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Talking crap and taking the pee...

  • The Gaffer
  • Feb 21, 2020
  • 2 min read

... no I am not referring to my pre-match Churchillian changing room chats, but something more important. "My team" consist of a rogue's gallery of those just over 45 years old and some closer to 60. In a game so often using such hackneyed phrases about numbers, commitment and focus, it is too easy to bypass the proper priority. When I took reins of the team this year, I wanted to help a group of guys that I call friends be healthier, happier and hopefully win more games.


That last bit was easy as we had only won 2 games the year before...


The happiness part was around building a team spirit, opening up about concerns and supporting each other off the field. There will be peaks and troughs. Highs when goals are scored or saved and lows when performances are not what you had hoped for, but in the

main, I would hope that the culture of collegiate collectivism is alive and kicking in CM6.



Then there's the healthy piece. We have introduced fresh-cooked food, natural ingredients and plant-based options to post-match meals... more players have played mid-week, trained harder and come to yoga... I have referenced men's health in team talks, personal chats and this blog.


However it is a work-in-progress. Some have lost weight and improved fitness, and others have needed not to take as much medication, but in all honesty some still celebrate at the bar too much after a win, struggle with their waistlines or combine a halftime orange with sneaky cigarette. I am far from perfect, but recognise that there is more than we can do together (to paraphrase Helen Keller). Late last year I engaged with a men's health charity based in Essex - CHAPS with a view to them joining us in our next pre-season to run one of their clinics for our team. Because of our age, not everything works as well as it once did. We are prime targets for Prostate and Bowel Cancers (hence the pee & crap reference) - both of which have affected those close to me in recent times. Diabetes, Cholesterol, Blood Pressure and other conditions are also more prevalent. So it was with concern that a member of our team shared with others this week the reason he was not drinking alcohol this month, after some tests suggested that some changes were needed. I am proud that he felt comfortable enough to disclose the details, but without preaching, it is a wake-up call for all and something I would suggest we should support each other in. We could all do with eating a little less, exercising a little more, drinking a little lighter and taking care of ourselves a lot more. No game this week, so how about using those free 90mins to start working (and sharing) on those things to make a healthier you? Age should not be a barrier, but be an inspiration.

 
 
 

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