feedback as to why they did one of the programmes with us, rather than with their school or any other organisation. And to this day, we still use that statement. Quite rightly, the boy who said it, regularly reminds us of his statement, but it's more become a fact now, where other children have also been saying it more regularly. It really has become a part of us.
Following their suggestion, we do some research and see how we could make their idea work. We think carefully, about who we're targetting it to, but also what do we, as the team, want to help the children get out of it. What do they want to get out of it? How are we going to build and develop the skills, both soft and hard, like communication, teamwork, resilience and equally the knowledge, so they can feel confident with what they're doing? The key part here is really knowing the children and participants: knowing their likes and dislikes, their challenges and fears. But equally, what is the way to help make them succeed and how far can we nudge them to push themselves, before it gets taken too far. This doesn't just happen overnight, instead, it's built on years of experience and years of getting to know your children, our participants on each and every activity. To the team at Edusports, your children are not just a number or money, they are them! A person, an individual who can achieve.
They are them! Not just money or a number. An individual, a person who can achieve with the right support!
They turn up for the first time, and we start to find out about them. Sometimes, this might be a phone call before the activity to find out, or it might be we ask them some questions before they turn up to discover who they are. If we start something new, we're always asking for feedback and getting their ideas. After all, we're just the ones facilitating it.
We're always looking to develop that activity, but through our organisation, we take and keep an eye out for Instructors:
- who show that they care.
- want the best for the group who they are going to be working with.
- has an interest in that activity
- is keen to help the group progress, and not just run the same activity again.
- who want to help us to keep on developing the activity and fit with our values.
Sometimes, not everyone fits into this for many different reasons and that is ok. However, our team know this.
But why do we do it? We've kind of gone a bit off topic, but through our model of different activities, and building the structure we have done, it has allowed us to develop a unique, professional relationship with our participants, where they can come and talk to us about many different aspects, from school to home, to anything that they want to talk or laugh about.
Through developing this relationship, we end up seeing much more than just the child as a participant. We help:
- encourage them to fulfill their potential.
- encourage them and teach them the soft skills like teamwork and trust.
- develop their confidence and self-belief, knowing that when they're pushed, they can do something.
- give them the opportunities to practice in a safe space. Do they always get it right? No. Do we always get it right? No. But we all help each other to learn from the mistakes.
And the reward that we get? Well, it's not always about what we get. Similarly to the participants, we get intrinsic rewards as well as extrinsic rewards - the feel good factor - it really is a thing. When you know you've helped them to achieve their potential, or when they've cracked something for the first time, this is a great feeling, especially when you know that they've been working really hard on it and trying to succeed. The road won't have been easy, but in the end, they will make it. Here's an example. One young participant, started in our Adventure Club. Initially, he would not go up the climbing wall at all. However, he started to build the trust and confidence in the Instructors and the team who he saw week in, week out. He started to take one foot off the wall and eventually climbed up, doing baby steps each time, but the important part was that each time, he made a little more progression than the last. Everyone around him could see the progression, because it didn't just show in our activities, but in his school work too. Ultimately, this young man needed one of the team, only one member who he would trust on the end of the rope for a long time, until one night, he was happy to have other people belaying him and this then further developed into him climbing the wall blindfolded. From not getting off the ground, to being blindfolded, just knowing we were there. It took two years of trust and professional relationship building, but the results spoke for themselves. We revisited the journey with him and he was so happy with himself. Seeing the journey and helping them through that journey is what makes a massive difference, but then also seeing them take this into different activities.
As one parent shared with us, "Just to share Ethan is loving paddle squad and was very excited to share the new things he’d learnt in the pool."
Another parent said, "My 12-year-old son joined Edusports in September, starting with the Splash Squad, then moving on to Adventure Xtreme and later the Paddle Squad also. Before joining, he often struggled with friendships and emotions, finding it difficult to cope when situations at school became challenging.
Since becoming part of Edusports, the transformation has been incredible. His confidence has soared, and he now manages tricky social situations without feeling overwhelmed. The groups are wonderfully friendly, and the young people are always welcoming, which has made such a difference. The leaders are consistently encouraging, and I truly believe having someone believe in him has been a huge boost to his self-esteem.
At the beginning of our Edusports journey, the idea of a residential felt daunting to him he was very reluctant. Yet within just a month, his mindset completely changed. He is now signed up for the mountain bike residential in February and is genuinely excited and enthusiastic about it.
Edusports has not only given him new skills but also a supportive community that has helped him grow in confidence and resilience. I couldn’t be more grateful for the positive impact it has had on him."
Ultimately, it's not just about the money. When you come to Edusports, you are not just money or a number, you're a person. But it's those inner feelings going back to our routes to help children develop in more ways than one. When they give you that smile, when they've been working hard to complete something, that smile when they've finally conquered the fear, and ultimately the knowledge knowing that you've made a difference to that child's life, that's why we do it.
So when are you going to come and join us?
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