Sport students spend week at adventure centre

Sport and Uniformed Public Services students enjoyed a week-long trip to an adventure centre in Devon last week.

The group of students travelled to Skern Lodge on Monday (February 25) and spent the week doing activities from bouldering to surfing, returning on Friday (March 1).

The trip provides helps students to develop skills including teamwork, communication and self-confidence and motivation.

It also provides useful practical experience for students interested in careers including outdoor adventure instruction, personal training and the armed forces.

“We challenged the students to really push themselves with the activities, and they learnt that they’re much more capable than they might have thought,” said Matt Lavallin, Head of Sport, Public Services and Travel and Tourism.

“For example, students who had never been in the open water before were kayaking by the end of the week and students who said they were afraid of heights ended up abseiling.

“Those experiences helps them to learn about emotional resilience and motivating themselves and others, and the increase in self-confidence helps them to succeed now and in the future.”

All the first-year students on the Level 3 Sports qualification travelled to Skern Lodge, as well as three Uniformed Public Services students and one second-year Sports student.

Their days were packed with practical activities including kayaking, surfing, abseiling, orienteering, and hiking, followed by written work considering factors such as risk assessments.

First-year Sport student Christian said it was his first experience of outdoor adventures, and that his favourite part of the week was learning to abseil.

“I have a fear of water so I didn’t want to kayak, but the teachers encouraged me and in the end I really enjoyed it,” he added.

“I want to go to university in the future to do sports coaching or sports management. The teachers encourage us to always think about how what we’re learning can help our careers.”

Fellow first-year student Georgia, who competed in 800m at the London Youth Games, said taking part in the activities had increased her confidence.

“I’m scared of heights so I wasn’t going to abseil, but everyone was helping me so I just went for it,” she said.

“The whole week was full of things I’d never done before, like surfing, but it was so much fun.”

Nescot offers Sport qualifications at Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3, with students able to specialise in exercise science or development, coaching and fitness.

The college also offers Uniformed Public Services qualifications at Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3.