Rugby Performance

Who is it for?

The eligibility for participation may vary slightly from programme to programme, but as a rule we open it up for anyone who is unemployed and is up for a challenge. We have worked with people who are on ASBOs, people straight out of prison and of course many who are simply at a loose end. We work really hard to build confidence and instil aspirations that are realistic. The average age of the participants is between 17 and 24 though a number have been older.

Overall Aims

1.       Employment & social elements: The primary aim of the School of Hard Knocks is to help unemployed people take significant steps towards employment that is both sustainable and realistic.  It also aims to help participants:

·   grow in confidence

·   learn responsibility

·   realise the value of team work and diversity

·   learn the value of respect: both of others and of self

·   access ways of maintaining discipline and control when under pressure

·   realise their own potential

·   Find realistic and sustainable employment

2.       Rugby & health elements: Another key aim of SOHK is to introduce participants to the game of rugby: this is a great aim for its own sake, but also has the additional value of promoting a means of embracing and maintaining a healthy and socially positive lifestyle. Therefore, in addition to the coaching and employment elements, the programme will address the following issues:

·         Healthy eating & nutrition

·         Sexual health / men’s health

·         Injury management

·         Physical fitness

Measurable Objectives

Many of the positive steps that participants make cannot be easily measured because of their subjective nature. However, we do monitor the short and medium term results of the programme in terms of interviews gained / jobs started / re-offending rates / rugby take-up / agreed health, fitness and mental wellbeing measurements.

Life & Employment Training will include 

·         Willing to work This is a high impact and motivational  two part module, that helps clients see the benefits of work over and above the perceived benefits of unemployment. It introduces the concept of career building and encourages participants to take on a frame of mind that see barriers as (mostly) ‘overcome-able’.

·         Understanding Fear: A session that will help participants in all sorts of areas of their lives (not least the rugby) but certainly as well, their anxieties over job seeking and actual employment.

·         Dealing with aggression: This is an interactive continuation of the understanding fear module. It gives very practical advice on how to control one’s own anger and deal positively with aggression from other people. This is applied particularly but not exclusively to the workplace.

·         Enterprise: A highly motivational and fun session encourages an entrepreneurial spirit!

·         Discussing Diversity: A highly interactive session that raises the importance of equality and diversity in the workplace. This is delivered in such a way that participants are encouraged to empathise and view things form a different perspective – perhaps even challenging presuppositions that result in negative behaviour.

·         Employer visit: We will invite local employers or HR managers to provide mock interviews and talk about the qualities they are looking for in their employees .

·         CV & Covering letters: These sessions will result in every participant in possession of an up to date CV - including the option of a

·         Interview coaching: The techniques required to impress as well as the main do’s and don’ts for interviews. This is mostly a group session but as and when participants are invited for interview during the course, they will have 1-1practice and feedback with the facilitator.

·         Job search: This is a major part of the programme and as such will be a regular feature. This will be more than a mere guided search as we will set daily targets for amount of jobs applied for. There will be a mixture of applications to current advertised jobs, plus internet and speculative applications.

RUGBY ELEMENT

       1.    Rugby video analysis: A short session where actual rugby footage is shown and discussed in order to introduce the laws, shape and tactical element of the game.

       2.    Coaching sessions: New core skills are introduced every session however it is anticipated that each subsequent session will, by necessity, build upon and include all of the elements of the previous sessions.

 Where?

Most of the modules will be delivered in the area that participants actually live. However, we arrange several trips that will be seriously challenging but highly motivating and inspirational. This will include adventure training, assault courses with the Army and various rugby visits (i.e watching professional games and meeting top internationals in their training environments)