Hey everyone!
This week I'm going to be writing about my day to day as an officer!
Monday 11/11/2019
Today started as any Monday does, woke up at 6:00 to get to the gym for an opening of 6:30- I'm training quite hard for beach (volleyball) season, so I'm thankful I can do a lot of my workouts indoors at the moment... Got back around 8, got ready and set off for work! Monday always starts with an officer catch up! The 6 of us get together for a quick chat about the highlights of the week to come, just to get us all aware of the awesome things happening in eachother's areas. As the picture shows, only Ruqs was awake at this point... Then we had the SU staff catch-up (similar premise, but SU-wide)!
I then got an hour to reduce a pretty full email and facebook messenger inbox. Various bits around topics such as club finance, coach development, and storage. Before this role, I never quite appreciated my relatively empty inbox, but with 49 sports clubs, students and various externals emailing on the regular, inboxes require a lot of love.
I then went over to the STV for a Student Athlete forum- discussing issues around the current performance sport provision at Bath from lots of representatives from different areas! As an officer, I'm here to represent every level of sporting involvement, so meeting people is a big part of the role! Some of the issues raised were around the transparency of performance sport costing, kit costs and around the current grass-based sport situation. I was able to provide a bit of clarity around some the issues, and it was good to see our students so engaged, and get some good feedback from another source around some of the issues that are frustrating many students (and officers).
Snowball tickets went on sale today! Smooth as ever. There are some tickets left, but both days are running low!
A lot of the afternoon was spent preparing for this evening's committee night, interspersed with a few committee members popping in and chatting about various issues! This year, along with SU-wide strategic changes, we've focused in on our 'why' (for those interested: we believe that students can and want to change the communities they are part of.) and used this to redefine how we do what we do! Part of this has involved moving officers away from more operational jobs, and ensuiring that we are facilitators, and reducing red tape within the SU. This has ended up with us reinventing a variety of different SU functions, such as our sports committee GM! Rather than being a set of updates, that could be emailed to our committees, the new 'Committee night' has become an opportunity for our committees to have a conversation around some of the larger issues that SU sport faces, in a relaxed environment, and use this to shape change within their own clubs, and SU sport. Last month we focused on the club culture and making our environment as welcoming as possible.
Today's committee night was around Mental health: specifically discussing the multitude of different stressors associated with university, what committees should and shouldn't be doing, looking at signposting around various stressors, promoting a positive mental health culture within their clubs, and finally looking at self care! Committee members tend to be hard-working, busy, selfless people, and you can't pour from an empty cup, so it's incredibly important to promote self care. There was some really interesting conversation (facilitated by the amazing sports exec*) leading to the committees developing a few tangible changes they can make to promote better mental health. I'm excited and hopeful about the change that this affects in our sporting environments!
Anyway, after a busy, varied, fun day 1, Mr Sport out.
* - Huge shoutout to this lot- the amazing sports executive committee, without whom, so much of what we do as SU sport would not be possible! Today, they not only sorted out BUCS tees, but have been managing Snowball, representing in the Student athlete forum, and facilitating our committee night! Genuinely, these guys are so focused and hardworking and I absolutely don't know what I'd do without them!
Highlight- Awesome sports exec working really hard, and some really engaged committees!
Lowlight- Stagnant, annoying problems that are affecting students and not being acknowledged by the uni + I am dead after a 9am-9pm day...
Tuesday 12/11/2019
Another early, cold morning! This time, for volleyball! Always great to get a session in, and one of the things I'm really thankful for is that I can still train with and play for the team!
I always say I'm going to be on time to Tuesday morning SU operations meeting, and it seldom actually happens... The mo doesn't look after itself... :/ (I'm doing movember, it's not a style thing...). Arrived 5 minutes late to a pretty spicy meeting discussing issues such as PGR supervision, the strike referendum and the General elections (chucked a bit about 3G pitches in for good measure)!
After this, I had a meeting to discuss delivery of the Mental Health in Sport sessions that I will be codelivering with Megan from Student Minds Bath! After completing my training last month, I'm really excited to get delivering the session!
I then got the pleasure of sitting next to my office buddy, gym buddy and neighbour (and friend i guess...)- Franci - in a completely different location! We both sit on the alumni fund panel, and today, the panel worked through 15 applications from SU groups in a second round of funding! With so many applications, we overran pretty hugely, and i got back to the office with only a few minutes before my committee drop in.
The drop in went really well, and I got chatting to committee members around a load of different areas, from leadership to facilities. It's a great opportunity to get up to speed with clubs and work out how we can work together to help improve the sporting offer! Definitely one of my favourite parts of the job!
Finally, I had a meeting with SImon from Disability action group around ensuring a more focused, and adaptable disability sport provision. We're aiming to tie together engagement with disabled students, and our sports clubs to ensure that we can provide, or signpost people to their preferred sports!
A slightly earlier end to the day! Promise it's not always like this! Sport out.
Highlight- Solving problems with committees at the drop ins!
Lowlight- Really busy day, with loads of stuff having to be put on the backburner, and meetings that had to be cancelled!
Wednesday 13/11
Best day of the week, I heard....
Another early morning gym session (go me, getting all healthy 'n' stuff)
No match for me today and not a huge amount of meetings, so I got a chance to plan for my mental health in sport training tomorrow, try and tackle the inboxes and even get out and watch some matches!
I love campus on a Wednesday! Lots of work goes into BUCS, from staff, and obviously, our athletes and volunteers, so I've always loved walking around on a Wednesday afternoon, and popping over to different matches. It's pretty cool to think that we have all of these high levels of sport, played here on a weekly basis! There's such a variety, and too much to choose from! This was the rationale behind the Sporting showcase initiative in my manifesto, selecting one sport, and making a big event to get people spectating the best teams that Bath has to offer!
This time, the Sporting showcase went over to the Medi pitch, where the Lacrosse 1st teams hosted Bristol! Campus TV, URB, and Redbull were there, playing music, running commentary on the match, giving out freebies and even putting on competitions for score tickets! The showcase is an awesome event and it was great to see the sun out, despite the forecast from the previous day, and loads of people getting involved!
I also had the chance to run over to the STV and catch the Netball 2's, Volleyball W1's, and a few Badminton rallies! Unfortunately, there will always be meetings, even on a Wednesday, so I had to get back to the office! I then spent the rest of the day, smashing the emails out, doing some social media plugs for the Mental health in sport session tomorrow, and finally, writing this blog! See you at Score!
Highlight- Getting to walk around for an hour and watch some awesome sport, and getting some of the other officers along too!!
Lowlight- I had a minor catastrophe with my lunch- Dropped the tupperware and lost almost all my rice and veg as seen in the pic...
...HOWEVER, The AMAZING Charlie Slack (SU student voice manager), who has been relentlessly taking the piss out of my moustache over the last week, in a sudden moment of pure kindness gave me half of her lasagna! Highlight #2- Charlie Slack, random acts of kindness, and homemade Veggie Lasagna!
Thursday 14/11
It snowed this morning!! :O
Today I took over the SU instagram story, to do a day in the life of a sport officer!
I started a little late today, getting in for 10am for an operational 1:1 with Polly, the activities manager. This is just an opportunity for me to get info about what I'm doing across to her. With such a packed schedule, finding time to communicate what I'm doing to everyone has been pretty difficult, so these sessions are really useful to keep the office in the loop!
We then had a SU sport meeting to discuss the Department of Sport Development and Recreation's ongoing performance sport review. Deciding our level of involvement in projects like these requires a balance between ensuring the student voice is heard, but being as efficient with time as possible. We also had an opportunity to get an update on the BUCS Play app (if you know, you know) from Jo and Hannah. Safe to say it's been haunting our staff and captains this season...
Next up, a trip to the Student Performance Sport Officer, Ollie, to chat about a manifesto point, surrounding educating our members. We're looking to run a conference to give people education on recent sporting research, and more practical bits, such as nutrition and taping. Keep an eye out for this in February!
After this, I ran my first Mental health in sport workshop with Josie, the SU skills and development coordinator. running or taking part in an hour and a half session in the middle of a busy day is never easy, but we had quite a small, really engaged group that powered through, and have certificates to show for it!
Overran a little and ended up being a little late to my signatory duties on the SU accounts- I sit down twice a week with Helen, our SU finance manager, to sign off our accounts. Not the most interesting job, but lovely company! Then got a chance to write a christmas wishlist to the university... 3G pitches and Gender neutral facilities, please!
A few of the officers, marketing, voice and our CEO sat down to go through our General election action plan, to ensure we can really encourage our students to USE THAT VOTE! If you've not yet registered to vote, get on it now! we're organising stalls to get people registered, hustings, time for canvassing and voting. Keep an eye out for the donuts, they might be coming back again...
And now I'm here. Pretty non-stop day and I'm very aware that I've not had much more than a few hobnobs for lunch... off to the Strike debate at 6:15pm as cardio wasn't meant to happen this week....
Highlight: Running my first mental health in sport workshop!! Putting up a FIRE SU instagram story during a busy day!
Lowlight: The BUCS PLAY APP IS CRAP AND I DIDN'T HAVE LUNCH
Friday 15/11
My LAST day of the week in a life!
Another early morning- shifting tin at S&C with the Volleyball lot- great start the day! <3
This morning we had our monthly pancakes at Alisha's. No better place to work than surrounded by the amazing officers, coffee, ample pancakes and Nutella!!
Then set off to the STV JUST before the invacuation drill for a meeting on the BUCS Sport review member consultation. Myself, Greg (Deputy director of Sport) and Jo (Student sport coordinator) discussed each proposal and made decisions for the institution's vote. The proposals varied, from structural changes to current BUCS provisions, to introduction of new sports into BUCS. We looked at the feasibility of the proposals, the current provision at the university, students affected and the associated costs. We cast our vote and then gave feedback to those making the proposals.
After this meeting, I headed back to the office, rattled through a few emails and then set off to meet Sonja, a new addition to the SU advice and support centre. Got a chance to have some lunch (unlike yday) and introduce my role in a little more detail.
I then met one of the Club committees around an issue surrounding one of the members and a plan of action regarding this! It's not all fun, and it does really suck when members of clubs don't appreciate the volunteers that put their sporting offer together (SO take this opportunity to thank your committee because they do a lot of hard work and deserve a huge thank you! Volunteer recognition manifesto plug,,,)
Next up, a lovely hour with some of the best! The exec meeting! Just an opportunity to chat about the BIG things going on in sport, specifically within the Exec roles, and an opportunity for me to update everyone on my activities as sport officer (in case they weren't reading this... Full house today and some exciting topics: Snowball, This Girl can week and club photos!
Then straight to a meeting with a committee member who had a lot of the rest of committee abandoning ship, and therefore had everything on their plate. Always a fun problem on a Friday afternoon!
Quick SU Sport Comms update with Polly, and now a quick write up of the blog before an email out to committee, weekend warmup and FIGHT NIGHT!!
Highlights: Wholesome moments like pancakes at Leesh's, Double pints and KB Fight night!
Lowlights: Members not recognising and thanking their hardworking committees. Leesh trashing my handwriting.
SO that's me done I guess! I'd like to thank the amazing team at the SU, the officers, the committees, Berocca and the promise of a double pint at weekend warmup for getting me through this wonderful week! Hope you enjoyed this coverage of a really fun week in my role! If you're interested in running for this role next year, or just want to know a bit more about what I do, please feel free to get in touch.
Big love,
Mr Sport xox