Take it away Pav!
Hi everyone, my name is Pav Davies and I now work for the Foundation having studied on their degree course which followed a long-term interest in sport, from playing football from about the age of four to then rugby from when I was 12.
My interest in sport saw me take PE at GCSE level followed by BTEC Level 3 Diploma in Sport at Stourbridge College.
I really enjoyed the degree, particularly the blended learning between the theory and the technical elements and then the practice of implementing all of that into practical delivery at sessions.
During the course I was involved in several different placements in schools and was working as a casual coach after graduating.
During the first lockdown I had been supporting Foundation staff on projects at SS Peter and Paul Academy but there was a time when everything shut down and no work was available.
During that time, over last summer, I worked at a foam factory, making foam pieces for visors to help with the pandemic alongside a German company.
I needed the work, and it was certainly a different experience, standing on a press for long shifts sometimes with a 4.30am start.
It was something of an eye-opener but was good to play a part in providing equipment that could be used in the pandemic.
I was back with the Foundation around September time when the schools started coming back and were able to host sessions and then it was about April of this year when I was successful in landing a full-time position as School Educator.
I work predominantly in three schools, in Woden – where I have been involved for about three-and-a-half years with my work as a casual – Nishkam and Eastfield.
I have been quite blessed to go and work in many different schools during my time connected with the Foundation which really helped me learn and build connections particularly when I was given the responsibility of liaising with the teachers and delivering the plan.
What we do in school is work on the national curriculum for PE, delivering it to the different key stages and working on different subjects or values depending on what each school wants.
My main project as Schools Educator is Molineux Education, which is the activity we put on for partner schools to come and take part in at Molineux.
That involves making all the arrangements from booking the rooms and creating the PowerPoints and workshops to running sessions on the day.
We are also currently working on plans for a new activity where we take our delivery and what we provide out on the road – the Molineux Roadshow.
It is an enjoyable job particularly because, as I mentioned earlier, I have always really enjoyed sport.
Having played football when I was growing up it was when I was about 12, I started getting more into rugby, which was a sport that was already in the family.
My Dad Mick played Wolverhampton’s rugby team at the age of 15 and ended up representing the club for 42 years.
I played for Leicester Tigers from the age of 13 to 16, training within their Academy, which would often involve leaving school on a Wednesday lunchtime to head off and play tournaments against other teams such as Wasps and Northampton.
From that group I was involved with two players have gone on to really ‘make it’ at the top level – Jacob Umaga with Wasps and Freddy Tuilagi who plays for London Scottish.
That time with Leicester also opened opportunities and contacts to learn from some of the top names in rugby.
Since then, I have met and spoken to Stuart Lancaster - head coaches past with England - British Lions coach Warren Gatland and current England international Manu Tuilagi.
I do still try and play rugby although I have suffered a bit with injuries and now have an inflamed bursa on my shoulder.
This basically means my bone is rubbing against the muscle which can be very painful and will never really improve.
To carry on playing I just need to manage the problem and make sure I build the muscle around the bursa and support it.
I think rugby has changed as a sport now to make it even more challenging.
Back in my Dad’s day you needed a skill but now it is not only that – you need a skill but have also got to be big, strong, and fast.
Trying to tackle and compete with some of these boys who are 6 foot 8 or 6 foot 9 is quite lively and you can have 800kg packs scrummaging against each other where the pressure is intense.
I do still enjoy it when I get to play, just like all sports, particularly Invasion Sports.
And one thing a lot of people don’t know about me is that I represented England at the Kabaddi World Cup in 2016.
Kabaddi is a great summer sport, a kind of mix of Bulldog and Tag from games people remember as kids, and it makes for an entertaining spectacle.
We were up against professional players on an international stage and got to share the same hotels with those professionals and got to speak to them a lot. It was a great learning curve.
In our last group game we were up against India and we were absolutely battered by them because they were such a brilliant team.
It turned out that 2.5 million people had watched that game on television!
I haven’t played Kabaddi for the last couple of years, and it is difficult with work as all the training is in London, but my Dad is on the board for the England Kabaddi Association, and I have been helping him to put together a proposal to see if we it can be included in the Commonwealth Games in the future.
I have this mindset that I know what development is like in sport which is why I have been so keen to work in the industry.
I enjoy trying to make an impact in that way and find different pathway for young people so that they also know that if they don’t make it in a particular sport not to give up.
Away from sport, another hobby I really enjoy is cooking.
I always enjoy stepping out of my comfort zone and learning to better myself and have done things like rock climbing in the past even though I’m not a huge fan of heights.
Learning new things is massive and having my Mum as an influence with the Indian influence taught me how to cook when I was young.
I cook most days now, and I really enjoy it, and sometimes feel like I am a 40-year-old in a 23-year-old’s body!
Thanks for reading my first diary and look forward to the next one.
