IGNITE NEWS

_ October & November 2011

 Unexpectedly this has turned into a bi monthly newsletter and therefore I have tried to keep the latest news to a minimum! The past couple of months have seen the clocks change, the temperature drop and people’s attention moving towards the festive period. Personally I see it as a great opportunity to finish strong on those goals we set earlier in the year or try achieve something positive before 2011 is over. Finishing strong this year makes it easier to start strong next year! This time of year Ignite spends time with all the athletes discussing how the year has gone, good, bad, and where improvements can be made. We then look at what we want to achieve and by when. Once we have this vision and have found out where we are, we can then set a plan up to achieve this. It’s just like getting in the car and typing a destination into the Sat Nav and following instructions to where we want to get to. It wouldn’t make sense to follow instructions to nowhere! So, I challenge you all to find out where you are today, look at where you would like to be or what you would like to achieve and by when. From this formulate a simple plan of how best YOU think you can achieve this. You may set a goal for work, fitness, family and hobby. Keep them realistic yet knowing when you achieve them you will feel satisfied!

“You have to vision it first, then you do it.”

Early in November I was kindly invited to attend the Business Enterprise Inquiry at Shine in Leeds. I have had a good relationship with Shine for some time now and for them to invite me to this event was great. It was an opportunity to meet with large businesses, such as Hallmark, PWC, Eversheds etc and discuss ways in which these businesses can encourage more links with small businesses. It was great to meet with these types of businesses and discuss opportunities going forward. Plans are already in place for Ignite!

Later in the month I was invited to Woodhall Spa in Lincolnshire, home of the English Golf Union. The visit was to discuss some potential plans in 2012. The visit was very successful and is just being finalised now. Whilst down there I was given a tour of the facilities which continues to improve. I had been before to the academy when playing for Yorkshire but that was some time ago. It looks the same when entering but now some of the new rooms are fantastic for athlete development. From the team room, to the physio room, the fitness room (pictured right) and even to the indoor swing analysis room, the whole set up is very impressive. The England A Squad were being put through their paces whilst I was there and you can’t help but think this facility will continue to produce world class athletes in years to come. Personally Ignite also took on two new athletes down there, both who represent their county. Two young lads with great attitudes who I look forward to seeing progress to new levels.
 

Ignite Athlete Successes

Professional Athletes
Last week saw 2 of the leading Professional athletes Chris Hanson (pictured right) and James Maw fly to Spain for European Tour School 2nd Stage. Their preparation individually had been exceptional. Part of chris’ preparation was to go out early to Spain and compete in a small tour event out there. He fired rounds of 75, 67, 66 to finish 3rd. The priority was to play competition before Tour School, however the result was a positive bonus. Both of them unfortunately missed out on progressing to the final stage. Still, it has been an exceptional year for both athletes. Chris was already guaranteed a card on the Challenge Tour after clinching the Europro Tour Order of Merit. He finished his Europro year with tour earnings of £37,930. The year included 3 wins alone on the Europro, something that only two other players have ever achieved. James is only in his first year as a professional has had a fantastic start to his career by finishing 24th in the Europro Tour order of merit. The best of luck to Chris and James.

Since the beginning of the football season Ignite has been working closely with the Harrogate Town Academy. Now fully into the season the team lies 2nd in the league, three points behind the leaders. The team is also through to the third round in the York F.A. Cup after a great win against local rivals Harrogate Railway. All of the players continue to develop and improve and we are currently seeking support to allow us to increase the frequency of training each week so the development process can be quicker. A number of the players have individually become Ignite athletes and are working with Ignite closely on their own performances.

Matty Forster has now been training with Ignite for about 2 months. In this time he has seen himself develop hugely. Our aim for Matty was to develop strength, power and increase his weight. In 6 weeks he saw his weight go from 9st 6lbs to 10st 7lbs. Matty has been 100% dedicated to the programme and this is proof of what can be achieved. He is an impressive athlete with a superb attitude that will definitely take him to high levels in the game.

Another youngster from the team and now an Ignite athlete is Benjy Slator. Benjy has recently started working with Ignite on his footwork and 5yd speed. He is the leading scorer for the team and has scored 19 goals in 11 games – impressive!

Another new Ignite athlete is Josh Garbutt. With a focus on his match performance, reading the game and overall fitness, Josh has superb technical ability and his drive to improve is phenomenal. He too will eventually see his hard work pay off.

Junior Athletes
Many of the younger Ignite athletes have progressed brilliantly this past year. The youngest athlete working with Ignite is George Nicholson. George (pictured below) is a young budding golfer who has a massive passion to succeed. For over a year now George, with great support from his Dad, Andy, has been working with Ignite on his overall performance from the mental element, physical element through to general management of time etc. More recently he has taken responsibility for his own time   by following his weekly routine to create discipline and focus. All this has been done by making sure there is a balance between trying to achieve his goal and just enjoying being a young 11 year old.

Other young Ignite athletes who have progressed superbly well this year are Tom North and Rob Andrews. Tom, has, for the past few months seen his physical capabilities improve so much. Since being put on a tough yet enjoyable fitness programme, including flexibility, balance and power work, Tom has seen a great improvement which has led to a lot of self confidence. Backed up with his on course results, Tom is very optimistic about his off season and 2012! Rob has also worked well especially on his physical abilities. He is noticing the importance of all the  elements that the game of golf requires.

Ignite has recently started working with another young athlete who hopes to make his chosen sport his career. Having just joined Bradford City Academy earlier this year, Luca Crompton, came to Ignite to improve his speed & footwork. After only the first few sessions the improvements are starting to show. He comes to every session with a fantastic appetite to improve. Coupled with good ability Luca will definitely be heading places in future years.

Other News
The Blitz Fitness Classes continue to be brilliant options for those individuals wanting to shed some unwanted pounds or gain quality strength. The most recent achievement has been that of a new Blitz attendee who wanted to reduce his weight from 17st 2lbs. After 6 weeks attending the class twice a week the individual achieved a 1st 7lb loss in weight. It had a knock on effect to his food intake and since then he has kept it off and now attends the new Blitz class in Huddersfield which is closer to home for him. As just mentioned there is a new Blitz class up and running in Huddersfield. After been asked to set one up by an Ignite athlete, Ignite got on the case and together got it started. It has been a huge success, one which will definitely continue on into 2012!

This month has seen Ignite continue its link with Lloyds Bank. After a highly successful workshop in September with one of the corporate teams, Ignite has recently been invited to do further work with teams in Manchester and Sheffield whilst continuing the work with the Leeds teams. Obviously great news for Ignite but it is a huge credit to Lloyds and the people they have in place who make these decisions to put employee well being at the top of the list. In times when these issues can be forgotten by many, Lloyds continues to show how much they value their employees at all levels.

Back at the beginning of November Ignite was invited to show and explain to students of Myerscough College what European Challenge Tour player, Chris Hansons’ warm up consists of and the important factors leading up to a round that are often forgotten by golfers at all levels. The morning was very beneficial to all that attended and gave them a great insight to the importance of pre round preparation, rather than just hitting a few shots.
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September 2011

Over a period of time now I have been busy in the background studying how the sport of golf seems to be evolving very quickly. I’ve had this view for some time now that we are now in a new era. From developing youngsters, to the mental approach now changing and fitness becoming more vital to achieve optimum performance. This month I want to focus on the physical element. All-round athletes, who bring physical power and balance to their technique, are the future of golf. To back this up I use Gary Woodland, who switched to golf from a basketball scholarship while at college and played competitive baseball in his youth and who won his first USPGA Tour title earlier this year.

Ernie Els a 3 time major champion and former world No. 1 is someone we should always listen to when it comes to golf, he commented saying “Now the guys are athletic, they look after themselves, they are hitting it over 300 yards and they can keep control of the golf ball. I think that’s the future.” The number of out-of-shape or overweight players on the European and USPGA Tours has declined over the past 15 years, with Tiger Woods​’ toned physique setting the standard in many ways.

Els goes on to say “I think Gary Woodland is a product of what has been happening over the past 10 years or so. I think Tiger had a big say in that. People looked at him and thought ‘I want to look like that’,” said Els.

“(Australian golfer) Adam Scott was staying with me last week and we played tennis and I couldn’t believe how good a tennis player he is. He surfs as well,” added Els, who also pointed out that Spanish golfers Alvaro Quiros and Sergio Garcia​ are keen amateur soccer players.

Gary Woodland played baseball during his high school years but it was not until he was 16 that he fully gave up baseball for golf.

Even then, he took a basketball scholarship for a year before he switched to golf at the University of Kansas. Woodland said that despite his late switch he did not feel a significant disadvantage playing against golfers who had been focused on one sport from an early age.

“I am behind in the experience factor of this game but I don’t think I’m behind at all in the competition part of it. On Sunday, when it’s competition, that is what I want. I’ve grown up in competition my whole life,” said Woodland.

Els has also stated that in addition to having a strong competitive spirit, golfers such as Woodland can have a physical edge because their bodies have not developed mainly through golfing drills.

“I think if you are a natural sportsman and you’ve played baseball or hockey or tennis or even football for that matter, it gets your body moving in different ways, not just in a golf, repetitive way,” said Els.

Even if we go back through time and look at Jack Nicklaus, he played other sports, Arnold Palmer​ played other sports.

Els finished with “It really helps, especially with the technology today. The quicker you can swing that club, the further you are going to hit it and the new technology gives you more control over the ball.”

The game of golf is evolving and for the better. There is a new breed of athlete out there and youngsters far and wide who we haven’t heard of yet will be finely tuned athletes ready to compete at the highest standard.

Ignite Successes

Professional Athletes
The professional athletes working with Ignite continue to see great steps in the right direction. James Maw who has recently started some work with Ignite has already progressed through to stage 2 of European Tour School. He has a bright future after a brilliant first year as a professional. In his last Europro before the Tour championship James finished in a tie for 10th which helped move him up the Order of Merit. Next week is the Europro Tour Championship and hopefully a high finish could see him automatically take his European Challenge Tour card for 2012.

A name which most will have heard of throughout 2011 is Chris Hanson. Chris has had an incredible year and goes into next week’s Tour Championship looking to finish on a high! In his last Europro event Chris finished tied 15th, disappointing for him but still very solid. With the off season fast approaching Chris has just gone through his fitness & golf fitness assessment with Ignite. We have now just set him up for the beginning of the off season. We will continue to monitor his progression to always push his boundaries. He never stands still and has that team in place that will keep pushing him.

Junior Athletes
Many of the junior Ignite athletes have been progressing superbly this year. George Nicholson, only 11 years old, won his first men’s competition in early September with a nett 67. Straight after his success I received a lovely email saying how happy he was and that it was even sweeter after he had a 10 on the first hole! Seems like the mental toughness is kicking in! Ignite has been and is working very closely with George and his attitude is so consistently great that he can’t not improve.

Liam Bennett, who is also a member of the Elite Squad like George, has had great success of late as well. Liam recently fired a gross 74 in a local Junior Open. Liam has now bought his handicap down to 5!

Another member of the Elite Squad is Tom North. Tom has seen a steady progress in the last year and shot 76 gross to sneak his handicap down again. Tom is only 12 years old but already understands the importance of a quality fitness programme and the present one he is on is benefitting him hugely. In the words of his Dad “distance has improved since he has been doing the exercises!”

Other News
Massive congratulations to Michael Henson who won the Harrogate Union Matchplay Championship earlier this month. He took the title by beating his opponent 2 up. I’m sure the trophy will look good on the mantelpiece!

Ignite was back working with one of the commercial teams from Lloyds TSB this week. As a thank you to the staff their team leader was keen to give something back to the team members in terms of personal wellbeing and achieving focus at the required time. The workshop was a great success and it is great to see such a large corporate business giving back to its employees. They got a shock when they were asked to stand to do some exercises though!


Blitz Fitness Class

We’re baaaaaack! Autumn is here and winter follows. Sad? Not really because Blitz is back with a bang! Last winter was fantastic for all who attended. New fitness levels were reached and fun was had by all! It doesn’t matter what age you are, what condition you are in or anything else. The classes are mixed ability for men and women of any age.

All you need to do is bring your body, we’ll do the rest!

"Great session again tonight, never enjoyed working out so much as that, and rarely worked that hard. So good workout!." (Blitz Fitness Class Attendee)

All classes are indoors, so don’t even worry about how cold it is outdoors! We were so dedicated last winter that I personally ran with equipment to the class one week due to the snow, all because I knew everyone would be there keen as mustard! We love it. It’s just a great opportunity to move the body, work as hard as we want and have some fun!

If you are interested in signing up or want to know more please get in touch on the details below! Alternatively if there is already a group of you, whether colleagues, friends or family who have been talking about “I’ve got to get fit” then perhaps we could set up a class just for you!

"Really enjoyed it and didn't think in one hour I could exert my body so much! Very different to going to the gym! Look forward to next week!" (Blitz Fitness Class Attendee)

Places are limited so don’t miss out!

           Course of 6 classes: £39

           Times: Tuesday & Thursday 9pm - 10pm

           Venue: Roundhay Methodist Church, Springwood Rd, Leeds 8


July & August 2011

Quite amazing that we are into September already! There have already been many achievements by various Ignite athletes this year, however one individual who has really seen his potential turn to success is Chris Hanson. Chris has worked with Ignite for nearly 3 years now. I remember our first meeting when we sat and discussed his present state and performance at that time and other similar topics. From there we have worked together without anyone realising the effort being put in behind the scenes. From the beginning Chris has recognised that his success would not come straight away but step by step, session by session, he would see notable improvements. Only now, nearly 3 years down the line is everyone able to see the results of the behind the scenes hard work. Chris certainly has talent, but I think something that has been key to his improvements is his understanding that achievement does not come overnight or quickly. Unfortunately many solutions we see these days, such as diets, fitness training aids etc all claim to have the ultimate quick fix where little effort is required. I personally call this “Marketing”. It always has and always will come down to the effort you are willing to put in and by putting people in place to help you achieve those goals. I really do believe that having faith and belief in the strategies and plan can often be more critical than technique, talent and ability. Chris from the word go has had a great belief in what he and everyone in his “Team” wanted to achieve. He certainly is not done, not by a long way, but achieving what he has achieved this year is something very special and something I am very proud to have been a part of.

Ignite Successes

Professional Athletes
2011 has been an absolutely superb year for Chris Hanson. His latest victory came last week at Mottram Hall on the Europro Tour. After firing 7 under 65 to win the Pro-Am on Tuesday, Chris then fired a great round of 67 followed by his lowest to par round of 9 under 63. This gave him a stunning 7 shot lead going into the final round. He fired a 1 under 71 in damp conditions to become only 1 of 3 players to ever win 3 times in one year on the Europro Tour. In the previous event at Lingfield Park he also played in the final group but had to settle for second place. Chris has now notched up over £40,000 in prize money this year. Personally I don’t think he is finished there! It is testament to his dedication to every element of his performance that has given him these results.

Another athlete who continues to improve on his performances is Dave Corsby. He is another athlete with bundles of talent who understands the process is not a quick one and the results that he would eventually like will come. In the meantime he is producing some fine performances. His latest came in the Leeds Cup where he finished in the Top 30 of a high class field.

Junior Athletes
Ignite is now working with many junior athletes and, at their own pace, are achieving their goals. One individual who Ignite has worked with at the Elite Squad is Liam Bennett. Liam has a super appetite and drive for golf and has seen great improvements recently. Most recent is after his last round of 73 (+2), Liam has now reduced his handicap to 5.7, from being 12 at the beginning of the year. Again, it is credit to his attitude to improve that is leading him to new levels in his performance.

All the youngsters that Ignite work with have a great attitude. It is key to improving and is continuously at the top of the list with all of them and their progress.

Other News
In recent weeks Ignite has been approached to work closely with the Harrogate Town Academy. The lads are between 16 and 18 years old. Some have recently been released by Professional clubs such as Leeds United and Middlesborough and are keen to move back to Professional clubs. The priority for Ignite is to focus on their overall fitness conditioning, especially agility and strength. Other areas that we plan to cover are the mental side of the game and correct nutrition leading up to and following games and training. From the first couple of sessions they seem willing to work hard and understand the benefits from training with Ignite.

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TIPS

Full of motivating videos, helpful tips and advice. Basically anything that might just help you achieve your goals!

_Clip of Duncan McCarthy of Ignite Sports taking part in the Long Drive "fun" comp during the Europro event at Lingfield Park. His first ball landed in the racecourse and counted, this however.....

Two young Ignite athletes doing some agility & lower half drills.

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Clip from a 1-2-1 speed & agility session.

Ever wondered what your body could do? Or you stop when it gets tough? Check this video to watch clips from a race a 72 year old woman completed! Then think again!

Pacquaio only fights a max of 12 rounds, but he trains the equivalent of 50 rounds during camp. That is how important training is!

Clip from the funny Dodgeball film with a very serious message for any athlete!