Day 27

We started our day with our last scheduled visit to Goodwood Crèche. If you've read my last few Tuesday blogs you'll know we've enjoyed the sessions but have had mixed results. We started today with our most advanced group, they started off with a game where we would give them a movement such as run, walk and skip and then they'd have to do it until I blew a whistle and at that point they would have to run to a cone. They did really well and picked it up with ease. We moved onto relays with a ball, after some confusion they finally got the concept and did really well. We finished with our sitting in a circle and rolling ball activity, I've said it before it's really simple but really effective. Lots of high fives and shouts of Arsenal and we moved onto the next group, by this time temperatures had risen to 30+ degrees so we decided to cut out the relays and cut the session shorter. All groups understood exactly what we were trying to get them to do which was pleasing, even the slightly slower group did really well in the first activity. Again lots of high fives and shouts of Arsenal and our time at Goodwood was over, just time to have some lunch. We would like to pass on our thanks to Goodwood they have looked after us with cool drink (everyone over here calls juice and other cold drinks cool drink) and we can't forget the lunches and Harry has been very impressed with the jelly. The kids have been really well behaved and it just shows the hardwork the teachers have done with them. Hopefully we have given you a few ideas of things to do with the kids when we go. With this crèche we have tried to use games/drills that need little equipment and can be done by anyone, we are here to coach but also to give the people we leave behind something they can get on and try when we leave. Hopefully for the kids it isn't just 3months of us and then nothing until next January when 2more coaches come out.

We left the crèche and quickly went back to Berghof as Harry had forgotten a few things. It was then onto the learning centre where we again caught up on emails and some other bits. We then made the short walk to the circle (roundabout) to coach some of the local Ruyterwacht kids, Harry and myself went over a bit earlier to kick a ball about. We were quickly spotted and strategy into a 5 a side game while we waited. It was too hot for us so we took a seat and watched on, the boys then left and the Ruyterwacht girls team and a few of the boys team turned up. We went for boys vs girls 5 a side game with me and Harry joining the girls side. With the scores level at 5-5 we called time, the girls really got stuck in and again they showed they didn't care who they were up against.

We then waited around for a sleeping Yonick and drove to the Italian club to coach the Atlantic club, we had originally planned a session around the amount of equipment we had last week and the number of kids we were told we would have. We found that we actually had a lot less equipment and a lot more kids. We therefore decided we would go to our tried a tested possession session, I don't like to keep using it but with lots of numbers and little equipment it works. It also allows coaching points to be made and groups to be more manageable. With slight language difficulties as well it's a very easy setup. Always have a session you can use just incase something happens and ruins your plans. We've got a few but this 1 works well and has easy and natural progression. I couldn't fault the group, very well behaved, got on with what was asked and were generally a nice group, but both of us said it felt weird taking a session that went in near complete silence, no moaning, no jokes or banter just quietly getting on with it. 

So that was that our long day over with, the heat has killed me today along with the 4 crèche and 2 club sessions. Another early start tomorrow, definitely not on holiday over here.