Although I’m a volunteer my official title is Schools’ Administrator which means I’m responsible for liaising with schools to organise coaching sessions, assemblies and anything schools’ ask of us. My hours vary from week to week – this is my average week.
Monday
Not the best start to what promises to be the busiest day of the week – my car won’t start! While waiting for AA – I’m told it will be an hour and a half – I check through all the things I was planning to get done in the office. Fortunately my friendly AA man is much quicker and very efficient so I’m in the office by 11am. As it’s the last week of the half term I’m just putting the final touch to all the plans for next half term; checking that confirmation letters have gone out to the schools in Pudsey and Wetherby where our coaches are going to be working, making sure Ronnie Rhino and the Super League Trophy are booked for the 11 assemblies we’re delivering the first week back and that all staff have their timetable so they know exactly where and when they’re in schools.(They have to fit these visits around the many other projects they deliver on a weekly basis.)
Next on the agenda it’s up to Headingley for the bi-monthly meeting of the Leeds Rugby Foundation Board of Trustees in my role of Minuting Secretary. When I first took on this role I expected long boring meetings but they’re not like that at all. The Trustees are a vibrant group determined to make the Foundation as effective as possible. They whizz through a myriad of subjects from fundraising to staff projects – obviously confidential so I can’t tell you any more – as I desperately try to get everything down on paper.
As this finishes I change hats again and become Secretary of North Leeds Leopards and, along with Chairman Phil and Treasurer Anna , it’s off to Shaw Cross for the Yorkshire Juniors meeting where we are seeking acceptance for our U12s to join the league. We’re in! Home by 9.30pm.
Tuesday
A very enjoyable morning at Headingley watching primary school children delivering presentations about different countries in preparation for the World Club Challenge. From Y2 – Y6, all the pupils entertain and inform before enjoying a tour of the stadium with the legendary Paul Daly – fascinating!
The afternoon is spent teaching Maths to Y6 pupils in my local primary school – thoroughly enjoyable – and then it’s off to Leopards training where I’m distributing kit and tickets for members taking part in the World Club Challenge entertainment, re-registering players and talking to parents of new players. Straight on to Moortown Social Club for a meeting of our U12s parents to give them information about the league and to invite volunteers for match days – a great response from them, and home by 9.15pm.
Wednesday
Team meeting – Jonny leads us through various topics, making sure we all know what’s going on and when. Then it’s photocopying time, catching up on re-stocking resource packs that we take into school, evaluation forms etc. A quick soup from Morrisons and it’s on to Soccer City for the tag rugby festival which is the culmination of this half term’s coaching package. I’m sharing the reffing with coach Tony and Luke Ambler. The afternoon flies by as nine teams demonstrate the skills they’ve learned in the previous weeks. Some of the footwork and passing is superb and it’s hard to believe that some of the children have only been playing for four weeks. Tony has it organised to run like clockwork and we’re finished at 3pm.
Thursday
Day off rugby – just my Maths teaching in the afternoon..
Friday
A day at home mainly doing admin for Leopards until Sam phones to finalise arrangements for the World Club Challenge – 34 mascots and over 100 children involved in the opening display, as well as 8 teams of U11s playing at half time. I’m responsible for the mascots so he’s checking that all arrangements are in place.
Another busy week finished – no two weeks are ever the same – and a trip to Wigan to look forward to tomorrow!