Adventure Day” has been a big part of Sporting Marvels for years now, and it keeps getting better and better!
Such was the demand to be at the October Adventure Days that one school that couldn’t provide a bus, had the kids transported to the venue in convoy, parents’ cars!
Adventure Day sees our Mighty Marvels kids descend on the Comp that their junior school feeds into. There’s two events: one at Tonypandy, the other at Ferndale.
Team Leader Lawrie, told us, “While the kids love the day and all its challenges, the schools love the way the Adventure Day aids transition. Moving to ‘big school’ is a big deal and events like these not only introduce the junior school kids to the Marvels who work in their Comp, but also introduces them to the school’s older pupils: the All Stars. And obviously, the more faces a Year Sevener (Form Oner) can recognise when he or she makes the move to the big school, the better!”
The first of the two days, took place at Tonypandy.
“Seconds after the hooter sounded to start the event, the heavens just opened!” Lawrie said with a smile. “We were praying like crazy, commanding the rain to stop! 20 minutes later, it did! It had the potential to ruin everything but though the kids were cold for a while, the mud actually seemed to add to everyone’s enjoyment and the day went great!”
When Spotlight caught up with a few of the kids to ask them what they thought, they were quick to endorse Lawrie’s view.
“The adventure day was epic because we got soooo dirty and muddy!” said Jack of Cwmclydach Primary. “It was like the best experience of my life and watching my friend Garin do a belly flop in the mud was just awesome”.
Now Jack’s obviously a boy and boys love the mud; but what about the girls? Madelyn, Jack’s classmate at Cwmclydach, said, “I loved the Adventure Day and I love Sporting Marvels. My favourite part was when I had to sit in a muddy blanket and the mud was as thick as a wall and really deep! I loved the day because it was fun and I had the chance to get absolutely stinking. I ran through the deepest puddle on the mountain. I want to do it all again!”
With nearly 600 children at the two events, it doesn’t take a genius to work out that without the All-Stars, “Adventure Day” couldn’t take place. As great as our nine Marvels are, the numbers are just too great!
“The All-Stars are brilliant”, Lawrie said. “They really are the jewel in the Sporting Marvels crown! They’re such a vital part in the operational process and it’s from their number that we’ll see, indeed, are seeing, the next generation of Marvels emerge. In a sense, Sporting Marvels is an eight year process: where the kids join us at ten, and leave at eighteen. It’s a great chance to influence and we’ve learned the importance of heart and relationship. Nothing great or lasting is ever built in a hurry, and it’s this process that is taking us ever forward towards our goals”.
At the Days, the schools are split into teams of eight, with each team having to complete nineteen challenges, all designed to test them: physically, mentally and emotionally! Points are awarded for completing the task, a bonus available for finishing inside the allotted time. And then there was the egg bonus! Remember when the Marvels did their pre-season Boot Camp, and had to carry an egg everywhere they went? Well, that same principle was introduced at these Adventure Days!! Each pupil had to carry an egg with them and bonus points were scored if the Day was completed without breaking the egg!! Rumour has it Smithy tried his hardest to get the kids to ‘high five’ him, so that they’d smash their eggs!! Not that Spotlight wants to heap condemnation on him, but.....shame on you Smithy!!
We know the kids loved it but what about the teachers?
"The Adventure Day was a fantastic success” said Christian Coole, the new Head at Darran Park Primary. “It enabled the children to develop their problem solving, communication and collaborative skills whilst at the same time enjoying the many varied activities and challenges. It also had a positive impact on the children's wellbeing in that you could see it developing their self-esteem, self-confidence and their all round health and fitness. I want to say a big thank you to Sporting Marvels for providing such a well-organised, fun day that really challenged the children. They all thoroughly enjoyed it!”
