2012
Testimonial – Coaching in the Community (Redbridge School)
I am head of rugby at Redbridge School and the main teacher that deals with the promotion of the sport and the fixtures for our only team (year 8 boys).
I would just like to express my gratitude to the university for the 3 coaches that they have supplied us with this term.
When I first talked to the boys about creating a Redbridge rugby team this year there was the usual interest but as you would expect with the kind of kids that we teach at the school, a lot of it was bravado. The kids did not fully understand what learning a sport like rugby meant and that they were going to need discipline, patience, and would have to endure some heavy defeats if they were ultimately to be successful.
Initial summer training last year had mixed results with often no more than 5 kids turning up. I purchased kit but was unsure whether I would ever actually be able to honour a fixture. At the beginning of this academic year however I organised a trip to Twickenham for 13 boys and this, plus the help from the University, has led to rugby going from strength to strength.
The coaches that have come down bring knowledge and enthusiasm but they also bring the ability to form relationships with the kids and have a laugh with them. This is not always easy as the children that we teach can be difficult and not take kindly to people they are not used to.
This has not put these coaches off, they are ALWAYS on time and well equipped and one in particular has gone way out of his way to support the boys. On one occasion he drove all the way to Portsmouth to watch a match when he knew he had to go to work straight afterwards. On another occasion he turned up to a match with a spare pair of boots because he remembered that one of my boys had mentioned that he would be forced to play in trainers.
I don't think the University fully understand how much this means to my boys, and me and for that reason I want to convey this.
These are definitely not the kind of kids that have lots of opportunities passed their way but rugby is really allowing them to be 'kids'.
On Monday of this week I had to attend a meeting and so the session was taken by the Solent coaches (another advantage as previously I would have had to call it off). When I came out after the meeting I just stood and watched the session as it was taking place. The relationship the coaches seemed to have with the kids and the content of the session was great. They had all the children training in both a well behaved manner and as a team.
One of my kids parents (a particularly difficult Y8 child) decided to contact me today and tell me directly how much her son was enjoying the sessions and the coaches and how he could not stop talking about it. Another child's head of house mentioned to me last week how rugby was allowing him to "Hang in there" at Redbridge because previously he had been in a number of fights and threatened with exclusion.
I could tell you many more stories of how rugby has already brought something special to these kids and all of this makes me believe more in what is happening with Solent's coaches. Please use this brief message as motivation to keep up the good work. It takes an awful lot to set up rugby in a school that hasn't seen it before but if ever it isn't going well then please come down to Redbridge and watch the faces of my boys light up when they put in a tackle or make a break.............you really are making a difference.
Femi Adeniran
Maths teacher and level 1 rugby coach