Warboys Primary Academy enrich the minds and bodies of their students during an incredible year of Mintridge Programmes
Warboys Primary Academy enrich the minds and bodies of their students during an incredible year of Mintridge Programmes with Iona Lake, Fil Kamps, Marko Backovic and Nekoda Davis OLY.
“You might not be the best in the room, but you can be the hardest worker and the one that shows up first!”
Hard work, perseverance, resilience and overcoming failure have all been common themes during all of our visits this year at Warboys Primary Academy. With a year worth of programmes bringing inspirational Ambassadors from four different sports and new learning experiences, it was no surprise that the students learnt so much from our dream team this year.
During our four Mintridge Programmes at Warboys Primary Academy, the Mintridge Ambassadors have created curiosity, raised aspirations and shown the students what it takes to compete at the highest level in sport. They have all also shared some of the valuable lessons that they have learnt along the highs and lows of competing in professional sport.
Iona Lake, Fil Kamps, Nekoda Davis OLY, and Marko Backovic delivered our four programmes this year. The school had their programme with Marko upgraded this year to a Silver Mentoring Programme due to the amazing fundraising efforts from their Headteacher, Becky Ford. Becky was announced as The Mintridge Foundation’s Fundraiser of the Year for 2022 and we are so pleased that the Warboys Primary Academy students could experience the direct impact of this fundraising effort from their Headteacher.
You can read more about each of our days and some of the best questions the Warboys Primary Academy students asked our inspirational Ambassadors in this blog.
Iona visited Warboys at the start of the year to encourage the students to do their best during the TCS Mini London Marathon they hosted at school. It was a brilliant event that the whole school and Iona could join in with and we were so pleased that the students could meet a Commonwealth Steeplechase Athlete during this special day. Iona spent the day preparing the students with her top athletics drills to get them race ready.
“I started in the very spot that you are now. I wasn’t very good at running, and each year I would only make a few small steps to improve. That is how I made it from 150th in my race to 2nd, hard work and small steps!”
You can read more about our day with Iona in this blog below that we created earlier on in the year.
"Sport changed my life!"
Our Deaf Football Programme with Fil Kamps started with a brilliant presentation where he spoke to the students about his elite sporting career and the amazing people he has met along his journey.
Fil also shared some of the challenges he has faced during the highs and lows of his career and how the students at Warboys can learn to have a different mindset when faced with a challenge or learn from those around them to support their own greatness.
As a deaf athlete, Fil has defied many setbacks to be incredibly successful in both deaf football but also able-bodied football too. The students loved learning about how Fil communicates with others during our Deaf Football coaching sessions as well.
“There are so many people that helped me to be successful that have all played a part in my journey.”
Fil led some wonderful deaf football sessions with the students, which they were all incredibly excited to try. Fil challenged the students to communicate differently during the sessions as they could not hear through their ear defenders.
The students also asked some great questions during our day too…
What is the favourite team you’ve been on?
Who is your favourite football team to support?
What inspired you to play football?
Who is the hardest player you have played against?
Where have you visited playing football?
At 6ft 5 in, Marko’s presence was definitely felt during our day at Warboys Primary Academy as we spent the day inspiring the students through Basketball and the lessons learnt from this high-intensity team sport.
Marko introduced his life in basketball and shared some of his experiences with the students, including what it was like to compete with the Sheffield Sharks at the top of his game and with England. Some of the students at Warboys Primary Academy are keen basketball players and enjoyed learning new tips and tricks from Marko during the practical Basketball sessions we also delivered as part of our day.
We loved hearing some of the questions the students had for Marko. These included:
What basketball team do you support now?
What’s your greatest number of points scored in a game?
Have you met LeBron James?
What is the best team you have played on?
Did your hard work pay off when preparing for games?
Who is the hardest team you have played against?
If you weren’t a basketball player, what would you do?
“Judo is completely different to anything have ever tried before!”
What does it take to compete at an Olympic Games and what does a Judo athlete do to prepare for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games?
Well, Nekoda Davis OLY was the perfect person to share those insights with the Warboys Primary Academy students during our Bronze Judo Programme.
“If I do the work in training, I know mentally I am confident and physically I am prepared!”
We are delighted that Nekoda could share the power of sport, role models and how she works hard and applies herself to intense training and a hectic competition cycle during this programme.
Although the students had never tried Judo before and felt slightly apprehensive about giving it a go, it was amazing to watch them push themselves outside their comfort zones and support each other to learn some brand new skills and how strong they can be.
There were also some brilliant questions during our day with Nekoda, including the following:
Have you ever felt like you want to quit Judo?
Were there any other fighting sports you wanted to try?
What was your favourite competition?
How did you win your bronze medal?
Is your gold medal made of gold?
What is the hardest move in judo?
How long have you been doing Judo for?
What other sports did you enjoy growing up?
If someone in this room wanted to try judo for the first time, what would you say to them?
“Judo is completely different and it’s all about having fun!”
A favourite part of the programmes for our Mintridge Ambassadors is awarding medals and certificates at the end of each session to students who showed excellent listening skills, determination, or perseverance during the sessions, and we loved seeing this during our programme days!
Our recent programmes at Warboys Primary Academy demonstrated the power of a great team and the power of sport. As part of an extraordinary set of programmes and experiences for the students, we are so pleased that the Mintridge Team could create a huge impact and exciting buzz for the students this year.
During all of our programmes, we encourage the students to work outside of their comfort zones and explore more ways they can get involved in sports outside of school in their local clubs too.
Now not only did the Team Mintridge Ambassadors share their inspirational Mintridge journeys, challenge the students in their practical sessions and share their top tips for success during our year of programmes, Marko Backovic also welcomed two new Mintridge Foundation mentees to the team. We are delighted that they were selected to participate in this programme with Marko, and we can’t wait to follow them through this journey.
Warboys Primary Academy have already participated in one successful mentoring programme with the amazing Justine Lucas, so we know how much the school and students invest in our mentoring programmes!
Thank you to the staff and students at Warboys Primary Academy for inviting #TeamMintridge, Iona Lake, Fil Kamps, Marko Backovic and Nekoda Davis OLY to spend these special programme days with you all. We look forward to seeing you all again next year and hopefully inspiring the next generation to follow their dreams!
If you would like a programme with Iona Lake, Fil Kamps, Marko Backovic and Nekoda Davis OLY or want to learn more about our mentoring programmes for your school or club with one of our inspirational Mintridge Ambassadors, please get in touch with Katie Smith.
If you are considering supporting the Mintridge Foundation as a business, organisation or as an individual, head to our SUPPORT US page below.
The Mintridge Foundation is a registered charity dedicated to enhancing life skills in young people through sport. We provide a support network for young people by harnessing the power of positive sporting role models. The Mintridge Foundation assists young people of all ages, abilities and physical capabilities to develop confidence and resilience, and creates awareness of the importance of mental and physical wellbeing through sport.
Our team of Ambassadors - Olympians, Paralympians and other professional sports stars from over 20 sports, both team and individual - work with young people in schools, clubs and academies across the UK. Starting with visits including assemblies, coaching clinics and classroom sessions tailored to each organisation’s requirements, our ambassadors can then provide one- on- one remote mentoring in a safeguarded environment, delivered via technology such as Fitswarm and Playwaze to build a lasting legacy for individuals.
The Mintridge Foundation’s successes demonstrate the incredible power of sport; from a mentee’s selection to represent Great Britain in their chosen field to enabling disabled children to find confidence and happiness just through participation. Understanding life after sport, we also support our Ambassadors in their transition from active sport to the next stage of their careers.
The Mintridge Foundation
Unit 4, Shieling Court
Northfolds Road
Corby
Northants
NN18 9QD
Tel: +44 (0) 1536 447106
www.mintridgefoundation.org.uk