Schools

Stat Graphic #006

Giannis’ Steps To Success

Having won the NBA championship in the 2020/21 season, Giannis Antetokounmpo gave a powerful post-game interview where he spoke about the sacrifices that were made to get him to that point, growing up as a very poor child in Greece.

“I was always out of home trying as much as I could to help my mom and dad by selling watches, glasses, CDs, DVDs, and everything I could find. I was doing that until I turned 17 because I had to. I had no other choice. When I was selling all those things, I was the best seller.”

After crashing out of the 2023 NBA playoffs facing one of the biggest upsets in recent basketball history, a reporter asked Giannis about whether he saw this season as a failure. His response (below) has been a viral sensation:

In this video Giannis speaks about the definition of failure and how he stays motivated to keep pushing and improving. He acknowledged that failure is a part of the journey to success and that his failures made him a stronger person and player.

Giannis’ comments serve as a reminder that failure is not the end, but rather an opportunity to learn and grow. His words can be motivating for anyone facing setbacks or challenges, encouraging them to keep going and strive for greatness.

Hope Molecules

“Hope molecules” is a term that refers to certain chemicals in the brain that are associated with positive emotions and feelings of hope. Specifically, these molecules include dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, and endorphins, which are released in response to various stimuli such as exercise, social interaction, and acts of kindness.

Research has shown that increasing the levels of these molecules in the brain can lead to improved mood, reduced stress and anxiety, and even physical health benefits. Therefore, promoting activities and behaviours that trigger the release of these “hope molecules” can be an effective way to boost well-being and resilience.

Devi Sridhar writes about the impact hope molecules can have on children in the article below:

Professional Development Service Evaluation

At Moving Matters we welcome feedback from schools, parents and children and as part of our Professional Development service we evaluated the success of the support we offer teachers.

It allows us to successfully review the quality of the experience the teacher is having and the impact it is having.

See some of the results from this year’s evaluations:

With another 2 years of PE and Sport premium funding, it is important to continue investing in the development of teaching staff in PE.

If you’d like to know more about this service, we offer free taster sessions to non-member schools.

Get in touch:

Staff Social

On Wednesday, the MM team came together to host a 5 v 5 football match which was a lot of fun. As mentioned before, it is not often we get to meet up as a team so these times are very cherished at Moving Matters.

These social events are great because it can boost morale and team spirit by allowing us to work together in a non-work setting. With some new members added to the team, it allows us to get to know each other better and what better than some football.

We are a company that value staying active and having a sports-focused social allows us to practice what we preach.

Competitions Recap

Year 1 Athletics // May 4th // St Martin’s In-The-Fields School

Yesterday we hosted our first of four fully-booked Athletics competitions to conclude a spectacular year of inter-school competitions.

This was our Year 1 Athletics competition and without the amazing help of St Martin’s school for allowing us to use their venue on such short notice AND providing exceptional Year 8 Sports Leaders, who knows what today would have looked like.

Competitions Coordinator George had this to say about the competition:

“Participation in our inter-school competitions can be a valuable experience for children as it allows them to showcase their talents and compete with peers from other schools.

While winning may be a common goal, it’s also essential for children to have fun and put in effort during these events. Having fun not only makes the experience more enjoyable, but it can also reduce stress and anxiety associated with competition.

Additionally, putting in effort teaches children valuable life skills such as perseverance, determination, and discipline. These skills can be applied to many areas of life beyond competition and can help children develop a growth mindset.”

We want to give a big shoutout to everyone involved from our staff, to the teachers and support staff who bring the children and look after them throughout, to the Sports Leaders to the participants themselves. 4 more to go!

We’ve also included a competitions gallery on our website so check it out using the link below for some more photos from yesterday:

Upcoming Competition

Year 5 & 6 Futsal // May 18th // Ferndale Sports Centre

Our Year 5 & 6 Futsal competition next week is a great opportunity for students to showcase their football skills and represent their school. Futsal is a fast-paced and exciting game that requires technical ability, teamwork, and quick decision-making.

It was a fairly new addition to our competitions calendar but still looks to fit in perfectly with our Summer Sports programme:

Summer Term Curriculum – Summer Sports

As our Year 1 Athletics competition happened yesterday, we thought best to share one of our Athletics YouTube videos, “How to Sprint”, which is perfect for our primary school students who love to run and play.

This fun and engaging video provides a simple and easy-to-follow guide on how to improve your running skills. Our coach demonstrates proper running form, shows fun warm-up exercises, and offers useful tips to help students get faster and stronger. This video is a great way to help them improve their technique and have fun while doing it. So let’s lace up our shoes and get ready to run like the wind!

• Arm Pumping
• Hips to Lips
• Knee Drives

I’ve also attached a lesson plan for teaching athletics which has the following learning objectives:

• To explore the various ways of starting (all)
• To be able to run at speed over 60m (most)
• To be able to demonstrate proper running technique (some)

Parents

Elmgreen Camp

Early Bird Offer – 10% off until 14th May

Tuesday 30th May – Friday 2nd June

08:30 – 15:30 // Elmcourt Rd, Norwood, London SE27 9BZ // Ages 4 -13

Immanuel & St Andrew Camp

Early Bird Offer – 10% off until 14th May

Tuesday 30th May – Friday 2nd June

08:30 – 15:30 // Northanger Rd, Streatham SW16 5SL // Ages 4 -13

Ofsted Approved Childcare for Reception Students

Did you know?

Only Ofsted approved sites should be providing childcare services to children across the country, it is a standard of provision that all should be adhering too.

Our site at The Elmgreen school has been Ofsted approved for over ten years and recently passed compliance. Our registration also enables parents to use childcare vouchers to pay for the provision at camp.

Our URN can be provided upon request.

For the last few years at our camps we have been providing spaces for Reception-aged children, but this has only consisted of half days (either mornings or afternoons) as due to Ofsted regulations, we could only host them for 3 hours and 59 minutes max.

From our Mid-Summer camp coming in the next half term (May/June), we will be able to host Reception-aged children for the full day following a positive Ofsted inspection on Tuesday.

This is very highly requested every camp and we are excited to be able to provide this to even more parents.

Moving Matters Soccer School

This term we have some great things planned such as bringing back the Girls Only and Development Sessions if the demand continues, bringing in some new coaches to add a new flair to our sessions and potentially a scouting session in the latter stages of the year.

If you’re looking for a fun and active way to keep your child engaged this summer, look no further. Our Summer term focus is on Ball Mastery as we place a strong emphasis on this as a critical skill for our young players to develop.

Ball Mastery is the foundation for all other football skills and techniques, including passing, shooting, and dribbling. It involves training players to have complete control over the ball and the ability to manipulate it with different parts of their body, such as their feet, knees, chest, and head.

Through consistent practice and repetition of ball mastery drills, our players develop greater confidence and comfort with the ball, leading to better decision-making, faster reactions, and greater creativity on the field. By prioritising ball mastery, we aim to build a strong foundation of technical ability and creativity in our players that will serve them well throughout their soccer careers.

Our summer term offers a fantastic opportunity for kids to improve their soccer skills, make new friends, and stay active all season long. Our experienced coaches are committed to providing a safe and supportive environment where your child can grow both on and off the field. We offer a range of age-appropriate drills and exercises that are designed to help children develop their agility, coordination, teamwork, and sportsmanship.

Quote of the Week

Giannis Antetokounmpo

1 x NBA Champion, 2x MVP, 1x Defensive Player of the Year, 7x All Star

“I always want to be the guy that shows up when everything is on the line.”