Sporting News 2007-08
Summer Activities for Children
In spite of the terrible summer weather, the Lancaster Campus summer activity scheme proved, once again, to be a big hit with the children - and parents alike!
A variety of activities were available from a soccer camp to shelter building with specialist sessions featuring mini Olympics, archery, drama factory, climbing wall, quad biking, circus skills, fencing,karate and much more.
The last day concluded with a water themed Fun Day - held outside - and the real bonus was it didn't rain!
Summer Activities for Primary Schools
During the summer 2008 a programme of activities was offered to local primary schools in the Lancaster area and a total of seven schools brought children to the Sports Complex for a series of fun activity days to try out new sports.
Activities included trampolining, orienteering, multi-sports and team challenges. These days were offered as an alternative to the traditional school summer trip and purposely designed to encourage children to have a go at sports they would not otherwise have tried.
Summer activity days have been offered each year since 2003 and, once again, this has been a successful year and similar days will be scheduled again for 2009.
Rugby League Student World Cup: 7 - 21 July 2008
Matt Jefferson, studying Sport & Exercise Science at the Lancaster Campus was selected to represent Ireland at the Student Rugby League World Cup in July 2008 held in Brisbane Australia.
Matt said "This World Cup has been a fantastic experience and being chosen to play centre position throughout all fixtures has been an honour and, notably, I was the only Ireland player to have played every minute of every game. Receiving the player's player of the tournament award has been an accolade for which I was overjoyed as were my family and friends. This was the trip of a lifetime and an experience I will never forget".
The University of Cumbria contributed to the funding of Matt's expenses for this prestigious tournament.
A summary from Matt's diary of the trip reads:-
For the first fixture, which was an evening match, I was handed a No 3 shirt and allocated a starting position of centre - the position I played throughout the tournament. The team felt tense and, although everyone was eager to play, the game got off to a rusty start but improved as the match progressed. However, we couldn't claw back points against the stronger Welsh team who went on to win 24-8.
In the next game, we battled against France in fierce opposition in a closely matched game resulting in a win for France 11-2 which didn't truly reflect the game-flow.
Game three against New Zealand was a match which I had been looking forward to, as from a young boy I'd felt that New Zealand was one of the best rugby league teams in the world - and I was representing Ireland to play against them! The first half was close with the score being 10-4 to New Zealand. In the second half New Zealand scored some late tries and went on to win the game 28-4 but the effort from Ireland was awesome. Being beaten in this game meant that the team was last in the group but would go through to the plate semi-finals.
Now against Greece, (who seemed to have picked up an Australian accent really well) another tough game was contended in very poor weather conditions resulting in a win for Greece 24-4. With this result the team were in a playoff for seventh and eighth place.
The final against Scotland, was held at a local club in the outskirts of Brisbane which was the first game of the day but the last game of the tournament for both teams. In spite of picking up a few injuries along the way, the team felt strong and went out confidently to take on Scotland. Again the game was close but the resulting score showed a victory for Ireland 24-18.
The 2008 World Cup was won by Australia beating England 24-10.
Rejuvenation of Artificial Turf Pitch, Lancaster Campus - July 2008
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The artificial turf pitch has benefitted from extensive refurbishment over the summer. The playing surface has had rejuvenation treatment to improve its porosity and drainage, its comfort, safety, appearance and its overall playing performance. Up to 90% of the sand infill was removed and replaced with new silica sand. The treatment will significantly extend its playing life.
In addition the fencing has been repaired, new hockey goals have be purchased and all nets will be replaced for the start of the new season.
Youth Games: Karate Club: UoC Lancaster Campus - July/August 2008
Every year Lancaster is involved in an international junior tournament with her twin towns. This year, the host town was Rendsburgh in Nothern Germany and the games took place between 27 July and 1 August 2008 where more than 500 young people aged between 14 and 16 from eight different countries competed in 10 different sports.
A team of five - Alex Calverley, James Downey, Lucy Patterson, Beth Thomas and Alex Thomas - represented all Karate clubs in Lancaster competing in Kumite (fighting) and Kata (pre-arranged forms) both individual and team. Three members of the team; Beth Thomas, Alex Thomas and Alex Calverley, were selected from the Karate Club operating from the Sports Complex, Lancaster Campus and success by the squad won 6 gold, 2 silver and 5 bronze medals:-
Individual Kata, girls: Beth Thomas, silver; Alex Thomas and Lucy Patterson; bronze
Individual Kata, boys: Alex Calverley, bronze
Individual Kumite, girls: Alex Thomas, silver; Lucy Patterson and Beth Thomas, bronze
Team Kata, Beth Thomas, Alex Thomas and James Downey; Gold
Team Kumite, girls; Beth Thomas, Alex Thomas and Lucy Patterson; Gold
Congratulations to the whole team from Lancaster who competed in athletics, golf, judo, swimming and table tennis and came back from Rendsburgh with a grand total of 62 medals, made up of 19 gold, 15 silver and 28 bronze.
Sam tells us how he won his climbing competition
During the month of November 2007, Ambleside sports centre organised a climbing course for beginners. I thought this might provide a change from the four walls of the gym so I went along to see what all the fuss was about - little did I know how addicted I would become. The course lasted for six weeks during which time we were taught how to traverse the walls with care and precision, how to belay and abseil and, in the closing sessions, how to do those dynamic moves you see in the movies.
Since then I have developed a bit of an obsession with 'The Box' (Ambleside's indoor climbing wall), spending most of my lunch hours shimmying up and down the many challenging routes.
At the beginning of March 2008 I found my first real test when Niki Wilson, Assistant Manager of the Sports Hall at Ambleside, released a paper of 39 routes of rising difficulty to be conquered, each one earning the climber a point. There were four prize categories: beginner; ladies; UoC student and Overall. I was lucky enough to win in the beginner section receiving a voucher worth £25 from the Lakes Climber Outlet. I put my voucher towards a crash mat to cushion my ankles and bum from my many falls. Now the weather is getting better I'm hoping to take my prize out onto some of the famous climbs and boulders we have in the lake district.
Photo: Myself (on the right) and Nick Lyons, Outdoor Studies student from Ambleside, who won the Overall category.
Great Result for UoC Rowers at the BUSA Rowing Championships
4, 5 and 6 May 2008
Helen Leigh and Katherine Morris, both studying Sport & Exercise Science at the Lancaster Campus, made their way to Glasgow to compete in the annual BUSA Rowing Regatta joining over 2,000 athletes making up 600 crews from 40 universities - placing on record a first for the University of Cumbria.
The girls competed in the double sculls, pairs and single scull events. They had success in the double sculls where they came second in their heat and qualified for the final where they finished 5th.
Both girls qualified for the final of the single sculls where Helen came 3rd and Katherine came 5th.
Mark Bitcon (April 2008)
Mark Bitcon is Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Scottish national squad and Head of Elite Fitness for Scotland Rugby Union. He played a vital role in preparing the Scotland players for last year's Rugby World Cup by getting each player to peak physical condition utilising the expert knowledge of physiology he gained at the University.
After graduating Mark spent time working with Bolton Wanderers, Wasps Rugby Union Club and Glasgow Warriors before joining the Scottish national rugby team. While a student, he had placements at Celtic FC, the Olympic Medical Centre and the Scottish Claymores.
Mark devises individual and highly detailed fitness plans for each player, dependent on their playing position and the tactics of the team. Everything is covered, from nutritional supplements and the meals they should eat to the programme of exercise and fitness training to help them reach peak fitness at exactly the right time prior to big games and tournaments. He also has a dedicated team working for him made up of experts in nutrition, physiology, fitness and exercise.
Kerry Morrow (April 2008)
Sports graduate Kerry Morrow has been applying science to football to help Carlisle United FS with their promotion push this season.
Kerry (22) from Newton-in-Furness graduated in 2007 with a degree in Coaching & Sports Performance. Employed by the University to work at the club since February 2008 he has been utilising the skills learnt during his degree to analyse the performance of every player using specialised software that pinpoints key events during each match.
Every game is taped and then fed into an analysis software programme which Kerry uses to "tag" events such as shots, crosses and winning possession in the opponent's half. Kerry then provides Carlisle manager, John Ward, with the analysed video and written facts about the game to present to the players. The manager decides which events he wants to focus on and can show the players and coaching staff exactly what the team are going well and where they need to improve. These techniques are commonly used by Premiership teams where any small advantage can mean the difference between winning and losing.
Fitness Testing - Morecambe Football Club
The School of Sport has been closely involved with Morecambe FC in their very successful first ever season in the football league. Tim Barry has been acting as a consultant and undertook three fitness testing sessions throughout the year at the Lancaster campus. Aerobic endurance, speed, power and body composition were all tested and the Morecambe coaching staff and players were delighted with the results.
University of Cumbria Karate Club, Ambleside (April 2008)
The University of Cumbria Karate Club based at the Ambleside campus has won its first gold medal!
Mike Jones, who trains at the Club, won the senior male kata event performing kata "bassai dai" in the final at the 23rd annual Karate Union of Great Britain kyu grades championships held in Prestatyn on Sunday 27 April 2008.
Louis, another competitor, got through many elimination rounds of ippon kumite (sparing) and kata before going out just short of the finals.
Mike and Louis' instructor is Keith Robson, 5th Dan KUGB, who teaches at the Karate Club at Ambleside every Thursday at 6pm.
Fusehill Campus Sports Centre Hosted Indoor Athletics Event (March 2008)
The Fusehill Street Campus Sports Centre hosted the indoor athletics event for the Carlisle Schools Sports Partnership organised by Carlisle City Council which formed the process of selection for the Cumbria Youth Games taking place later in the year.
All primary schools were invited to take part with the event having a series of weekly heats culminating in a grand final on the 18 March 2008. The mixed teams made up of year 5 and 6 pupils competed in various disciplines including a run, throw, jump and relay.
Student Team Success at National BUSA Finals (March 2008)
Having qualified from their respective regional leagues, the men's football and Rugby League teams won through to the BUSA national knock-out cup competitions which were held in Sheffield in March 2008.
This was the first time that BUSA cup competition finals had been held in one city in an attempt to raise the profile of student sport on a national level and to enhance the student experience. The teams had beaten several high profile well-established Universities along the way including teams from Durham, Nottingham and Loughborough to reach the final. The football team was beaten on penalties to Manchester and the rugby league team lost to Leeds Met Carnegie after putting up a brave performance.
The women's football team have also performed brilliantly, reaching the semi-finals of their cup competition but losing in extra time to Liverpool. Well done to all.
Gaelic Football at Fusehill Campus (February 2008)
The Gaelic football team started out in September 2007 with a squad of 20 players training most Sunday afternoons. From fundraising events and financial support from the SU, they were able to purchase a strip and fund competing in the British Universities Gaelic football championships.
On 16 February 2008 the team travelled to the championships in Birmingham. The group stages consisted of five teams with only the first team qualifying for the semi-finals. Our team started well by winning their opening matches against Lincoln and Rennes (France) and remained undefeated by drawing with Nottingham. However, in their final match, they lost out to a team who had travelled from New York. Having finished second in the group they didn't qualify for the semi-finals but did qualify for the European tournament to be held in Rennes in October 2008 at which they hope to build on their excellent fledgling year achievements.
Looking ahead to February 2009 the team a looking forward to competing in the British University championships.
If you are interested in 'having a go' at Gaelic football, contact Nessan McQuaid at s00024430@gmail.com| or drop into the Student Union office at Fusehill Campus and leave contact details.
Exercise Classes for Staff (February 2008)
A range of exercise classes for the New Year proved popular with students, staff and the community who have made a New Year resolution to get fit. Classes included Pilates, Yoga, Body Conditioning, Ab Attack and Hip Hop and Salsa. Keep up with what's on offer by accessing the Sport and Recreation webpages or enquire at your nearest sports facility.
Club Mark Status Achieved by University Sporting Partner (February 2008)
Morecambe and District Hockey Club are a key partner of the University of Cumbria Sports Complex at the Lancaster Campus. They have played a significant role in establishing the University Sports Complex as a local and regional venue for hockey fixtures up to County standard. They also provide opportunities for all students to play, coach officiate and administer hockey at a range of levels.
In recognition of Morecambe Hockey Club's demonstrating that they provide a Safe, Effective and Child Friendly hockey environment, they have been awarded Club Mark status by England Hockey and Sport England. This is one of only three other clubs to be awarded this is the North Lancashire and Cumbria region. As well as providing the club with the opportunity to play and train at a first-class facility, the Sport and Recreation Service have supported, encouraged and assisted with achieving this accreditation by running a coaching qualification course for their club members.
Gymnastics and Trampolining Engaging all Aspects of the Community (July 2007)
The gymnastic and trampolining programme at the University of Cumbria Sports Complex at the Lancaster Campus offers an extensive timetable of classes for beginners through to competition level. The programme is a significant way for the University to engage with the local community and bring children of a suitable age into a higher education environment who would not otherwise have the opportunity to do so. The programme attracts over 400 children each week from 5 years of age upwards. Children who show the appropriate levels of ability are invited to join SMARTAC, the competition club who compete in Sport Acrobatics locally, regionally and represented Great Britain at the World Gymnaestrada in Austria in Summer 2007.
A recent successful addition to the programme has been a trampolining group called "Bouncers" for autistic children and those with specific learning needs.
Click here| to access Gymnastics and here| Trampolining at the Lancaster Campus.
Student Wins World Silver Medal in Rowing Championships (October 2007)
Catherine Morris, who is studying for a Sports Science Degree at the University of Cumbria, was part of the Ireland team at the World Sea Rowing Championships.
Catherine hopes to transfer her sea rowing skills to inland rowing when she rows for the University with Helen Leigh in a series of regattas during the spring and summer of 2008.
University's Physiotherapist Travels with International Athletics Team
Iain Cole, Head Physiotherapist at the University's Sports Injury Clinic in Lancaster, travelled, with the England Athletics team as Team Physiotherapist to the recent indoor international meeting in Vienna and Bratislava. Iain, an accredited therapist with UK Athletics, regularly travels to world championship events with UK Athletics, Team England and British Cycling.
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