Sport in West Norfolk

Last night (Tuesday) I had the pleasure of speaking to a group of sportsmen and women at the West Norfolk Sports Council AGM, held at Lynnsport, King's Lynn. From that evening, I just wanted to share a few, brief thoughts.

The first thing is why I was there. I was asked to speak because of my fast-impending Olympic role, leading the news service team for hockey. I spoke for about 25 minutes about the role, how I came to get it, my expectations and a little bit about the process involved in the organisation of the event since London first won the bid in 2005.

But what struck me far more than the delivery of my speech was the emotion I felt as I drove up to Lynnsport. I left King's Lynn nearly 25 years ago, and when I left Lynnsport was a very new facility. The people who used it then were mainly footballers, middle class, middle aged gym goers and some senior citizen indoor bowlers.

Last night there was a group of youngsters taking a break from 'The Shed', an indoor skatepark; there were athletes of all ages on the track - from teens to silver-sprinters (grey-haired athletes); there were disabled people heading towards the sports centre for gym-based activities; there were footballers, squash players; and a host of other people. In other words it was a hive of activity.

Which got me thinking about sport in the last 25 years. When I left King's Lynn, the people who 'did' sport were the 'sporting' people. They were fairly much from the same social category - well-off enough to be able to afford match fees, membership charges and kit; they would have been in the school sports teams for that sport; they would usually be male and they would always be under 45. Oh, and being in Norfolk, they would be white and British.

I have been witness to a huge shift in sports provision and sports participation over the last quarter of a decade. At Loughborough University I saw the beginnings of the National Coaching Foundation and its influence on raising coaching standards; as a sports coach I saw the activities of Sport England and the National Governing Bodies, with programmes such as 'Tops Sport' and the introduction of mini sports; as a teacher I learnt how to engage more people, especially girls, through offering a varied programme of sport, rather than a programme based on team games; and as a magazine editor for a sports body I have seen numerous examples of incredible good practice that is working hard to reach out to a wider audience.

And last night I saw numerous people, all engaged in providing sport/activities to the people of West Norfolk. This in itself is no easy matter due to the rural nature of the area and the number of low income families in patches of the borough. There was the elderly gentleman from Sedgeford Tennis Club who was worried that people who devised sporting strategy were forgetting the social aspects of sport; there were the two athletes from Ryston Runners who have done more to keep people engaged in athletics, running and walking well into their retired years than any amount of funded programme could do; there was the sports development officer who had led a team that had delivered a varied and exciting programme around the borough in the lead up to the Olympics.

The speaker ahead of me, a sports strategy consultant, gave a pessimistic take on sport in West Norfolk. I gave, I hope, and upbeat message about the Olympics. The gentleman who spoke after me was a fanatical football commentator for the county radio station. He loved the local league clubs and would rather watch Diss Town than a premier league match.

I think what the people of West Norfolk should be proud of, is that they have such a vibrant sports community, despite of the problems outlined by the sports strategist. As long as the village tennis club, the local bowls club, the community zumba class and the local Parkour club continue to run, then sport in West Norfolk will not only survive, but thrive.

So my emotional return to Lynn Sport was because I felt I had come a full circle. I had left the area loving sport but not really understanding its place in society. I had come back, on the eve of going to the most highly-publicised sports event on the planet, and found that actually the most meaningful sports participation and provision is evident in every community, and for that reason should be supported and cherished.

Handball is one of the Olympic sports that could become a community activity

A new challenge or warped logic?

You know how it is. You run a good time in your most recent half marathon (83 minutes). You harbour great ambitions to really push for an age-group GB cap and then disaster strikes. You are doing an innocuous exercise to develop your core stability and a sudden stabbing pain attacks your right hip.

Driving on despite a hip injury

First thoughts - 'Ah well, I was due a rest for a couple of days' and 'what a pratt for trying to do an exercise without warming up first!'

Thoughts after a week and no sign of improvement - 'This is not looking good, I had better see a physio.'

Two weeks later - 'Definitely need to see a physio.' Book physio, discover you used to teach him, so feel very old and past it, especially when he says that at my age (44) injuries take longer to heal.

Four, expensive weeks later, no improvement. Youth does not equate to knowledge, but then looking at my inability to rest the injury, or ice it properly, age doesn't always equate to wisdom either.

Now I am having acupuncture and it is very refreshing to meet a therapist who sees the whole picture. Not only is the acupuncturist looking at more than simply the site of pain – she is treating the whole body for its stresses – she also realises that telling me to rest is useless, and she is positively encouraging an active recovery.

So, I have decided to take a novel approach to a long-term injury; I am going to train for an ultra marathon, and perhaps even do one.

Why? Well, this might be warped logic but I think it is going to work. My injury seems to be stable, ie it is not getting any worse. The affected area gets better with movement but I cannot do anything that involves high impact - jumping, hopping, skipping or...running fast. But I can plod for ever, and the further I plod, the better the hip feels.

Ultra marathons involve lots of plodding. In fact some of the most successful ultra marathoners plod, and in doing so overtake the faster runners (think parable of hare and tortoise).

So today I did my first training session. My poor little dog joined me and, after two ibruprofen, we set off on a 20 mile walk/jog. I took a rucksack filled with dried apricots, dates and doggie treats, along with some water and sports drink. We had a great time and I didn't miss running fast at all.

Fresh as daisy! Beano a few miles in

It was odd transitioning from a jog to a walk, and for the first few times I was very reluctant, but I am committed to two things: 1. Getting over this injury and 2. Doing the training properly.

It took me just under four hours, which is much slower than I would run if I was going to run a marathon, but in the back of my mind was the thought that, at this pace I really could keep going for many more miles.


As it was, three months away from running has taken its toll slightly and by the end my legs were tired but not unpleasantly so. I took a cold (can't quite do ice) bath and then kept moving around the house. Little dog has taken a different approach to recovery - sleeping for the rest of the day, except when he hears a potential food-begging opportunity.

This first day is the start of a base-building section of preparation, so tomorrow I shall be putting more mileage in my legs, but via a three-hour bike ride this time.

Warped logic it may be, enjoyable experience it certainly was.

Hockey passes first test

The hockey test event at the Riverbank Arena on the Olympic Park was an outstanding success - both for its organisation and the results.

The four-day test event pitted the world's number one and number two-ranked men's teams, Germany and Australia, against each other in a thrilling final; while the women's final saw Great Britain overcome the might of the Champion's Cup holders, Argentina to take gold - much to the delight of the home crowd.

The participating teams were:
Women's section, GB, Korea, China and Argentina.
Men's section, GB, Australia, Germany and India.

As a test event, I don't think things could have gone better - unless someone at the head of the London 2012 organising committee has a direct line to the god of weather. Despite the odd downpour, the more continuous steady drizzle and a bitter wind, the tournament went smoothly.

The blue pitch with the pink surround was well received by spectators, camera-people and players alike. The stadium, although compared to a set of match sticks by one eminent hockey journalist (who clearly didn't realise it is a temporary structure), was really well set out. The spectators could get in and out easily, the seats all had great views and the big screens were visible around the ground.

The team's changing rooms were a short walk away but nothing too strenuous - we are talking metres not miles. The press facilities were a bit cold but nothing that a hot British summer won't cure.

Down points 
The injuries to GB's Alex Danson and Crista Cullen will leave coach Danny Kerry sweating on his team selection. See the England Hockey website for updates and team news.

The distance that people have to walk from the entrance to the park to the hockey arena may cause elderly or disabled people a problem, although there are buggies available.

The replica fans, which seem to have replaced the vuvuzela, will eventually get on people's nerves, as might the band that accompanies all GB matches - fine for four days, not sure about 14.

Moments of controversy
The GB men conceded a goal when the hooter went before they were all on the pitch. The goal scorers - obviously the German's, so will it be a case of 'don't mention ze score' come August?

The Argentinian player, Fernando Zylberberg, who featured in an advert for the games,  doing step-ups on the British war memorial in the Falklands - he has not been picked but bad feeling may linger.

The bounciness of the pitch - venerable Aussie coach Ric Charlesworth was among those who complained that the pitch was too bouncy and may not settle in time for the Games. And pommes are whingy?

Anyway, 12,000 spectators on finals day and many thousands more in the previous three days of competition, all agreed that as a test event, hockey had come out with top marks.