NSSP Sports Leader of the Year

Keynote speaker on the day was UK Gladiator Amazon, better known on the wards of the Newcastle RVI as Dr Zoe Williams. While young sports leaders from Heaton Manor, Marc Pugh and Ben Wildman gave a talk on their leadership experiences last year at Loughborough University on the Step Into Sport Camp 2009.

The award for Sports Leader of the Year and being an excellent and inspirational role model for young people went to Andrew McDonald from Kenton School.

Andrew is not only an able performer, but has an outstanding level of leadership involvement, not only locally, but with national initiatives as well. He recently impressed the staff so much at Loughborough University during a Golf Roots Leadership Initiative, that he was selected from all the students attending as the Leaders leader.

From this he has gone on to become a Regional Organiser at Slayley hall, running golf festivals and events. He was recently asked to return to Loughborough to help organize courses for younger pupils.

 

Golf Roots

Andrew McDonald, a Year 12 Kenton Sports Leader, was given an opportunity to represent Newcastle School Sport Partnership at Loughborough University to run a Golf Roots Festival for young children living in the locality.

He describes his trip as follows “Following a briefing and presentation about the opportunities in sports leadership from one of Loughborough’s students, everyone was split up into groups. I was one of two leaders overseeing and managing the entire festival, which made me feel very nervous. However, we laid out the drills and activities in which the children would compete during the afternoon.

My role was to organise and brief my team on procedures before, during and after the events to ensure that everything ran smoothly. I think I enjoyed this aspect more than taking instruction from someone else as my performance was judged as that of someone in charge.

I tried, during the event, to interact with the children, talking to them and ensuring they were enjoying themselves. I was also tasked with running a prize ceremony, handing our prizes and giving a vote of thanks. I gave two special awards to two children I had seen improve most over the afternoon, which gave me special pleasure. It was pleasing that my organization and ideas had brought fun and also achievements for the young people.”

Andrew concluded: “The Loughborough experience motivated me to do really well at school and to get deeply involved with the sport leadership programme. I absolutely loved the experience and I look forward to running festivals like this in Newcastle and then taking a team of young people back to Loughborough in September to take part in the national festival. My first festival is already planned for Kenton’s family of schools, and will take place at Slaley Hall on 10th July.”