The GDST Sports Scholars’ Day was created to inspire, develop and nurture the talented athletes within the Girls’ Day School Trust

WHAT A DAY!

On the back of a very successful first Sports Scholars’ Day in 2022, the GDST and The Mintridge Foundation came together again on Friday 10th February 2023 for another spectacular day. Our day inspired and enhanced the sporting and academic growth of this year’s GDST Sports Scholars, and helped guide them on their own journeys to success.

We were delighted to bring together 19 schools from the GDST from across the country and over 320 students to spend their day with our team of medal-winning Olympians, Paralympians, award-winning founders and highly acclaimed individuals from the world of sport.

With the want and desire to inspire, nurture and develop the next generation of young people, our Mintridge Foundation Ambassadors and deliverers led 13 different workshops during our day, that we intentionally designed to create those magical lightbulb moments that can’t be found in a textbook or webpage.

The accumulative years of experience and breadth of expertise in the room during our day, allowed the students to learn new skills and grow their minds and bodies. The opportunity to work with a team of Ambassadors who have ‘been there and done it’ on the journey that so many of them are also striving towards, was a once in a lifetime moment for these Scholars.

As a Foundation, we know that young people need inspirational role models to guide them on their journeys and be a supporter when faced with a setback, bump in the road or a challenging time inside and outside the world of sport. The power of sporting role models is evident on a day like this, as we bring together the best in their fields and create a fantastic opportunity for the students to seek advice from a relatable role model, and someone who can inform them on the path they are choosing to take.

Keep scrolling to find out more about the workshops we delivered and who joined us on the day.

INSPIRE

NURTURE

DEVELOP

Our Inspirational Workshops

**Netball Coaching Session with England Netballer and Sky Sports Presenter,** **Eboni Usoro-Brown**

Eboni delivered a netball masterclass during our day and encouraged the GDST netball players to get moving and have the confidence to be dominant. There was a lot of smiling and selfies on the netball courts and the students loved learning all about what makes Eboni world class, during her keynote speech at the start of the day too.

“You can achieve anything that you set your mind to!”

**Hockey Coaching Session with GB Hockey Player -** **Shona McCallin MBE**

Shona was joined by the amazing former GB hockey player, Beckie Middleton for her masterclass during our day and the girls got to learn so much from both our GB Women’s Hockey players. Not only did they work on their fundamental skills, Shona and Beckie also showed them a few of their own tips and tricks to make them stand out above the rest on the hockey pitch.

“You have to remember why you are doing what you are doing, as there is a little girl inside of you somewhere that fell in love with this game!”

Cricket Coaching Session with Professional Cricketer - Fi Morris

The students at the GDST don’t just like cricket, they love it! During the cricket sessions, Fi set up lots of opportunities for the cricketers to learn some expert top tips during the batting and bowling drills. The students took away some of Fi’s expert knowledge, ready to put into action in the upcoming cricket season.

“Sometimes we forget that we need to enjoy our sport and the moments we are fortunate to take part in, as that really is what keeps us motivated during the tough times!”

Managing Stress, Pressure and your Energy Zappers with Commonwealth Bronze Medallist - Liz Cann

In a world of changing demands; internal and external pressures, the Sports Scholars needed Liz Cann’s guidance and expertise during our day more than ever before. Liz challenged the Sports Scholars to think more about their controllables and what they can do when faced with a setback or challenge. Liz also got everyone thinking about what takes up most of their energy during a week or month to help support them in their sporting and academic environments.

“We have to take control of the things that our in our control in order to succeed. Everyone is trying to win their own competition and you want to step off your court knowing you gave it your all!”

Life in Sports Journalism and Media - Portraying Yourself as a Professional Athlete with Channel 4 and Talk Sport Presenter - Jordan Jarrett-Bryan

What do you do in response to an epic win or a mighty defeat? Jordan Jarrett-Bryan delviered another practical based workshop with the Scholars during our day to challenge their thinking and actions when presented with an external setback. How these budding Sports Scholars conduct themselves on and off their respective sporting arenas and in coaching sessions, is an important skill for them to take forward as they grow as athletes and as leaders in their chosen careers.

“Who you are and your integrity matters when your training or you are in the spotlight. You have to decide who you want to be and own it, as that is what people will remember you by. Actions are just as powerful as words!”

What Makes You Unique?*Neurodiversity in Sport and Making Training and Competition Work For You* with GB Rower - Caraghy McMurtry OLY

With over 320 Sports Scholar’s attending our day, Caragh was perfectly placed to get the young minds in the room thinking about what their ‘Super Strengths’ are and what makes them unique when training and competing in their sports. Caragh led some brilliant discussions and asked the students to work together to work out what makes them unique, so they can harness that now and in the future.

“You shouldn’t let someone get in the way of your dream. It is important that you find help if you need it, try and train a different way or overcome the challenge that is in front of you, as we all learn differently and we all can be successful if we keep working towards our own individual goals.”

Swimming Coaching Session with GB Swimmer - Molly Renshaw

The GDST swimmers were put to the test during our day with the amazing Molly Renshaw, who challenged the swimmers to push themselves further. Molly shared some of her top tips with the Scholars and the technical adjustments that could help them to be even faster at the next GDST Swimming Gala.

“Every moment is a learning opportunity and sometimes you have to deviate from the plan to get yourself back on track.”

Looking After Your Female Body and Female Athlete Health - with Welsh Swimmer and National Champion - Cerian Harries

Cerian delivered a thought provoking and informative session with the Sports Scholars, about how they can lead a more sustainable sporting lifestyle through understanding their female body. Cerian shared some of her own experiences to support them with their planning and choices when competing and training. This really important topic helped the Sports Scholars understand more about themselves and others on their journeys.

Self Defence and Martial Arts with Eira Culverwell

With over 33 years experience, competing at world level across three martial art disciplines, Eira was a hit with the GDST staff and students on the day. Eira practically got the girls working together to enhance their martial arts skills and learn some new self defence moves. The students had a lot of fun pinning their partners on the day too!

Strength and Conditioning for Female Athletes

S&C is a familiar part of the Sports Scholars’ experiences at school and in their respective clubs. During our day, the students used their new gifted resistance bands to workout in a specially created S&C routine, that will support them with their general mobility and rehab.

Yoga for Female Athletes with Teen Yoga

As part of our day, Charlotta from Teen Yoga, challenged the students during her session to see and feel the power of yoga and stretching to aid their sporting performance. The Scholars had a lot of fun focusing on their yoga session and winding down at the end of an exciting day of sporting activities.

We were delighted to welcome our partners Limitless Kit to our Sports Scholars’ Day. They spoke to the girls about the history of kit and where their now, very high tech kit from Limitless originated from. Limitless also provided some very useful tote bags for the Scholars to use during the day and use for their sport and school equipment too.

Thank you Limitless Kit for your support.

Absolute Performance also supported the Scholars on the day with their amazing goody bags, which they could use on the day in their sessions but also at home when training or trying to rehab after an injury. It was a brilliant addition to help the Sports Scholars own their own performance!

Thank you Absolute Performance for supporting the GDST Sports Scholars on the day.

The GDST teachers also walked away with their own goody bag as part of our day and we were delighted that they could receive a signed copy of Game On by Sue Anstiss MBE. With lots of words of wisdom and encouragement, we know that the messages Sue is sharing in this book will benefit the Scholars and their staff in the year ahead.

To bring the day to a close, the GDST Sports Scholars gathered together in the main hall to listen to and take part in the live panel and Q&A with our selected Ambassadors. This was a fantastic opportunity for everyone to hear their opinions on what they do and have done in the past to help manage stress and pressure. The Ambassadors also shared more about how they have made it to the top of their game, even when faced with a challenge. This was a fantastic opportunity for the scholars in the room to see Jordan do what he does best and put his Channel 4 News and Sports journalist experience in action on the panel too.

During our day, the Ambassadors and deliverers were on the lookout for Sports Scholars who really stood out during their sessions and showed the characteristics of a promising young athlete. Those students were then put forward at the end of the day to receive an amazing Silver Mentoring Programme with Shona McCallin MBE. We are delighted that Lauren from Brighton Girls School and Phoebe from Howell’s School were selected out of the hat to receive this once-in-a-lifetime programme, and we can’t wait to get them started on this journey with Shona.

Ending our day on a huge high, the GDST Schools departed the day to start their weekends and a few stayed behind for their selfies and catch-up moments with the Ambassadors. It was amazing to see the Scholars relishing their chance to meet their idols and taking so much from their time with the Ambassadors on the day. We know there were a lot of smiling faces, autograph cards and celebratory moments being shared on the bus journeys home!

Thank you to all of the staff and students that joined us for the GDST Sports Scholars’ Day. We are so pleased that during this day we were able to inspire over 320 pupils and guide them on their own path to sporting success or otherwise.

A special thanks to the staff at Sutton High School, who helped the GDST and Mintridge Foundation bring this day together and help coordinate the workshops throughout the day with their PE staff.

We are very grateful to Mrs Ceri Crawford and the whole of the GDST for supporting this GDST Sports Scholars’ Day and working with The Mintridge Foundation to bring it all together for a very inspirational event.

We look forward to hopefully welcoming all of the students back next year for another great event and we wish all of the Sports Scholars the best of luck for the rest of theie academic and sporting journeys.

If you are interested in a virtual or physical mentoring Programme with any of the Mintridge Foundation Ambassadors, then please get in touch via the Mintridge website or with Katie. To access the photos from the event, please contact a member of the Mintridge team or complete your feedback form sent separately.

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 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.

If you would like to understand more about our mentoring programmes with sporting role models and how they can support the young people at your school or club, please contact Katie Smith.