Brandon's Football Update - Forest Glade Panthers

Since I gave up the football coaching Brandon has been keeping his options open by training with the Essex Royals U10's where some of his school friends play, playing with the Forest Glade U10 Panthers and also keeping up his Chelsea Foundation training and school football.

After 2 months of doing football 4-5 times a week Brandon has finally decided that for the 2019/20 season he wants to join the Forest Glade Panthers team coached by Dan and Rob. He has already been playing in their team on Sundays and has settled really well and playing some good football. He is no longer being forced in to playing defence and his confidence and ability is growing by the week making him a stand out player on the team. Last week the team drew 3-3 and when you look at the 3 goals they scored, Brandon got the assist for 2 of them and won the corner which they scored the 3rd goal from. The result of all his hard work was him getting his first MOTM award  having only played 3-4 games with them.

I am pleased he has made a decision on next season and it means he can now back out of the Essex Royals option as he was over training a bit and it frees up more time of a weekend for us. Hopefully come the new season I will be able to still get involved with the football coaching and I am hoping to be able to run extra Saturday training sessions for the team as currently they only train over Billericay school on a Tuesday evening.

Brandon wins his first MOTM with his new Panthers team.

Level 1 Boxing Coach

They say as one door closes, another door opens and that certainly seems to be the case with me. With Brandon’s football team folding just after Xmas I have not done any coaching since and surprisingly I don’t miss it that much at all. In fact I am enjoying the Saturday mornings off and being able to take Holly dancing instead. We are still at matches on Sunday mornings due to Brandon now playing for the Forest Glade Panthers where he is really shinning as a star player on the team.

But whilst football commitments have reduced, my boxing coaching commitments have increased. Last October I completed my England Boxing Level 1 coaching course (which I successfully passed), so I am now qualified to coach classes and to corner boxers in bouts. Brandon quit boxing some time ago, but Joshua still goes and is really enjoying it so it makes sense for me to get involved with the coaching. So currently I am coaching Joshua’s development group on a Monday and Wednesday night and then once a month I have to help take the adult boxercise class which is good fun. I have also been working with a couple of the National Champions at the club to provide them with Crossfit type of workouts to improve their strength and conditioning. So fingers crossed Joshua now sticks with the boxing, otherwise I have wasted £140 fee for my level 1 course!!!

Now a qualified England Boxing coach with an official Lanyard to be able to corner boxers in bouts.

High Lodge "Go Ape" Thetford

To finish off this half term we had the a really awesome day at High Lodge near Brandon in Thetford Forest. We went with Auntie Chris, Uncle Steve and Layla and enjoyed a really nice picnic (outdoors in February) and also we booked on to the Go Ape high ropes course. There are loads of stunning trails throughout High Lodge that extend out in to some beautiful parts of Thetford Forest. There is also an amazing kids play area, pony rides, archery and so much more to do whilst you are there.

The Go Ape rope course really didn't look that high from on the ground, but it was a different story when you got up there. As Holly was under 7 I had to stay with her at all times and I think she was supporting me as much as I was supporting her. There were parts of the course which were challenging enough on your own without have to use one of your hands to hold and balance a 5 year old. There was 2 or 3 sections where Holly really didn't like it and wanted to get down, but overall she did absolutely amazing and was very brave up in the trees. The reward at the end of the course is a really cool zip wire across the play area which you are allowed to go on multiple times once you have completed the main course. I think it total it took us about 40 mins to do the tree top rope course and then we squeezed in 3 goes on the zip wire.

Anyway enough writing, loads of pictures from yesterday to follow.

You don't need to tell Brandon twice to "Go Ape".

Joshua launches Holly off of the zip wire in the play area.

And she's off.

Uncle Steve helping Holly back to the top.

Joshua on the zip wire.

Action shot of Brandon zipping through the trees.

And then coming to an end.

Holly seeing how high she can climb up the rope pyramid.

Josh, Brandon, Layla and Holly playing on the rope pyramid.

They had some amazing tunnel slides in the park which started about 30ft in the air.

Brandon whizzing down a slide.

But Holly used them the most, she loved the slides.

Playing on the giant see-saw.

All running one way to tip it up.

Then legging it back down the other end.

The "Go Ape" monkey carved out of a tree trunk.

Lovely picture of my little Princess.

The two boys at the top of the rope pyramid.

Getting our harnesses on ready to hit the high ropes at Go Ape.

Joshua looking like a proper action man with his camo shirt.

Brandon was fearless on the high rope course.

Me and Holly all set to head off up in to the trees.

Josh and Brandon tackling one of the wooden crossings. Very wobbly.

Me staying close to Holly, she lost her footings once and fell off being saved by the harness. But it didn't phase her and she went on to complete the course.

Brandon, Josh and Layla on a zig-zag crossing.

Big steps for Holly's little legs, even more so when you are 25ft up in the air.

The two boys just hopping across as if its nothing.

Holly didn't like this bridge as you had to look down to find your foot placing and she also slipped.

Brandon showing good balance.

Swinging platforms.

Anyone for a game of naughts and crosses?

All 6 of us up in the trees whilst Tina and Auntie Chris look on from below.

Looking down at the floor as we prepare for the zip wire to the finish. The faces say it all.

Layla, Josh and Brandon nearly at the end of the course.

I head down the zip wire first to make sure I can catch Holly at the finish.

Ready for a crash landing and a load of wood bark u my shirt.

Down comes super brave Holly whizzing down the zip line.

And safely landing on the opposite ramp.

Brandon on the zip wire finish.

And then Joshua following up behind.

After an hour up in the trees we settle down at a picnic table for a nice lunch in the sunshine.

After lunch we went in to the woods to explore some of the other activities in High Lodge.

A little den building.

This feature had a very loud bell sounds which echoed through the forest when you clanged it.

And then a rather large piano key instrument.

Layla teaching Holly to make some music.

Another pre-built den we found in the forest..

Holly found the fox from the Grufallo trail.

This may pole doesn't look much but it had a crazy whip speed and bounced up really high as the chains twisted around the pole.

I was worried Holly was going to go flying off of the may pole.

Joshua goes to her rescue to slow it down a bit.

But she was happy and held on tightly.

Is it a bird, is it a plane, no its a Hollybird.

Anyone seen the kiddies???

Loved this tree carving.