Sevenoaks Sport & Wellbeing - November 2022

CH ANGING T HE FACE OF L OC AL SP OR

Since August 2017, Sevenoaks Sport & Wellbeing magazine has been championing the efforts of sports men, women and children within the Sevenoaks District, giving them a platform to place themselves in the spotlight for the entire community to see

From Olympic Gold medalists to young swimming stars, we have been providing a constant flow of sporting news for the Sevenoaks District and it will continue it will just have a different face in the future As some of you may have seen on our social media channels, from January 2023, this magazine will be rebranded to West Kent Sport & Wellbeing to incorporate sports news and events from the districts of both Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells. We will still be reporting on all manner of sports within the Sevenoaks District so fear not, you won’t be losing any coverage And we will still be FREE! Read more on page 21

SE V ENOAK S SP OR T & W ELLBEING

Sevenoaks Sport & Wellbeing magazine is published every month with free circulation in Sevenoaks, Swanley, West Kingsdown, Westerham, Edenbridge and the surrounding areas. Our main distribution points can be found at Tesco (Riverhead), The Oak Tavern (Sevenoaks), Wetherspoons (Sevenoaks), Sevenoaks Leisure Centre, Bat and Ball Sports, Sevenoaks Town FC, Sevenoaks Rugby Club, The Vine Pavilion, Otford Post Office, Swanley Town Council offices, Swanley Leisure Centre, Edenbridge Leisure Centre, Westerham FC, The Bricklayers Arms, Chipstead and The Windmill, Weald. Sevenoaks Sport & Wellbeing magazine is owned and published by One Team Media Ltd and has no ties to the district council, local town councils or any other publishers Whilst every care has been taken to ensure that the data in this publication

is accurate at the time of going to press, One Team Media Ltd. can not accept liability to any party for loss or damage caused by errors or omissions resulting from negligence, accident or any other cause. We are unable to check claims made by advertisers are legal and truthful and that all products and services are safe One Team Media Ltd does not accept any liability in relation to advertisements placed.

The Team Steve Rowley

Publishing Editor & Founder steve@oneteammedia co uk Lorraine Rowley

Features Editor & Events Co ordinator lorraine@oneteammedia co uk Georgia Randall Junior Associate & Reporter georgia@oneteammedia.co.uk

Our regular contributors: Frank Baldwin Travel Editor

Jason Crow Better Body Group

Andrew Gidley Sevenoaks Town FC Jenny Godfrey Sevenoaks Swimming Gordon MacLelland WWPIS Magdalena Marvell Persea Clinic

Laura Trott Sevenoaks & Swanley MP

Editorial enquiries

editorial@oneteammedia co uk

sales

co uk

Contact us Email: info@oneteammedia.co.uk

www sevenoakssports co uk

@SSandWellbeing

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Hello, W

elcome to November! You will see from the article on page one that we are expanding and evolving this magazine from January This is a very exciting time for us as we incorporate more sports clubs and their news for your enjoyment.

Firstly however, we have another packed issue for you to get your teeth into, including a report from Sevenoaks Hockey Club members competing at the World Masters in South Africa. Plus they’ve gone pink once again, this time for Against Breast Cancer.

S evenoaks Hockey player s r ock the World Mas ter s Hockey Club players among the best in South Africa

We also have the story of Derek and Kevin, two former Sevenoaks Football League Secretaries whose joint time in office had spanned a mere 45 years. Travel Editor, Frank Baldwin, is off to Tignes to see what changes are on the horizon in the French resort.

The Better Body Group are here with their advice on resistance training and ijury prevention, whilst Working with Parents in Sport look at how we can help our children’s mental health

Magdalena, our resident nutritionist provides some advice on stress and how it can be a precursor to disease, and she whips up a Mexican quinoa soup, a dish which is rich in complex carbohydrates which will allow the body to unwind and relax

So until next month, make some soup, stay warm and safe, and we’ll see you on the cold and windy sidelines.

Kind regards, Steve

Do our thought pa t terns make us sick ?

Magdalena looks at stress and the precursors to disease

Steve Rowley Publishing Editor & Founder

Travel Editor, Frank Baldwin, hits the slopes in France

SEVENOAKS TOWN REFOCUS THEIR EFFORTS ON THE ISTHMIAN LE AGUE

Sevenoaks Town have already turned the screw on their season after losses in the Emirates FA Cup and the Isuzu FA Trophy last month

Town’s historic run in the Emirates FA Cup came to an end in October after their short trip to National League South side Ebbsfleet United ended in a 2 0 defeat

Two second half goals ultimately ended the tie which was Sevenoaks’ best ever FA Cup run, getting to the Fourth Qualifying Round stage

Town lost striker Ryan Gondoh after just two minutes to a hamstring injury but his replacement, Freddie Parker, was the first to come close to opening the scoring on a sunny afternoon in Kent Sevenoaks then got the ball in the back of the net after Karn Miller Neave’s wonderful free kick was met by captain Corey Holder, but his header was immediately ruled out for offside Ebbsfleet were hanging on but two second half strikes finished off the match and Sevenoaks’ dream of a place in the first round proper

Town’s manager Harry Hudson said after the defeat: “I am proud because of the performance that we showed, but it feels

like we could have caused a huge upset.

The club has done themselves proud and that’s really important. Ebbsfleet knew they were in for a game It’s been an awesome cup run Now I’m looking forward to focusing on the league ”

So back to the league it was, and up first was local rivals Corinthian. Hudson admitted after the 1 0 defeat, that it was the worst display so far in his time in charge and it was not helped by losing Yahya Bamba (ankle) and Sammy Johnson (concussion) to his mounting injury list

Next up was Sheppey away and in a hard fought game, Sevenoaks were back on track in the league after a slender 1 0 win thanks to an own goal Then it was on the road once again, this time the small trip to Thanet to face Ramsgate where Sevenoaks came away winners in a 4 2 goalfest to put themselves in a great position going into the winter months.

With new players arriving at the end of the month, it is great timing as they’ll be needed very soon as Sevenoaks play league catch up

Sevenoaks Town are rebuilding their season and squad af ter a number of significant injuries have lef t them needing more player s. Credit : Ma t t W hite

S triker Freddie Parker in ac tion agains t Sheppey United. Credit : Ma t t W hite

HC K N OLE PAR K AR E SIMPLY UNSTO PPA BLE ON CE MOR E

HC Knole Park’s teams are picking up three points every week it seems, and with the U16B Girls progressing to the next round of the England Hockey Cup, they are simply unstoppable

After the half term break the Men’s 1s took on Burnt Ash 3s In a one sided match, Knole Park dominated throughout winning 7 2. Duncan Parnis opened the scoring with a smart finish from a penalty corner, before doubling the advantage flicking the ball off the crossbar from the next penalty corner. Matt Goodwin scored his first team goal roofing the ball after a through ball from Parnis to make it 3 0 at the break

The second half was more of the same as Parnis scored two more penalty corners, Ted Jones put away a very good finish, and Michael Holness scored his second of the season from close range A couple of late breakaways meant the final score was 7 2 The win moves Knole Park up to third in the league

The Women’s 2s team beat Gravesend 2s 10 0 Ines Gascoyne Day was on fire as she netted a double hat trick with some outstanding finishes Lucie Jones, Matilda Denbow, Farrah Hilden, and Cara Gould all scored singles in the win Both women’s teams continue at the top of their respective leagues

Knole Park’s U18 Girls continued their fantastic start to the season with a 6 5 over Brighton & Hove. Always a tough match, the Knole Park girls knew they would have to work hard for the win. Indeed, it was the side from the South coast who took an early lead However, goals from Mackenzie Ward, Amelie Allen and Annabel Cheveley gave Knole Park a 3 2 lead at half time. Lottie Bingham extended the league after the break with a superb forehand strike, only for Brighton & Hove to score two quick goals and make it 4 4 Two penalty corners; one from Allen and the other from Bingham however gave the girls a 6 5 win and keeps them top of the South East U18 League.

The U16B Girls were the only team to be drawn in the next round of the England

Hockey Cup as all the other sides received byes The girls had a tough tie against Surbiton HC, and it was Surbiton who took the lead However, the silky skills of Elsa Taylor tied things up almost immediately to make it 1 1 after ten minutes

A superb backhand from Mali Nicholls made it 2 1 before Surbiton scored just before half time. The second half was a fantastic match as both sides had chances to take the league. Knole Park’s Taylor broke the second half deadlock however with another smart finish to make it 3 2. This time set up by player of the match

Evie Whitehead before Nicholls scored her second of the match with a rasping backhand into the bottom corner A 4 2 win and onto the next round.

RADNOR HOUSE GIRLS ENJOY SUCCESS AT NATIONAL FOOTBALL FESTIVAL

With a gender equal approach to sport that sees football as a core sport for both boys and girls at Radnor House in Sevenoaks, it is no wonder that their girls U11, U13 and U15 teams enjoyed great success at the recent ISA Girls’ National Football Festival in Ascot

The football coaching programme at Radnor is led by Osman Kamil, a former professional academy player and a UEFA qualified coach, recently coaching at Charlton Athletic’s academy.

Osman praised the girls for their “excellent” football throughout the tournament which saw the U11s reach the final of the U11 shield competition, while the U13s reached the quarter finals of the tournament

However, it was the U15s from Radnor who were the standout team of the tournament, crowned champions after winning a penalty shootout thriller against Kings High Warwick in the final

Speaking about the success of the girls’ teams on the pitch this season, Osman praised the players saying: “They are training hard, enjoying the game and showing great commitment to their teams.

“I am really excited to see football at Radnor going from strength to strength

and am proud of the success that we are enjoying in National competitions. The pre season training programme we run enables pupils to develop their

skills and knowledge of the game in preparation for the season ahead, and the time and effort that the players put in is certainly paying off.”

Radnor House were excep tional a t the recent IS A Girls’ Na tional Foo tball Fes ti val in A sco t Below, from lef t to right : Radnor House U11, U15 and U13

SE VENOAKS PL AYERS ROC K THE WOR LD MASTERS C HAMPIONSHIPS IN CAPE TOW N

Sevenoaks Hockey Club recently celebrated the return of several club players from the World Masters Championships held in Cape Town, South Africa, with coach Richard Young also in the frame with his O65 women’s team taking gold against the USA.

Sevenoaks players in South Africa were:

• Julie Nicholson was on the winning WO65 team, coached by Richard Young

• David Smith (MO40) gold medallist

• Ben Allberry (MO35) gold medallist

• Simon Slater played for South Africa’s MO45 “Spirit of Masters” squad

Richard Young said of his Women’s O65 final win over the USA: “World Cup secured, World Cup over Next mission retaining the European Cup in Valencia Thank you Cape Town An amazing place”.

England Masters return from Cape Town with nine medals an England Hockey report

England’s International Masters’ squads returned from the Master’s World Cup in Cape Town, South Africa as the most successful country in the world, with five Gold, two Silver and two Bronze

medals to add the four Golds won in Nottingham in August

Masters’ hockey is based on five year age groups and having won all four golds in the Women’s and Men’s 035/040 sections in Nottingham, the Women’s 050/055/060/065 and Men’s 055 B squad came back with Gold from Cape Town In addition, the Women’s 045s and the Men’s 055s won silver and the men’s 045/050s claimed bronze In the finals, the Women’s 060s led the way with a 5 0 victory over Scotland All the damage was done in the first half with five different scorers Helen Royan took her tally to seven for the tournament and won the highest goal scorer award

The Women’s 065s beat Scotland 2 0; with Mary Pawson and Margaret Bottomley scoring the all important goals in the first period Mary ended up the highest goal scorer with seven goals The same scoreline won gold for the Women’s 050s against Argentina, with goals either side of half time for Julia Butterworth and Diane Bellin Captain Sarah Bamfield claimed the highest goal scorer award

Finally, the Women’s 55 beat Scotland 1 0 in a close encounter with Liz Cleverly

scoring the winning goal in the 16th minute Again, England had the highest goal scorer in Linda Webb with ten goals

The Men’s 055 ‘B’ squad in the Spirit of Masters brought home the fifth gold beating hosts South Africa in a ten goal thriller 6 4. After 58 minutes England appeared to be cruising to victory when Ian Konrath scored his second following another brace from Richard Candy, however, South Africa hit back scoring three late goals, but England held out to claim Gold

Silver medals were won by the Women’s O45s losing in their final 1 3 to Argentina and the Men’s O55s losing to The Netherlands 0 2 The Bronze medals came from victory in 3/4th play offs; the Men’s 45s and 50s beating South Africa, 4 2 and 4 1 respectively

A tremendous return for the England Squads, without doubt the strongest country in the world in Masters’ Hockey

• The original report appeared on the England Hockey website at englandhockey.co.uk/media/news/ masters world cup south africa october 2022

England Women’s O65 team fea turing Sevenoaks’ Julie Nicholson and coach Richard Young

Dav id Smith (MO40) and Ben Allberr y (MO35) in South Africa

AG AIN FOR BRE A S T CANCER

Sevenoaks Hockey club turned pink at the end of October as they supported Breast Cancer Awareness Month raising over £1,000 for the charity Against Breast Cancer, and the donations are still coming in The weekend was organised by “Pia and Pecka” as they are fondly known in the club, who encouraged teams to wear any item of pink clothing, held a Pink Raffle, ran a cake sale and received donations for ‘Guess how many Percy Pigs in a jar’. The club’s U14 Girls Development Squad also held their own cake stall at their training session and raised a whopping £77 Pecka, aka Michele Harvey, was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer four years ago and after extensive treatment is back on the hockey pitch raising money for this amazing cause Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK Statistics show that almost half of women never check their breasts so we want to encourage you to remember to do this. The good news is that the survival rate has doubled in the past 40 years The ladies of Sevenoaks Hockey Club would like to say a huge thank you to all the donors including: Nizels, Knole Golf Club, Bat & Ball Sports, GB's Ellie Rayer, England & GB Stars, Matthew Stadlen, Hastings United FC, Up & Running, Dr Dennis Gross, John Higgs, Grays, Delihut, Vine Clubhouse, The Anchor Pub and Sencio Leisure Centre

T Y : A BOU

Against Breast Cancer’s story starts from humble beginnings and is of the personal crusade of Dr Anthony Leathem and his wife Patricia in their joint quest for a future free of breast cancer

Today, Against Breast Cancer funds pioneering research into new treatments, tools for earlier diagnosis and advice to reduce the risk of recurrence and secondary spread. Working with expert scientists we want to increase the survival rates of all breast cancer patients and ultimately, discover a vaccine against breast cancer.

From small beginnings

Thirty years ago Anthony was a pathologist at the Middlesex Hospital (later University College London); his wife Patricia a breast cancer theatre nurse at Oxford’s Churchill Hospital. Upset by the number of post mortems he carried out each day on young women with breast cancer, Anthony started carrying out research into breast cancer survival He had his UCL salary and the backing of the Dean, but no budget for the research itself Undaunted, the couple took the matter into their own hands literally.

Patricia wrote to schools, chambers of commerce and women’s organisations. She involved her friends in collection days outside supermarkets, and set aside a room in her Oxfordshire home to produce all the fundraising materials She said: “When I held the first cheque

for £50, I thought the thrill would last me a lifetime.”

Sweet smell of success

Patricia then planted her entire allotment with sweet peas and sold them at her front door accompanied by leaflets explaining the research “It went phenomenally well”, she remembers “and when the flowers ran out, we switched to ginger cakes ” News of Anthony’s research and the couple’s stellar fundraising efforts soon spread

Doctor at the tube

What really caught the public imagination and put the charity on a national footing was the sight of Anthony in his white lab coat outside Oxford Circus Tube Station rattling a tin for his own research An amazed passer by went straight to Fleet Street and the press did the rest. Reporters and TV crews descended on Anthony and Patricia’s Long Wittenham home to find out more about this extraordinary couple and what they were fighting for.

In their first year they raised £15,000 In 1987, the Lancet published results of Anthony’s research, which had identified a chemical difference between aggressive and non aggressive breast cancer cells.

Following the worldwide interest generated by this research breakthrough, the couple dipped into their joint salaries to set up a charitable fund. In 1993

Against Breast Cancer was born with Patricia as Director In 1998 she was voted Oxfordshire Woman of the Year

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CANCER

They’ve come a long way

The goodwill, generosity and tireless efforts of their volunteers, patrons, donors and supporters have enabled researchers at the University of Westminster and the University of Oxford to carry out novel research to improve breast cancer detection and survival by funding their salaries, equipment and lab space.

Their collection of biological samples and diet and lifestyle information from breast cancer patients was completed in 2015, and provides a vital resource for understanding risk factors associated with secondary spread and for research into diagnosis, treatment and vaccine design

In 2018, one of the charity’s main research teams moved into the brand new Centre for Cancer Immunology at the University of Southampton, with further research bases maintained at Oriel College, University of Oxford, Barts Cancer Institute, London, and the University of Sheffield.

Patricia and Anthony continued as Trustees of the charity until recently and remain a continuing source of inspiration and advice to the research teams

Today, Against Breast Cancer fund research projects to the value of £4 million, and its researchers have continued to make advances in their search to prevent secondary spread, increase survival and ultimately discover the Holy Grail a vaccine to prevent the disease But our story can only carry on with your continued support.

• Against Breast Cancer funds pioneering research into new treatments, tools for earlier diagnosis and advice to reduce the risk of recurrence and secondary spread

Visit againstbreastcancer.org.uk for more information

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ENO AK S RUGBY CL UB‘ S SE A S ON IS S T ILL T O GE T GOING

Sevenoaks Rugby Club returned to their home ground at The Paddock in October as drainage works to the pitch in the summer were finally corrected by Sevenoaks Town Council and given the green light by the RFU

The Mighty Oaks hosted Canterbury in their first game back at Plymouth Drive since beating Hertford back in April a match that gave them the London & SE Premier Division title

Now playing in England Rugby’s National League 2 East, much has been said and written about the turmoil surrounding the state of the pitch at Knole Paddock, but it was lovely to finally get back home and to watch some superb rugby at the

same time Canterbury had brought their A game to Sevenoaks and after a close fought match, the home side came out on top winning 26 17 To top the day off, Oaks kicker Ben Adams was named the National League Rugby Player of the Week.

Either side of that home game, Sevenoaks were unlucky not to gain more points on the road as they went down 24 19 away at Rochford Hundred and then narrowly missing out 29 24 at Barnes

Sevenoaks will host Old Albanians, their rearranged match versus Blackheath, and then Henley in November with a day trip away at Guernsey on the 12th

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Two Sevenoaks Rugby Club players reached huge milestones in October as Charlie Naismith (pictured left centre played his 150th game for the club whilst Jonny Short (below) hit the 100 mark

Both players have been an integral part of Head Coach Adam Bowman’s senior squad over the years and have enjoyed double promotions with the club including Champions of England Rugby’s London & SE Premier Division last season

12 7 1

1 Cudham United 6 5 1 0 17

2 London South Utd Seniors 3 3 0 0 10

3 Spor ting Croydon 5 3 0 2 15

4 Sydenham Spor ts 5 3 0 2 16

5 Catford Wanderers (2008 ) 3 2 1 0 10 5 5 7

6 Croygas Phoenix 2 0 0 2 3 5 2 0

7 Sevenoaks Town 2 0 0 2 0 5 5 0

8 Westerham Seniors 4 0 0 4 5 14 9 0

9 Chipstead 4 0 0 4 4 17 13 0

1 Old Pepys 4 4 0 0 26 4 22 12

2 London South Utd 3 3 0 0 16 4 12 9

3 Spor ting Club T smead 4 2 2 0 22 13 9 8

4 Orpington 4 2 1 1 8 4 4 7

5 Bromleians B 5 2 1 2 17 16 1 7

6 Greenways Aces 2 2 0 0 10 3 7 6

7 Hoo Red 4 2 0 2 12 11 1 6

8 Longlands Athletic 6 1 1 4 14 21 7 4

9 Slade Green Knights Green 3 0 2 1 4 6 2 2

10 Warlingham Super 5 0 1 4 7 25 18 1

11 AFC Green Cour t 4 0 0 4 5 34 29 0

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2 St Lawrence 5 3 1 1 16 8 8 10

3 FC Revo 5 3 1 1 8 4 4 10

4 Hawkenbur y 5 2 3 0 5 4 1 9

5 Leigh 3 2 0 1 13 7 6 6

6 Penshurst Park 5 1 2 2 13 10 3 5

7 Westerham 4 0 3 1 7 11 4 3

8 Ide Hill 3rd 5 0 2 3 8 13 -5 2

9 Malgo 1 0 0 1 3 5 2 0

10 Wateringbur y Wanderers 2 0 0 2 1 11 10 0

11 Tunbridge Wells Youth 3 0 0 3 0 23 23 0

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2 AFC Orpington 5 3 1 1 9 6 3 10

3 Horsmonden 4 3 0 1 8 4 4 9

4 Eynsford 5 2 2 1 15 14 1 8

5 Halls AFC 3rd 6 2 2 2 14 16 2 8

6 Kemsing United 3 2 1 0 7 4 3 7

7 Tunbridge Wells Foresters 3 2 0 1 10 3 7 6 8 Pembur y 7 2 0

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P W D L F A D P ts

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2 Ellis Athletic 4 2 1 1 11 9 2 7

3 Orpington 4 2 1 1 7 9 2 7

4 Greenwich Mariners 2 1 1 0 5 4 1 4

5 Crayford Arrows 1 1 0 0 4 2 2 3

6 DC Football Club 3 1 0 2 7 6 1 3

7 Chislehurst 2 1 0 1 4 3 1 3

8 Brockley 2 0 1 1 4 5 1 1

9 Manor wood 2 0 1 1 3 5 2 1

10 Glebe Manor 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

11 Hayden Youth Assoc Res 3 0 0 3 5 12 7 0

P W D L F A D P ts

1 Green Street Green 4 3 1 0 16 4 12 10

2 Benhurst United 3 2 1 0 23 3 20 7

3 Hawksbrook Wanderers 5 2 1 2

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Kingsdale 2 1 1 0 5 2

7 Westerham Wolves 3 1 1 1

8 Pet ts Wood Road Runners 3 1 1 1 3

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10 Bromley Athletic SE Ballers 3 1 0 2 10 14 4 3

11 Hayes & Pickhurst Res 4 0 0 4 2 20 18 0

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2 Edenbridge 4 3 0 1 154 58 96 1 14

Aylesford Bulls III 4 3 0 1 113 53 60 0 13

4 Lordswood II 4 2 0 2 101 107 56 0 10

5 Old Gravesendians

6 Maidstone Mustangs

4 2 0 2 74 83 9 0 10

4 1 0 3 89 117 28 1 8

7 Sheppey II 2 1 0 1 41 62 21 0 5

8 New Ash Green II 3 0 0 3 24 109 85 1 4

Gravesend IV 2 0 0 2 5 85 80 0 1

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3 Southend Saints

4 Westcliff

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1 45 79 34 0 17

2 0 1 150 36 114 0 12

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7 Aylesford Bulls 2 1 0 1 41 74 33 0 6

8 New Ash Green

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2 Cheshunt 2 2 0 0 41 17 24 0 10

3 Rochford Hundred 2 1 1 0 70 17 53 0 8

4 Hackney II 2 1 0 1 103 22 81 0 7

5 Witham 3 0 0 3 5 211 206 0 6

6 Stanford Le Hope 2 0 0 2 24 38 14 0 4

7 Swanley Black Swans 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0*

P W D L F A D P ts

1 Southgate 5 5 0 0 28 7 21 15

2 Team Bath Buccaneers 5 4 0 1 10 8 2 12

3 Old Loughtonians 5 3 0 2 17 10 7 9

Sevenoaks 5 3 0 2 9 6 3 9

5 Canterbur y 5 3 0 2 11 10 1 9

6 Teddington 5 3 0 2 11 12 1 9

7 Brighton & Hove 5 1 1 3 10 19 9 4

8 Oxford Hawks 5 1 0 4 4 17 13 3

9 Universit y of Bristol 5 0 2 3 7 10 3 2

10 Old Cranleighan 5 0 1 4 7 15 8 1

P W D L F A D P ts

1 Aldershot & Farnham 5 4 1 0 17 6 11 13

2 Holcombe 2nd 4 4 0 0 16 4 12 12

3 Old Georgians 2nd 4 4 0 0 15 4 11 12

4 Sevenoaks 2nd 5 3 1 1 11 10 1 10

5 Tunbridge Wells 5 2 1 2 14 8 6 7

6 Horsham 5 2 0 3 10 12 2 6

7 Eastbourne 5 2 0 3 11 20 9 6

8 Blackheath & Elthamians 4 1 1 2 7 8 1 4

9 Woking 4 1 1 2 5 8 3 4

10 Sit tingbourne 5 1 0 4 6 14 8 3

11 Canterbur y 2nd 5 0 2 3 7 15 8 2

12 Lewes 5 0 1 4 6 16 10 1

P W D L F A D P ts

1 Sevenoaks 3rd 5 4 1 0 17 4 13 13

2 Old Williamsonian's 2nd 5 4 0 1 18 3 15 12

3 Clif tonville 5 4 0 1 23 14 9 12

4 Blackheath & E’mians 2nd 5 3 1 1 19 4 15 10

5 Folkestone Optimist 2nd 5 2 1 2 13 13 0 7

6 Gillingham Anchorians 5

P W D L F A D

1 Deal 5 4 1 0 26 11 15 13

2 Universit y Of Kent 5 4 0 1 18 8 10 12

3 Knole Park 5 3 1 1 28 14 14 10

4 Tunbridge Wells 3rd 5 3 1 1 16 13 3 10

5 Sut ton Valence 5 2 3 0 14 9 5 9

6 Burnt Ash 3rd 5 2 1 2 10 13 3 7

7 Sevenoaks 5th 5 2 1 2 11 15 4 7

8 Gillingham Anchorians 2nd 5 2 0 3 11 18 7 6

9 Gravesham & Wellcome 5 1 1 3 12 14 2 4

10 B’heath & E’mians Heath’s 5 1 1 3 7 22 15 3

11 Sit tingbourne 3rd 5 0 2 3 11 16 5 2

12 Gore Cour t 3rd 5 0 0 5 7 18 11 1

P W D

1 Isca & Universit y of Exeter 5 4 1 0 16 3 13 13

2 Barnes 5 4 1 0 15 4 11 13

3 Slough 5 3 1 1 8 5 3 10

4 Sevenoaks 5 3 0 2 12 7 5 9

5 Wimbledon 2nd 5 2 1 2 6 12 6 7

6 Canterbur y 5 2 0 3 9 10 1 6

7 Harleston Magpies 5 2 0 3 5 8 3 6

8 Surbiton 2nd 5 1 2 2 6 8 2 5

9 Witney 5 1 0 4 4 9 5 3

10 Cambridge Cit y 5 0 0 5 3 18 15 0

P W D L F A D P ts

1 Old Georgians 5 5 0 0 33 2 31 15

2 Brighton & Hove 5 5 0 0 14 5 9 15

3 Sevenoaks 2nd 5 4 1 0 17 3 14 13

4 Folkestone Optimist 5 3 1 1 13 6 7 10

5 Woking 5 2 1 2 14 9 5 7

6 Canterbur y 2nd 4 2 1 1 7 10 3 7

7 Epsom 5 1 2 2 6 11 5 5

8 Bromley & Beckenham 5 1 1 3 9 13 4 4

9 Eastbourne 5 1 1 3 4 12 8 4

10 Oxted 4 1 0 3 4 16 12 3

11 Aldershot & Farnham 5 0 0 5 2 15 13 0

12 Maidstone 5 0 0 5 4 25 21 0

P W D L F A D P ts

1 Holcombe 2nd 5 5 0 0 12 1 11 15

2 Tunbridge Wells 5 5 0 0 13 4 9 15

3 Burnt Ash 5 3 1 1 9 5 4 10

4 Blackheath & Elthamians 5 3 0 2 4 2 2 9

5 Ashford 5 2 1 2 8 7 1 7

6 Canterbur y 3rd 5 2 1 2 6 6 0 7

7 Sevenoaks 3rd 5 2 0 3 10 6 4 6

8 Marden Russets 5 2 0 3 5 6 1 6

9 Sevenoaks Acorns 5 2 0 3 11 15 4 6

10 Ashford 2nd 5 1 0 4 4 9 5 3

11 Bromley & Beckenham 2nd 5 1 0 4 1 14 13 3

12 Bexleyheath & Belvedere 5 0 1 4 9 17 8 1

1 Knole Park

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insight, analysis and data for key decision making

Committed sponsor of local sports clubs, promoting the important role sport plays in keeping our community active, healthy and focussed.

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EN OAKS V INE ANN OUNCE NE W DIR EC TOR OF CR IC K E T FOR 2023

Sevenoaks Vine Cricket Club have announced that Ben Price has taken on the role as Director of Cricket moving forward into 2023

When asked about his new role Ben said: “I can’t wait to get started It is certainly something different for me but we have the basis of a very good squad at the club and some extremely promising players coming through the junior ranks

“I am very excited that we have Luke Schlemmer staying on as 1st XI captain and Mike Barber as Coach. It will be our job to try to grow the club from the junior & girls section right the way through into the Senior & Womens cricket and to ensure we are competing for trophies on every level It’s going to be great to see what we can achieve as a club in 2023”.

SW IMMIN G CLUB R EORG ANISE AF TER HE AD COAC H PIPER S DEPAR TUR E

Sevenoaks Swimming Club have said farewell to their Head Coach Keiron Piper He is off to Millfield School in Somerset to lead a squad of national quality athletes

Chair of Sevenoaks Swimming Club, Tony King, said: “Keiron has been with Sevenoaks Swimming Club for just over four years and he has done a fantastic job for us He guided us through lockdown

and the club has come out even stronger since this difficult period We had our best ever results at the Nationals this year. We wish him all the best for his future career and we will all miss him ” Sevenoaks have announced that their new Head Coach will be Matt Paget Matt is currently Head Coach of Watford Swimming Club and will be joining the Red Army in January

Just after Keiron’s departure, and with the start of the new season the club were delighted to announce the names of their new Club Captains and Vice Club Captains; Club Captains are Imogen Stoddart and Jaedon Lynch. Vice Captains are Scarlett Brady and Noah Enticknap.

National Arena League

Sevenoaks Swimming Club recently competed in the National Arena League Round One, sending two teams. Team A travelled to Guildford whilst Team B swam at Maidstone. Both teams swam hard and fast, producing some great personal bests and team relay times. Team A finished 2nd and Team B, swimming against other Club’s A teams, finished an incredible 4th. The National Arena League is a real team effort, requiring the combined effort of all swimmers and vocal encouragement from its supporters. The club effort behind this evening of racing was fantastic and is set to be repeated on November 12th for the second round

UNBRIDGE

To celebrate over five years in print we thought we would share some very exciting news with you Sevenoaks Sport & Wellbeing is expanding and evolving this January! Since it’s inception in 2017, the magazine has grown exponentially within the Sevenoaks Disttict Using it’s platform to help thousands of local sporting individuals, clubs, schools and charities, it has also celebrated it’s achievements as a multiple award winning publication for it’s community involvement and support in encourgaing a greater participation in sport in the local area

Throughout this time Sevenoaks Sport & Wellbeing were aware of the want and desire from neighbouring districts to have the same dedicated publication to help promote and highlight their grassroots clubs and groups.

Sevenoaks Sport & Wellbeing felt that the time was now right to expand and evolve the publication to incorporate the other local districts, Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells.

So from January 2023, Sevenoaks Sport & Wellbeing magazine will become West Kent Sport & Wellbeing magazine. It will still be local, as the magazine will be split into four parts, with regionalised content for Sevenoaks, Tunbridge Wells and Tonbridge, plus non region specific features such as the Fitness, Nutrition, Mental Health and Psychology columns It will still report on all manner of sports within the Sevenoaks District so fear not, you won’t be losing any coverage. And it will still be FREE!

If not already, you will start to see some changes across the social media pages of the business in the coming weeks as it is rebranded to @WestKentSport, and the website will evolve inline with the magazine in the new year to reflect the changes as well

A new URL localsportsnews.co.uk will come into play and it will be

preceded with the relevant area of news, so for example sevenoaks.localsportsnews.co.uk, tunwells.localsportsnews.co.uk and tonbridge.localsportsnews.co.uk. The weekly stats report has already been rebranded and it now includes football clubs, rugby clubs and hockey clubs from Tonbridge, Tunbridge Wells and the surrounding areas. These include but are not limited to: Tonbridge Angels FC, Tonbridge Juddian RFC, RTW Monson Swimming Club, Tunbridge Wells FC, Rusthall FC, Tunbridge Wells Foresters FC, Tunbridge Wells RFC, Tunbridge Wells Hockey Club, Cranbrook RFC, plus teams from the Paddock Wood and Borough Green areas too.

West Kent Sport & Wellbeing will work closely with all the new teams and clubs within the region and as a long time supporter of the business, it is hoped that you will join us to celebrate these changes as it moves forward, and to also welcome the new members to the sporting family.

• If you are a business in the Tunbridge Wells or Tonbridge area and would like to discuss how West Kent & Wellbeing magazine can help your business please email advertising@oneteammedia.co.uk. Alternatively should you wish to become a stockist of the free to pick up magazine, please contact the Editor directly at steve@oneteammedia.co.uk.

Wes t Kent Spor t & Wellbeing w ill incorpora te Tunbridge Wells and Tonbridge clubs in the new year such as Tunbridge Wells Fores ter s FC ladies 2nd above

Derek Hodge had barely finished one year on the League Council and therefore, very much a ‘rookie’ in terms of League Management when approached by a group of League Council members, disenchanted with the downward trend of the local league

Derek was asked to see whether he was interested in being elected to the position of Secretary at the forthcoming Annual General Meeting

Already married with a young family and had been a local Club Secretary, Derek gave careful thought to the matter and confirmed he was happy to go into the melting pot with the proviso he would stand for election and initially would serve for five years

Derek’s philosophy has always been ‘if you are going to do a job, it is worth doing it well’. He immediately arranged an interview with Russ Perkins, Sports Editor of the Sevenoaks Chronicle to discuss the league appointment and his ambition of putting the league on the footballing map. There were just 31 teams in the league at the time Firstly, it was arranged for a weekly Round up of the league action to be sent to the Chronicle. As the years progressed, Cup Final reports and the weekly Round up became much more of a feature with the photographers and Sports Editors of the time playing their parts

At this stage, Tony Hudd, Kent Messenger Sports Editor also took on board the weekly reports in addition to the Sunday Express accepting the results.

Derek succeeded the late Norman Chatfield as Secretary, with John Bellamy a former player with Riverhead United as Chairman and Charles Goold as Treasurer.

At the time the league was in desperate need of funds due to the previous Treasurer disappearing with the funds Thus all member clubs were requested to pay a certain figure to put the league in credit once again

One of Derek’s early tasks and indeed an onerous one at that, came about when the Chairman, who was a member of the KCFA asked him to arrange the Annual General Meeting of the County in Sevenoaks It would require obtaining sponsorship, a venue and lunch for KCFA members and

guests followed by a meeting in all totally about 250 people If successful it would be the first time Sevenoaks had been asked to stage the meeting since 1956 and indeed an honour. Derek set about obtaining sponsorship which was achieved and arranged for the entire function through Harris and Dixon Insurance Brokers The function was hosted by the Sevenoaks Social Club by courtesy of President John Crick and supporting staff. It was a complete success

Thereafter and as the seasons progressed a Sevenoaks League Under 18 Team was introduced to compete in a Kent Cup Competition, followed by an annual Sports Quiz Competition for Clubs which was very popular. A 75th Anniversary Inter League match with the Dartford League was arranged in 1981 followed by a Dinner/Dance at the Spinning Wheel Restaurant, Westerham

Other credits included the formation of the Coaching School for youngsters sponsored by Plasmarc of Dunton Green. An annual League Presentation Evening for all clubs was introduced, which at the time was popular, at the peak approximately 200 people attended One such event at a venue off of the A20 at Wrotham Heath concluded when a player snatched a fire extinguisher off of the wall in the corridor, squirting the foam all over the carpet and walls. This act of vandalism cost the league over £100 to clean up the mess. At the time one wondered whether it was worth arranging the evening

All of this was done to increase interest and membership Indeed the number of Clubs increased and in 1992 there were 49 teams divided into five Divisions.

Prior to this a Biennial Dinner/Dance was arranged to take place at The Grasshopper, Westerham with Trevor Brooking and his wife Hilgard as guests of honour. Sponsorship of the league followed with Hire It at Riverhead being involved.

In 2002 an Arsenal Ex Professional Celebrity X1 played a Charity Match at Greatness Park against a Sevenoaks League Select X1 with well in excess of 1000 spectators attending In October

2006 a Centenary Dinner/Dance with cabaret was held at The Thistle Hotel, Brands Hatch with 200 guests attending Barry Bright, Vice Chairman of the FA and Chairman of the KCFA attended while Bob ‘The Cat’ Bevan entertained the audience

In 2011 Derek decided to retire and handed over to a highly capable Kevin Turner. Kevin was well known for his goal scoring exploits for Riverhead United and Chipstead before a problematic knee injury curtailed his playing career.

A well known and respected Referee, Kevin became Referees Appointment Secretary for the League at the AGM in July 2001 having previously held the position with the Sevenoaks Charity Cup Competition

Therefore, Kevin was well versed with the administration of the Sevenoaks and District Football League when he was elected to succeed at the league AGM in July 2011

By now the administration duties were very much orchestrated by emails and the internet in contrast to his predecessors Kevin soon settled into the position and it was not long before the Tonbridge and District Football league folded due to the demise of many Clubs and various meetings took place to discuss who was still interested in competitive Saturday afternoon football

In effect the local league benefitted from this and a number of clubs were voted into the Competition at the AGM and it created additional interest for our own teams although there was more travelling to cope with

The nature of league administration was changing as The Football Association were getting more directly involved particularly where the subject of Rules were concerned Also, the policy of players Registration, Match Results etc A League Secretary’s administrative position was changing all the time.

Another league was in demise being the Maidstone and District League. Not unlike the Tonbridge League it was much more extensive than our own with considerably more clubs and teams Again the local league benefitted albeit to a lesser extent

The whole of football in Kent appeared to be on a decline with a shortage of personnel to administer clubs and the general decline in player participation They were changing times with the Dartford and Gravesend Leagues having already folded.

Any league position is time consuming There are no fewer than nine Cup Competitions There are two other main Officers namely a Fixture Secretary and a Referee Appointments Secretary, nevertheless, the League Secretary’s position is of paramount importance

At this point of time the league was still thriving with 52 teams divided into five Divisions but the strength of the league can change at any time such is the vulnerability of local football

After a period of eleven years Kevin decided to retire so along with Derek they had jointly contributed 45 years to the Sevenoaks and District Football League. Both will tell you that it was greatly satisfying and without the support of their respective wives it would not have been possible

The League was in desperate need of funds due to the previous Treasurer disappearing with the funds. Thus all member clubs were requested to pay a cer tain figure to put the League in credit once again.

CH ANGING FACE S OF T IGNE S

A local ski legend and a former banker are on a mission to change the face of the famous French resor t of Tignes –for the bet ter. With the 22/23 season almost upon us, the duo gave travel editor Frank Baldwin a taste of the level of ser vice skiers and snowboarders can now enjoy.

In 1952, the original village of Tignes was lost forever when homes and businesses were covered by the new Lac du Chevril, created by a dam built to provide hydroelectric power, which skiers and snowboarders now pass on their way up to the ski area at 2,100m Not surprisingly, Tignes residents at the time were unhappy with the plans as they were being forced out of their family homes, and a group of villagers formed a resistance type movement. The members sabotaged machinery and carried out other nefarious activities under the cover of darkness, but these attempts to disrupt and stop the work were ultimately unsuccessful and the old village was lost forever Now, 70 years later, the current villages of Tignes Le Lac, Val Claret, and Les Brevieres are undergoing another major transformation, but this time the people behind it, one of whom is a local hero, hope that the changes will be more welcome

This latest masterplan has been drawn up by former banker Nicolas Chatillon and former world champion freeride skier Guerlain Chicherit, who moved to

Tignes from Paris with his mother when he was just two days old The two became friends when Nicolas was involved in the finance and sponsorship of Guerlain’s activities which include being the world champion freeride skier four times between 1999 and 2007, becoming the first person to do a backflip in a car, and an attempt to beat the world record for a car jump his exploits have been viewed millions of times online.

Despite neither having a background in hospitality, they decided to form a partnership based on Nicolas’s business acumen, and Guerlain’s famous name and aptitude for taking risks. They launched a property development company called Les Etincelles and, in the last four years, they have already acquired 70% of the hotels in Tignes, as well as other properties, including luxury chalets, restaurants, and the former bowling alley which they have turned into The Strike, a nightclub and live music venue. Nicolas explained: “We started in Tignes because of Guerlain’s connections, but we also have properties in Val d’Isère and Belle Plagne We want to expand into at least

nine resorts in France, and then maybe other countries We will only consider resorts that guarantee at least 23 weeks of snow during the ski season ”

Despite both being French, the duo wants their customer experience to be more like the personal service offered by family run Austrian hotels. Nicolas said: “We believe skiers and snowboarders in the future will not necessarily be on the pistes all day and so are looking for other experiences.” Guerlain, who has a ski zone in Tignes named after him, added: “What we should offer and how it should be done is based on my own experiences both good and bad while travelling around the world during my freeride competition days and when I have been taking part in special events ”

One of their aims is to provide Tignes with its first 5* hotel and an example of the level of service and atmosphere they have already begun to offer can be found at the VoulezVous hotel, one of the latest additions to Les Etincelles Collection located in Tignes le Lac

The hotel is welcoming and attractive with pieces of contemporary art and interesting curios on display. Mouth watering meals from an impressive menu of Italian and French gastronomy

are served in the Il Savoia restaurant and you can enjoy drinks and live music in the Icebreaker bar.

There are also spa treatments on offer, whirlpool bath, sauna, hammam, gym, and an infinity swimming pool with views out on to the snowy mountains And don’t forget the karaoke rooms where, in the privacy of your own booth which seats up to about six people on comfy sofas, you can choose your favourite sing a longs from thousands of songs listed on an electronic notepad The hire and storage service in the ‘ski lounge’ is exceptional

The VoulezVous provides a taste of things to come in terms of the high level of service Nicolas and Guerlain are committed to providing skiers and snowboarders They are creating a unique experience that has already started to change the face of Tignes And who knows, one day they might take over the world

* For more information on the VoulezVous Hotel go to voulezvous hotel.com. For details of Les Etincelles accommodation go to etincelles.com For details of the chalets available through the Carte Blanche Range go to carte blanche.com

Many of Guerlain’s trophies are on display, as well as several unusual motorbikes , in the Car te Blanche range of chalets On the lef t : Champion freeride skier Guerlain Chicherit (right) with travel editor Frank Baldwin

RE SIS TANCE T R AINING AND INJUR Y P RE V EN T ION

Strength training is moving the joints through a range of motion against resistance, requiring the muscles to expend energy and contract forcefully to move the bones.

The benefits of resistance training has been well documented in the past couple years and has been an integral part of any sport athlete’s development program. It’s vital for improving strength, speed, endurance, agility and overall muscle mass These elements will undoubtedly improve the abilities of athletes of all sport types and level, however there exists another benefit that has commonly been overlooked; injury prevention.

Strength training is a major component of any injury prevention or injury management program In this article we will dig deeper into understanding why this is the case and why all sports athletes should be incorporating some sort of strength and conditioning into their training

What is strength training?

Strength training is moving the joints through a range of motion against resistance, requiring the muscles to expend energy and contract forcefully to move the bones

It is an effective training protocol used to strengthen the muscles, tendons, bones and ligaments of the individual while performing exercises with various types of resistance The benefits of strength training go beyond just improving strength and power output, and this is why it should be

implemented in conditioning programs for all sports, not just strength sports

There are three types of strength training formats; Machine weights, Free weights and Body weights. Each have their own benefits and drawbacks, but all should be implemented for a robust S&C program.

Injury prevention

The benefits of strength training are clear and is normally implemented in off season training, but how does this help prevent injuries?

1 Strength training improves the power of the muscles, tendons, and bones. Stronger muscles and tendons help hold the body in proper alignment and protect the bones and joints when moving, or under impact. The bones become more resilient due to the overload placed on them during training

The ligaments become more flexible and better at absorbing the shock applied to them during dynamic movements.

2. When an area of the body is used less during an activity it may become weaker compared to the other areas. This can become a problem when that area, whether it’s the muscle, ligament, joint or bone is called into play suddenly during activity When that specific area cannot handle the sudden

load and stress placed on it, this is when injuries occur A rigorous and balanced strength program will eliminate these weak areas and balance the body so it can withstand any sudden load placed on them when performing the athletes sport activity

3 Muscle imbalances are one of the most common causes of injuries in athletes When one muscle, or muscle group become stronger than the opposing group, the weaker muscle become fatigued quicker and are more susceptible to injuries A strong contraction, near maximal output from the stronger muscle can also cause damage to the weaker opposing muscle due to that muscles inability to counter the force

4 Muscle imbalances also affect the joints and bones due to the abnormal pull causing the joint to move in an unnatural pattern The stronger muscles will cause the joint to pull in a direction it’s not used to, causing a stretch in the opposing ligaments and tighten the supporting ones This can lead to chronic pain and unnatural wearing of the bones This however can be countered with a balanced strength program which addresses these imbalances and help strengthen the weak areas in the body.

Graduating from London South Bank University with a BSc(hons) degree in Sports & Exercise Science as well as being a certified Nutrition Coach, Moe Metwally has the passion and knowledge to help you reach your goals

Moe has always had a passion for sports, and af ter graduating his passion then turned to boxing in which Moe competed in a few White collar events, then not long af ter getting into Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in which he currently competes in on a regular basis

Since a young age Moe has been involved in sports and fitness training and has now turned that passion and love into a career with Better Body Group If you’re looking to improve your sports per formance or get in the best shape of your life, Moe can get you on your way!For more information or to book an appointment please call them on 01732 451979 or email enquiries@betterbodygroup.co.uk

HELP

CHILD

ER INJUR Y

Any young athlete who has experienced injury knows what it’s like to struggle during recovery

Not only is there physical dysfunction, but the psychological issues of not playing can be harder to overcome.

Parents play a critical role in supporting their child during this period.

Children of all ages participate in sport with the goal of having fun while parents hope their child with reap the benefits of building self esteem, peer socialisation and overall fitness for health. There is always a risk of injury however it’s necessary to pay attention to predisposing factors that may increase the likelihood of injuries to occur.

Reasons for injury include specialisation in a sport at an early age, an imbalance of strength, improper

equipment or environment, intense and repetitive practices without proper rest and doing too much too soon particularly during growth spurts. Children often know enough when something is too much and will continue to push even if the result is painful. In a sport driven society, it is no longer about experimenting but rather picking one sport to focus on. With sports like soccer being available to play all year long there is not enough time for rest. Then add a lack of education about the right equipment and poor conditioned fields, the chance of injury sky rockets

A majority of injuries may only take several days or weeks to heal but that time in recovery takes a toll on multiple levels Children who have experienced

one injury are at greater risk to get injured again in the future

Understanding how the injury occurred to begin with and taking precaution physically is only half the battle.

It’s important as adults to understand the psychological impact injuries can have on all young athletes regardless of their athletic ability Children and adolescents with low tolerance for their injury may present angry, frustrated and irritable. They may also be in denial about being injured and return too quickly to the playing field only to get re injured Others experience feelings of guilt that they aren’t able to help their team and isolate themselves.

Some athletes will get depressed and feel worthless if they feel the sport is a significant part of their identity while others boast about their athletic accomplishments to fill the void of wishing they can play An athlete who gets constant attention for their success on the playing field may struggle with the lack of accomplishment when the attention is no longer on them during the recovery period. As parents, these are behaviours and symptoms frequently missed. To help athletes overcome the physical and emotional struggles associated with injury there are four key tips to remember

Educate yourself on the physical and emotional stages of child development

This is one of the most important steps in preventing injury all together. Too often parents push children into a sport in the hope of obtaining the positive outcomes including confidence building, problem solving and friendship, but if a child is not developmentally ready then participation can have the opposite outcome

A child who appears to be physically ready may not be emotionally ready With the push from many parents to help their child become the elite it often involves the push to move children up in age groups and take on additional club teams

The question to ask would be whether the child would be able to handle the developmental adjustments as well as understand the technical and tactical

aspects of the sport comfortably ?

Children who present shy or maybe have difficulty with concentration may not be ready for a particular sport or age group. Studies have shown that athletes with higher anxiety and stress with a limited ability to cope are at a higher risk for sustaining athletic injuries (Weinberg & Gould, 2011)

By taking a proactive role in understanding the stages of development and building a positive relationship with the child, coaches should be able to identify those children who may be at a greater risk of injury

Teach age-appropriate methods of coping and identify a positive support system

This should be a fundamental aspect of all children regardless of involvement with sport and establishing methods of coping with difficult situations should be positive

Coping is the ability to manage something successfully whether it’s a child dealing with a case of bullying or feeling angry as a result of failing a test. Sport is often used as a positive outlet for both children and adolescents with their number one motivation being to have fun However, in an immediate situation or if an injury occurs that prevents the child from participating in the sport there must be alternatives for managing the situation The use of positive self talk, relaxation techniques and communication with a trusting support system will be crucial to the recovery process

Positive self talk includes educating athletes on how to take control of their thoughts In frustrating events people tend to resort to negative thinking but with practice focusing on positive statements, feelings about the incident will change as a result For example, a child may think about losing their starting spot and how they can’t support their team The opposite would be for the child to focus on coming back stronger and prioritising their need to be healthy.

Having a positive support system can help the child facilitate these thoughts, increase motivation for recovery and enhance overall mood As coaches and parents it is important to know who the

child’s support system consists of and ways they help facilitate their ability to cope appropriately.

Assess youth goals early when getting involved with a sport and reassess if an injury occurs

Goal setting will the biggest influence on an athlete’s motivation to get back to the playing field. Motives for playing at school include staying in shape, getting exercise, loving to compete, to improve skills and be a part of the team

It is necessary to note that girls rate staying in shape and exercising higher on their list of priorities over boys who want to improve skills and compete. This isn’t to say girls don’t like to compete and boys don’t want to stay in shape but helps when determining an athlete’s motivation to participate.

Knowing a child’s goals early will help in the recovery process to assess if any changes need to be made

As stated earlier some youth receive a lot of positive reinforcement and feel confident when playing a sport so it is necessary to look at other areas and strengths where an athlete will get their need met. This can consist of school, activities at home and achieving outcome goals during the actual recovery process

Goals should also be recorded by the athlete that are specific, realistic and include achievement strategies or action steps needed to meet those goals. Young athletes will not only have a sense of control and responsibility in working towards those goals but adults can provide additional support

If an injury occurs, continue positive reinforcement in other areas outside of their sport

As discussed under goal setting, many athletes depend on the attention they receive from either their success on the playing field or just being a part of the sport culture All young athletes have intrinsic and extrinsic motivators from playing sports even though they are not always positive.

Some kids may continue playing because they don’t want to deal with an upset parent or feel they disappoint them if they quit Others feel a sport is a part of their identity and have built a

great sense of accomplishment around progress they have made

If an injury occurs that prevents the same outcomes of athletic success and attention, there needs to be a focus on other areas This isn’t about coddling and reinforcing helplessness, but rather teaching athletes that they can be talented in multiple areas and receive positive reinforcement in those areas. All humans need attention, a sense of accomplishment and time for play. This especially holds true for athletes who present depressed and have a harder time accepting injuries These are kids who will return to the playing field too soon or increase their risk for reinjuring themselves

By utilising these steps, parents can have a positive impact on the recovery process of young athletes.

Understanding the various stages of child development, reassessing goals and identifying a strong support system are key components in assisting them to overcome injuries. With proper physical conditioning and emotional support, athletes will be able to return to their sport feeling confident in their abilities and decrease the risk for further injury.

Gordon MacLelland is the CEO and founder of Working with Parents in Spor t , which suppor ts parents and coaches in working together to provide children with the best possible spor ting experiences To find out more about their work please visit www.parentsinspor t.co.uk

As a modern society we rarely switch off and therefore our bodies rarely return to homeostasis. Constant stress will, over time, lead to inflammation, which can be a precursor to disease

Recent studies suggest that negative mental thought patterns can negatively affect telomeres which has an impact on our overall health.

What are telomeres? Telomeres are sections of our DNA sequences found at the ends of our chromosomes that protect genetic information from being lost during cellular division When telomeres become too short, cells stop dividing altogether. Telomere length gradually decreases throughout our life due to a number of factors such as age, stress, a lack of sleep, viruses, toxins to name a few but also with specific thought patterns1

Why do some people look so youthful throughout their life while some look old before their time? Researchers have been pondering this for years. Although genetic differences play a crucial role, researchers now agree that the differences in ageing can be seen in complex interactions between genetic, environmental, lifestyle and social factors Ageing is a dynamic process that could possibly be sped up or slowed down, and our thought patterns go alongside these complex interactions

Negative attitudes and feelings of helplessness and hopelessness can create chronic stress, which affects the body's hormone balance, depletes the brain chemicals responsible for happiness, and damages the immune system Chronic stress can actually shorten our lifespan. Negative thinking has been linked to depression, chronic disease, anxiety, chronic worry and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)2 People with a positive mindset don’t just ignore negative situations they just approach a negative situation in a more positive way. They look for a positive outcome or think the best will happen Ongoing research is still being undertaken around the effects of positive thinking and how this affects our overall health but benefits may include: Increased life expectancy, higher resistance to illness, Reduced

depression, Reduction of pain receptors, Increased life span

Research is still unclear why people with a positive attitude experience the aforementioned benefits but one ongoing theory is that a positive outlook allows people to cope with stressful situations more easily. This reduces the potential harmful effects of stress on the body3

Thought awareness may increase stress resilience and allow us to manage harmful thoughts. Physical and mindful activities such as meditation, controlled breathing, yoga, running, etc, can help us to build adaptability towards stressors and maladaptive thoughts

The good news is that we have the power to actually change how we think You can’t always control a situation but you can always control how you react to it

References:

1 ncbi nlm nih gov/pmc/articles/ PMC3370421/

2. health.clevelandclinic.org/turn around negative thinking/

3 mayoclinic org/healthy lifestyle/stress management/in depth/positive thinking/art 20043950

Magdalena Mar vell is a Nutritional Practitioner and Founder of the Persea Clinic which helps suppor t clients who want to optimise their health in areas such as gut health, hormonal balance, skin conditions, weight management, family nutrition To find out more about her work please visit www persea clinic

Healthy recipes with MagdalenaMexican Quinoa Soup

Carbohydrates are thought to increase the amount of serotonin feel good chemical in our brain, which has a calming effect This soup is rich in complex carbohydrates which will fill you up for longer and keep your blood sugar more stable, allowing the body to unwind and relax

Ingredients:

•1 tablespoon of olive oil

• 2 celery stalks, chopped

• 3 carrots, chopped

• 4 cloves garlic, pressed or minced

• 1 cup of cooked black beans or 1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained

• 1 teaspoons ground cumin

• 1 medium onion, chopped

• 2 jalapeños, seeded and chopped

• 3 cups of water

• 1 can of diced tomatoes

• 2 teaspoons of sea salt

• cup of quinoa (dry/uncooked)

• cup of chopped fresh coriander

• teaspoon of cayenne pepper (optional)

• Freshly ground black pepper

How to make it:

1. In a pot, warm the olive oil over medium heat Add the onion, celery, carrots, garlic, and jalapeños Sauté

until the vegetables are soft for about 8 minutes

2 Add the water, tomatoes, beans, cumin, salt, quinoa, coriander and cayenne pepper Season with pepper and bring the soup to a boil.

3 Let the soup simmer on the lower heat until the quinoa is tender for about 15 minutes Once the quinoa is tender, add more salt and pepper to taste, if necessary.

4 You can serve this soup right away or use the food processor to purée a couple cups of this soup this helps to thicken the soup while still leaving some texture

5. Divide into bowls and serve with coriander or any other garnish of your choice Keep it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months

6. Enjoy!