Males throughout Bedford and Milton Keynes have been benefiting from the experience of MAN v FAT Well being & Wellbeing Coach Dave Griffith, as he lends his data to each our soccer and rugby communities.
Dave’s exhausting work and successes in his two golf equipment – the established Soccer membership in Milton Keynes and the fledgling group in Bedford Rugby – has seen him shortlisted for Coach of the 12 months at this yr’s MAN v FAT Awards, so we caught up with him to seek out out extra.
Inform us a bit about your background in teaching and your specialism on this space
I’ve an unconventional background in teaching. It started whereas working in a occupation that included a number of worldwide journey, time adjustments, disrupted sleep and inconsistent meals selections. Observing my very own expertise, I started a interval of self reflection and introspection, analyzing my very own state of affairs with regard to mindset, vitamin, sleep and health, progressively growing efficient methods to deal with my every day challenges.
Having studied Social Sciences and Psychology, I’ve a lifelong fascination with society, relationships, human behaviour and the thoughts. My specific curiosity is Constructive Psychology, which is grounded in what’s working almost about our behaviour, fairly than what’s damaged. This emphasis on character strengths, goal and resilience varieties the background to my teaching model, working collectively to construct
confidence, develop expertise, and supply assist to these in search of optimistic change.
After additional research, finishing programs in Dietary Recommendation, and Sleep CBTi, I started by working with colleagues, focussing totally on bettering dietary selections, and introducing higher sleep methods,in addition to championing the deserves of normal train.
I used to be privileged to have been concerned within the MEND (MIND, EXERCISE, NUTRITION, DO IT!) undertaking when it was first rolled out in my native space. The aim of the twice weekly course, delivered over a ten week
interval, was to supply assist for kids between the ages of seven and 13 and their households, to attain and keep lasting more healthy way of life behaviours.
The crew was tasked with encouraging households to be extra bodily energetic, in addition to studying that wholesome food and drinks selections may be nutritious, reasonably priced, in addition to scrumptious. The outcomes from the programmes that I delivered have been merely staggering, with each mother and father and youngsters benefitting from weight reduction, and enhancements in shallowness.
What attracted you to turn into a MAN v FAT coach within the first place?
I’ve at all times had a ardour for sport, and particularly have a lifelong love of soccer and rugby. I’m additionally enthusiastic about males’s well being, as a result of the stark actuality stays that males proceed to have a better mortality fee than ladies, dying virtually 4 years youthful and going through increased charges of heart problems, most cancers, diabetes and demise from suicide.
It’s important that we take steps to reverse these alarming tendencies by tackling excessive profile threat behaviours, comparable to extreme ingesting, smoking, and drug dependency in addition to poor weight-reduction plan and lack of train.
I’m an advocate of encouraging males to see in search of assist as a energy fairly than a weak spot, and encourage them to routinely go to a GP, and to be proactive almost about particular well being dangers, comparable to prostate most cancers. Lowering the stigma round psychological well being can be important, and it is very important begin the conversations that maintain strains of communication open.
What have you ever loved most about teaching at MAN v FAT?
Every participant concerned within the programme has a singular story, and start their MAN v FAT journeys from totally different ranges of confidence, health, data and talent.
Supporting every participant from the outset as they settle into the swing of issues, making them snug, and understanding their particular wants and studying model is at all times an necessary aspect of the bedding in course of. By partaking in non-judgmental open and sincere dialogue, both with myself, a teammate, or by means of the crew chats, gamers normally embrace the optimistic tradition of their friends, and attempt for enchancment.
Empowering these unbelievable males to take higher management of their well being, whereas doing one thing that they get pleasure from, and having amusing and a joke alongside the best way, is extremely rewarding and provoking.
What impresses you most in regards to the males you assist within the programme?
The largest factor for me, is the extent of mutual assist that these wonderful males show in direction of one another. The camaraderie and respect is extraordinary, in addition to their dedication and dedication to rise to challenges. The resilience that I witness on a weekly foundation is actually awe inspiring.
What are the principle variations you’ve observed between the Rugby and Soccer communities you take care of, and what themes run true by means of each programmes?
Having begun my MAN v FAT teaching expertise on the established membership of Milton Keynes, competitors and crew rivalry was embedded within the weekly soccer fixtures. The sturdy want to win on the pitch is a
theme that continues, and no quarter is given on match days. This doesn’t nevertheless diminish the sturdy camaraderie and supportive nature of gamers relationships off the pitch.
Teaching Bedford Rugby from its inception, I’ve had the privilege of seeing each the membership and the gamers evolve. Nonetheless within the growth stage as a membership, with progress of numbers a precedence, the present gamers place much less emphasis on the outcomes on the pitch, focusing as a substitute on the enjoyment and satisfaction that they get from these periods. With one participant stating at a latest session “that is the spotlight of my week”.
The frequent theme that runs by means of each of those programmes is the engagement, dedication and dedication of every group to make significant and optimistic sustainable adjustments to their life.
Mutual assist can be strongly represented throughout each sports activities, with many gamers assembly socially, coaching collectively on the health club, or strolling collectively. Each communities are acutely conscious that merely turning up and taking part in each week, isn’t ample, however the attribute of exhibiting up with candour and openness in regards to the triumphs and challenges of the week underlines the energy of the gamers dedication.
Banter and humour can be a useful asset, holding spirits excessive, on a chilly moist night, or disarming awkward conditions.
You might be some of the skilled coaches on the brand new look system, having used it for Rugby beforehand. What distinction do you assume it would make to coaches and gamers because the Soccer programme absolutely migrates throughout?
The brand new look system is an enchancment on its predecessor. From a coaches perspective, it permits entry to all the related info simply and successfully, seamlessly shifting from one part to a different.
The person participant info is concise and useful, displaying stats and participant milestones collectively in a single place, which is especially helpful when chatting with a participant. The roundup tab is a godsend, itemizing all the necessary weekly info in a single place, making my weekly membership roundup simpler to compose.
Gamers from Rugby and Soccer don’t have anything however reward for the brand new system. The Participant Portal has been universally accepted as a noticeable improve to the previous weekly e-mail system. Gamers are impressed with the extent of element and quantity of knowledge at their fingertips.
Though I’m solely in week 4 of the brand new system at Milton Keynes, the improved system is indicating enhanced participant engagement and accountability.
The English Authorities launches its Males’s Well being Technique in 2025 – what do you assume are the principle priorities for males’s well being within the coming years?
Bettering wholesome life expectancy of males, by focussing on decreasing the drivers of CVD, comparable to hypertension, extreme alcohol consumption, smoking, drug abuse and weight problems.
Lowering the stigma round Psychological Well being and make it simpler to for males to achieve out to counsellors and psychological well being professionals.
Encourage males to be empowered and assured to achieve out and ask for assist fairly than struggling in silence once they have an issue. It’s important to place the suitable assist the place it issues, in order that it’s not solely accessible, but additionally efficient – an App isn’t at all times one of the best resolution!
