The last two years have been some of the most important years in my life. When starting uSports I didn't think that in two years we would have over 40 schools and nurseries and a team of nearly 40 people delivering around 250 sessions a week.
There is no better feeling than going to observe a session and seeing a coach following the uSports philosophy in their approach to coaching. This is what I set uSports up for, to create an opportunity for young people to be engaged and enjoying sport. There is a massive issue in this country with childhood obesity and when uSports can play a part in ensuring children are enjoying sport it brings a tremendous feeling of pride.
I have had a number of significant experiences this year and wanted to share a few with you all.
First of all, just a lovely comment from a TA in a school! Whilst delivering a PE Lesson the teaching assistant came over to tell me that it was the best PE lesson she had ever seen. Feeling recognised like this has stuck with me for the remainder of the year. It acted as a reminder to me of my initial passion for sports coaching which is why I began my coaching journey. It also made me think of the value of a simple comment to someone's day or even year. One major focus of mine this year has been to develop my management skills and this is certainly something which I will keep in the back of my mind in the years ahead.
The ups do of course come with the downs and running any business is never going to be easy. Having Danielle, Owen, Connor, Isaac and Steph around me this year is something I am very grateful for. The team have seen me deal with some tough situations and have always been there when I need them. I have loved being able to see everyone take on new tasks and responsibilities over this year and look forward to seeing how everyone grows in 2020.
Having a growing business has created opportunities for me to develop personally. I have massive goals for 2020 and included within these are my leadership and management skills to grow so that I can help my team achieve more this coming year. We are aiming to double the number of sessions which we deliver each week by the end of the year and we know this is going to be a huge task!
I am also looking forward to sharing more of this journey with my family. Steph, my partner, joined uSports in September and has been working two days a week in the office, alongside many hours at home! The impact Steph has made on our website, organisation, growth strategies and financial resources has been incredible and it has been great to share time together working on the business. Rocco, our Golden Doodle puppy has also contributed to the office morale even if he is often caught napping on the bubble footballs or trying to get the whiteboard rubber off of the wall.