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GIVE IT A GO: HANDBALL

Handball, a game descending from Medieval Europe, involving lots of throwing, catching and much to Sean’s delight, running, was our next stop of the 'Give it a Go' circuit. Last Monday we were fortunate to be welcomed by the University of Kent Handball Club, who once again at short notice agreed to allow two weird and wonderful individuals grace the floor of hall two in an attempt to learn the basics of Handball. It’s safe to say, we loved it! We may have broke Sean in the process, but without a doubt, we had a blast.

Handball for those of you that aren’t too familiar, is a sport most commonly found in Europe. It is a fast-paced, indoor sport, that see’s teams of 7 battle it out against one another in the attempt to score the most goals. The best way to describe it is by comparing it to a game of indoor football with the use of your hands instead of your feet.

We arrived to the joy of both Sam and Mikaela who would be our hosts for the evening and within minutes they had us up on our feet and running around in circles.

Mikaela’s early remark summed the entire session, ‘its gonna be intense’, and indeed it was, just ask Sean!

We started with possibly of the most in depth warm up I’ve had in a long, long time. It began with a simple game of throw and catch, though it’s a shame it wasn’t as easy as it sounds. We split up into two teams and the aim of the game was to complete 10 consecutive passes without the opposing team intercepting and stealing possession of the ball. After a good ten minutes Mikaela decided to spice things up by throwing a second ball into the game, it was hard enough with one, let alone the second! I learned pretty quickly that it was merely a game of throw and catch; it was one that required timing, movement, speed, agility and stamina. Without much of a breather we went straight into the next stage of the warm-up, and what I’d refer to as strides and drills. We remained in our teams and split the hall in two, carrying out a series of exercises from the far baseline to the halfway line, we continued the drills back and forth for a good ten minutes, finishing up with a few shuttle runs to get the legs ticking. It was then time for some stretching and this possibly was one of the funniest moments of the night. Sean and myself found ourselves on opposing teams and from a distance I couldn’t help but laugh as Mikaela had him in pieces as he attempted to stretch muscles I reckon he didn’t think existed. I couldn’t help but shout over to Sam to make sure he caught it all on camera. After the stretching, the warm up was complete, Sean I’m pretty sure was ready to go home there and then!

During the intervals we’d stop for a drink of water, but not any old water. First things first, I can’t talk, as I’d forget to bring anything along to the training session, Sean on the other hand accidently brought himself a bottle of sparkling water, which he later came to regret.

It was then time to carry out a series of specific drills, in doing so we learnt the basic techniques associated with Handball of throwing, catching, blocking and tackling. We carried out these exercising in pairs and funnily enough I found myself partnered with Sean, the dream team!

Sean as you will all know is considerably taller than me, which made it extremely difficult when it came to the blocking and tackling elements of the game, it then became clear that Sean would suit a more defensive role within the team.

After learning all the basics, we then split up into our previous teams as we attempted to put it into practice with a few gameplay scenarios, for the first time we had the opportunity to shoot at goal, much to my delight! We then we’re called back into the middle, when I noticed Sean was over on the sidelines nursing a sore ankle, after running over to see if all was well, I discovered that he’d gone over on it, though within minutes Sean was back on his feet ready and raring to go as we lined up to play a game. We played within our original teams, and therefore Sean and myself were up against one another, it was time to do battle.

I started on the left wing and quickly realised that I hadn’t a clue what was going on. I’d learnt the basic techniques but still failed to grasp the concept of the rules. It took a good ten minutes to get my head around the basics, but once I did, there was no looking back, I even got told off for going alone from time to time. I quickly found out, that like my footballing days, I was best suited to attacking, opposed to defending, the opposite could be said for Sean, as his height gave him a massive advance at the back, especially when we faced off against one another! Though I was able to get the better of him from time to time and I was fortunate to score a couple of goals for the team, as we went on to win! By the time the final whistle blew, Sean could barely stand up and it was safe to safe, Handball got the better of him, much to my amusement. After Sean got his own way with regard to making me look a fool at belly dancing, its time I started to get my own back and I’ve already discovered all it takes is a little bit of running!

I must once again thank the University of Kent Handball Club for having Sean and myself, especially at such short notice. I must also thank Sam and Mikaela so very much for all their time and help, it was truly a pleasure to play handball for the very first time and its safe to say we’ll be back before you know it.

The club train on a Monday evening from 5-8pm in Hall 2 of the Sports Centre. The first 2 hours from 5-7pm are specifically designed for development work and for those that have only recently played the game for the very first time, so don’t worry if you have never played before like Sean and myself, the club caters for all abilities! The club also trains on a Saturday from 11-1pm!

For more information, please follow the subsequent link to their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/230569893679698/

#giveitago #handball

#ukc #handball #giveitago

Give it a GO: Belly Dancing

Sooo here we go. It's a little overdue, I do apologise, but enjoy!

A couple of weeks ago I ventured a little out of my comfort zone in aid of Give it a Go. When I signed up for such a feature, I knew I’d have to challenge myself, I knew I’d be expected to do things that I wasn’t particularly good at, but in saying this, I could have never imagined that I’d be asked to have a go at, cough* belly dancing.

Yes, you heard me right, belly dancing. I stupidly agreed to give it a go, and I can tell you now, I had no clue what I was getting myself into.

For the remainder of this blog I’ll be cussing Sean (Mackey), Amy Gilchrist and Lauren Vaux, but I must also thank them at the very same time for making me do something that I never thought in a million years I’d do!

So the story goes something like this…

Sean: ‘Chris, I’ve secured us belly dancing’

Chris: ‘You what?’

Sean: ‘Belly dancing!’

Chris: ‘Ermmm… No’

Sean: ‘Yes’

Chris: ‘No’

Sean: ‘Yes’

Chris: ‘No’

Sean: ‘Oooh and I’ve got a surprise for you...’

Chris: ‘No!’

So Sean went away and schemed our little outing with UKC Belly Dance. His scheming sidekick was Lauren, the current Vice-President for the club. From the outset I’d be first to admit, I was very reluctant to take part. Being honest, I’m not the most confident person in certain situations and this potentially was one of those! I have no rhythm, no co-ordination and no flexibility, I was in trouble.

I was in denial and deep down I was trying not to think about the session that eventually took place one Wednesday evening a few weeks back. All of a sudden, it was Wednesday afternoon, its an hour until the session was due to commence, and at this point I’ve made up my mind, I’m not going and would refuse to do so. Sean calls to inform me that he’s walking up Eliot footpath to meet me outside the office. I told him I didn’t want to go and well that didn’t go down particularly well and somehow he got his way! I meet him outside the office and my face dropped, I was so nervous. Then Sean revealed his so called surprise, and it was as I’d expected, we were going to be dressing up in traditional belly dancing attire. I seriously wasn’t happy, and then all of a sudden we arrived at the Peter Brown room in the Missing Link, somehow Sean got me there! As we walked in, Lauren who was beaming from ear to ear greeted us, I mustered some sort of nervous smile, before she pulled out our outfits from her bag and I don’t know how best to describe them and I will now apologise for my ignorance towards items of belly dancing clothing. There were 2 ankle length skirts which had a number of coins attached to them, I had to fight Sean for the bright orange one, I prevailed, though still to this day I can’t believe I fought over a belly dancing skirt! To accompany this skirt was a fetching bra-like top and once again, still to this day, I can’t believe I agreed to wear what I did.

Then the fun and games began and if I’m honest, it was all a bit of a blur, I genuinely couldn’t get my head around what we were being asked to do, and I physically couldn’t do any of what was asked of us. The art of belly dancing to my limited knowledge is focused upon the ability to move various areas of the body in isolation. I’ll be the first to admit that I had a fundamental issue with this and as a result I looked particularly amusing, especially to all those that had the opportunity to witness my antics. All of a sudden Sam (Allard) our fantastic photographer, who I must take this opportunity to thank for all his time and help, decided to move us slap bang in the middle of the group and right at the very front, I weren’t happy, though I couldn’t stop laughing the entire time. We were moving hips, arms, shoulders, the lot and I also attempted to shimmy, and I’m surprised I didn’t injure myself and/or anyone else in the process. I was that good, that since the session, I have been described as a plank… a plank of wood!

If I’m honest, I thought Amy and Sean were pretty good! I on the other hand was horrendous and on that note we’ll leave it there, as its safe to say, I won’t be playing the staring role in one of their showcases anytime soon!

I must take this opportunity to thank Lauren and the rest of the UKC Belly Dancing for allowing Sean, Amy and myself to pop along to make a fool of ourselves. I was also in awe, seeing what all the dancers were capable of doing and I thoroughly recommend popping along to give it a go!

Here’s a little appetiser for you from last years Worldfest Performance, please do check it out! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3Z8cPalVfQ

If you’d like to pop along here’s all the relevant details:

Beginners: Wednesday (6-7pm)

Intermediate: Monday (7-8pm)

Performance: Wednesday (7-8pm)

(Peter Brown, Missing Link, near Darwin)

Also for any further information please visit their Facebook page via the subsequent link: https://www.facebook.com/ukcbellydance

UKC Belly Dance will next we performing at The Ballroom in Canterbury on the Tuesday 19th November in association with The Pilgrims Hospice, why not pop along to check it out and show your support!

#giveitago #belly

#ukc #belly #giveitago #kentunion

Give it a Go: Kendo

So this week, 'Give it a Go' commenced. A feature which includes Sean Mackey of CSR, and myself, as we endeavour to try our hand at as many sports as we possibly can. The feature came about in somewhat what of an uncanny fashion, as we all came up the with the idea at the very same time, so it was a no brainer to work with one another to do all we can to promote and enhance the profile of our Team Kent sports clubs.

First on the cards was Lacrosse, a team sport of Native American origin featuring sticks, balls and helmets. I was a little nervous, due to the sports physically and the fact that you can ‘hit’ someone with a metal pole in order to gain to possession of the ball. Sunday mornings play host to the clubs development sessions between 10-12pm on the 3G up in Parkwood. Sean its safe to say isn’t the most sportiest of people and he would be first to admit, hence why a feature of this nature would provide entertainment for those who have the pleasure to witness his antics, whilst on a serious note, showing that our clubs are inclusive to all, regardless of their ability.

Sunday morning, and you never guess what, it was raining; in fact it was pouring. We arrived at the Pavilion just gone 10am and the weather wasn’t easing up, Sean’s there in his brand new trainers, brought specially for Give it a Go, and a pair of shorts he’d borrowed from a housemate, he looked the part, but that was going to be as close as we were going to get to playing Lacrosse that day, as our hopes were dashed by the rain and a subsequent waterlogged pitch, much to Sean’s delight, he’d got away with it, but just this once!

I went away in the hope of finding our next activity, one that would ultimately kick-start the project after the disappointment of Lacrosse and we were so very fortunate to have something lined up for the following day, we were off to Kendo.

Kendo meaning the ‘way of the sword’ is a modern Japanese martial art, which descends from traditional swordsmanship. I couldn’t wait, I’ll be the first admit I didn’t particularly know what the sport entails though before I knew it, I was in the sports centre getting changed into what is known a ‘Gi’, a traditional item of clothing worn to practise Kendo.

We were asked in advance for our height and chest dimensions, and yes, Sean is considerably taller than me. I quickly came to realise that there was an art to Kendo, not just in the physical aspect of the sport but more so the preparation, after taking a good ten minutes to get dressed. The way in which one presents themselves is extremely important and I have never tied such a precise bow when fastening my Gi. I already had established huge respect for the sport and those that practise it after seeing how much they value and personally respect their equipment and how much it meant to them.

We soon made our way to the Small Hall, in waiting to enter, we were asked if we’d practised before and when we revealed that it was our very first time a few were surprised, due to the way we prepared and in particular the way we were dressed, Sean and I couldn’t help but laugh! We definitely looked the part!

After bowing before we entered the hall, it was time to warm up. We ran around in circles, oh Sean loved that, not! We soon followed it up with a series of stretches, in doing so we were taught to count to ten in Japanese.

We then all knelt down to listen to the instructions for our sensei, oh my, I’m not made to kneel, and how everyone else does it with such ease, I do not know. Our teacher or sensei as its known in Japanese, Utaka Jz, was absolutely fantastic, she along with all those that are a part of the University of Kent Kendo Club welcomed us both with open arms and I cannot thank them enough for the incredible opportunity.

We started with the basics and learnt how to ‘cut’, which entailed taking the sword from above our left shoulder to our opponents opposing hip. We practised by attempting to hit a piece of cloth, dropped from a height, before it reached the ground. We then had the opportunity to practise with a budding volunteer in armour.

The time then came to divide the group, the experienced Seniors went one way and us Juniors went the other. We were then taught the traditional elements of Kendo, in particular the pre-fight routine/ritual, which entailed bowing and looking your opponent in the eye, stepping 5 paces forward, engaging swords, swatting, and the retracting your sword before rising and arriving back at your original position.

Whilst all of this was going on, the seniors were making a lot of noise next door as they practised in full armour. It was an impressive sight, a little overwhelming, the noise, the power and the precision was incredible and I will have to definitely pop along to a fight or two over the next year.

We then rounded off the session with some birthday beats, one of the Seniors celebrated their birthday a few days before and we all had the opportunity to strike him around the head, shouting ‘men’.

We then came together, and knelt to the ground to listen to Utaka, her closes remarks made me release once again how very fortunate we were to be given this opportunity, with the University of Kent Kendo Club (UKKC) being the only club in Kent.

I must take this opportunity once again to thank the University of Kent Kendo Club (UKKC) and all those involved for having Sean and myself, especially at such late notice, in particular I must send my appreciation to Him Wai for making this all possible, we had a blast and just you wait to see what else we’ve been up to!

I can safety say that the activities that I have took part in this week, I could never have imagined I do in a millions years prior to this feature and that’s the beauty of what we’re doing. I can’t stress strongly enough, that during your time here at the University of Kent, you should visit and have a go at as many clubs and societies as you possibly can because you’ll never be apart of anything like Kent Union ever again, where you have 60 sports clubs and 226 societies all under one roof, so go on, like Sean and myself, give it a go!

#giveitago

Sean's blog: http://seangivesitago.wordpress.com

#giveitago #kentunion #UKKC #kendo

Time Flies!

Finally, I have had the chance to sit down and reflect on what can only be described as the quickest 6 weeks of my life to date. I have been told many times, by many people, how quick this year will go, they weren’t lying.

Before I start I must once again take the time to thank those who have enabled me to be here today, you know who you are. I am truly grateful for all that you have done for me, thank you.

6 weeks ago a new chapter in my life began. It was a bittersweet day. It was the final day of my handover; I was on the verge of going alone, my journey was about to begin as Matt’s came to end and I’m not going to lie, it tough day for me. Imagine taking away someone’s job, someone’s livelihood in the blink of eye. Seeing what last year meant to Matt during those final few hours reinforced once again how very fortunate I am to be given this opportunity. I cannot thank Matt enough for all that he did for me that week, and those leading up to it, in order to get me prepared to take on the baton. That Friday afternoon we set off for Wickhambreaux, it was time for Residential, a week of intense training designed to set us on our ways and to truly induct us into the Kent Union family.

I learnt a lot that week, from finance to governance, leadership skills and organisational values. Though more importantly I learnt an awful lot about our team and myself. Prior to the elections I didn't know Amy, Alex, Chelsea or Megan in person, but it didn't take long and I can safely say, we’re in for one heck of a year and I couldn't be more privileged to have met and to be working with such a fantastic group of people.

On returning to Canterbury, it wouldn't be long before I was off again, in fact I was only in the office a few hours before setting off for Edinburgh and the British University and College Sports (BUCS) Conference of 2013, entitled University Sport: Why it matters? The title has become very poignant in recent weeks and something for you all to keep an eye out for in the weeks and months to come. The Conference hosted by Heriot-Watt was an opportunity for me to meet my fellow counterparts from around the country, an eclectic range of topics and speakers made for a fascinating week, and none more so than the talks on disability sport and the impact in which sport has upon graduate employability.

Since arriving back from Edinburgh I have had the opportunity to settle in and find my feet, first on the agenda was formulating a working relationship with the Universities School of Sport and Exercise Science, with the plan to set up a partnership which will allow the schools expertise to be integrated into our very own clubs. I am so excited to see where this project can go, so keep a watchful eye on the horizon. I must thank Corinna, a PhD student from the school, as without her help, this project wouldn't have got off the ground.

Then I graduated! Arguably one of the proudest days of my life and one very special day spent with friends and family, despite losing my tickets and realising that I hadn't ordered my gown the night before! Though it wouldn't have been the same if I didn't mess up somewhere along the line! I've been on one heck of a journey over the last 3 years, one I’ll never forget. I've learnt so much, not only about my studies in Architecture, but also more importantly about myself.

Last week Amy and myself traveled to Stoke-on-Trent, and Keele University to attend NUS’s Leading Active Student Involvement Conference, otherwise known as #LASI13. Long days in the classroom, took me back to my school days, evening activities consisted of orienteering and karaoke, and you know what, I absolutely loved it. The best part was having the opportunity to meet so many incredible officers and being able to share ideas and to discuss good practice, without a doubt I’ll be staying in touch with so many throughout the year.

With the majority of the training now completed, it’s back to the office for me, to get prepared for September, the clock ticks, with only 5 weeks to go until ‘Arrivals Weekend’. Eeeek! So many ideas, so little time… I better get cracking!

See you soon!

Sport Matters - The Year Ahead

Sport is an integral part of many students lives here at the University of Kent. For some it entails competing on a weekly basis in the University colours as part of the British Universities & Colleges Sport (BUCS) programme, others compete on behalf of their college in the Inter-mural system, whilst others partake in sport as a means of socialising and exercising with fellow friends and colleagues alongside their studies.

In my role as the Kent Union Vice-President for Sport, I aim to provide our students with the best possible opportunity to thrive and to develop by means of playing sport. Regardless of whether you’re competing in a National Championships or having a kick about with your housemates on a Saturday morning, sport means so much, to so many of you and throughout this year I will strive to make it more accessible, affordable and ultimately more enjoyable for all.

Sport plays an important role in several different areas, such as employability, recruitment, widening participation, retention, wellbeing student satisfaction and community engagement. Sport has the power to change lives, with the ability to enhance and to develop ones personal skills through means of working and interacting with others. It is imperative that we make each and everyone of you aware of the skills in which you’re gaining as a result of playing and volunteering in sport and how best you can articulate those skills to enhance other areas of your lives, none more so than your academic studies. This year I will be focusing upon the importance of sport within Higher Education and staking my claim that sport at University really does matter.

Over the past year we saw the evolution of Team Kent, which resulted in us finishing 30th, in the BUCS league tables, which is our highest finish in recent years. As we look forward to the new academic year we have 12 teams currently in BUCS 1A and the National Premiership combined. Last year we saw a number of our teams battling it out for promotion of which 10 clubs won their respected leagues, 3 of which made it into the National Premiership playoffs. Besides the traditional BUCS Wednesday afternoons we had many outstanding individual performances throughout the year, which resulted in national success, both in the form of titles and national selection. Amongst all this success we once again regained our Varsity title for the 17th successive year with a record margin of 30-10.

Over the next year, I would love to see Team Kent, grow and develop even further. We've now laid the foundations to build upon our success. Over the next twelve months I’ll be working very closely with our individual sports men and women and their respective clubs as I hope to provide them with greater resource and expertise to allow them to progress. In the near future I would also love to be able to bring a number of major University Championships to our campus, in doing so putting the University of Kent on the National sporting map.

Sport is for everyone and this year I am really excited to work with numerous clubs, organisations and societies as I strive to make sport here at the University inclusive and accessible to all. Over the next year expect to see a number of campaigns and events that not only raise awareness of various liberation groups, cultures and non-traditional sports but also provide greater opportunities for each and everyone of us to get involved within sport, regardless of our ability and our background.

I stand here today in what is an extremely privileged position; I have the opportunity to stand forth on behalf of our students to provide them with the best possible opportunities with regard to sport. I am so very fortunate to have been given this opportunity, one that I will give my all. My time at University wouldn't have been the same if it weren't for getting involved within sport. On leaving University, people remember their time through the people they met, the things they did and the places they went. Sport epitomises this and presents many incredible opportunities for all those that get involved and I cannot reiterate those words enough. For all those who have thought about playing and/or volunteering within sport here at the University, all I can say is to get involved. Regardless of your ability, your motives and your background, sport can present an opportunity for all, and you never know, you might find yourself apart of the Premiership battling netball squad, playing badminton with your fellow course-mates, or you might even become a student volunteer at the 2014 Varsity Competition, whichever it may be, there are so many opportunities out there waiting to be discovered. So go on, get involved!

#SportMatters #KentUnion #kentlife #TeamKent #SportforALL

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