"You have to challenge rejection with action!" - England and Northampton Saints rugby player, George Furbank, inspires students at Prince William School
George Furbank visits Prince William School for a very special Wilson Foundation Programme
Thanks to the kind support from The Wilson Foundation, who funded a programme at Prince William School, The Mintridge Foundation were able to spend the day with their staff and students in a brilliant rugby programme with England and Northampton Saints rugby player, George Furbank.
George began his day sharing his sporting journey with the students at Prince William and offering them some key words of advice for all aspects of their lives. George presented his thoughts on what lessons can be learnt in both sport and life from his personal journey and how the students can apply the lessons he has learnt to their own passions and goals.
“Throw yourself into all that you can & get out of your comfort zone!”
George spoke passionately about his rugby career and the highs and lows he has experienced along the way and enlighten the students about what it takes to compete at the top of your game. George wanted to share with the students the values sport has taught him and how that has helped support his life outside of rugby. On a very topical note for some of the students in the room, George also focussed on ignoring the noise of those that don’t matter (particularly surrounding social media) and making sure that you balance areas of your life to look after your own mental and physical wellbeing.
“Attack rejection with action and go away and do what you need to work on and work hard at it. Rejection happens in all aspects of life and it will happen in your career and sport, so you need to learn how to respond to it and grow from it!”
It was in this session that the students asked some fantastic questions for George, that they could use on their own journeys to success.
How often do you train?
How long have you been playing rugby?
What is your favourite game you have ever played in?
What are your future plans?
Are there any particularly scary players to play against?
What was your worst injury?
What made you choose your degree?
Is your diet strict?
Who has been the hardest team to play against?
Do you use sports psychology a lot?
What is the hardest thing about being an international rugby player?
Who is your inspiration?
What is your pre-match routine?
It was brilliant for George to share these insights with the students during our day. It was very beneficial for the GCSE and BTEC students who are currently studying some of these areas to hear it from a current professional athlete, to make their academic studies even more relevant.
George then tested the Year 8’s basic skills on the rugby field and introduced them to some fun games to get them into the spirit of rugby. It was brilliant for the students to be able to work together and develop their own rugby skills, even if it did take a while to pass backwards rather than forwards!
We are so pleased that the students at Prince William School could benefit from this very inspirational programme with George Furbank just before he went into England camp too. Thank you to The Wilson Foundation for supporting this programme and providing this great opportunity for the students to be involved in.
If you would like to understand more about our mentoring programmes with elite athletes and how they can support the young people at your school or club, please contact 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
