Online Learning: What We’ve Been Enjoying

Some of the Energise Me team have been building time into their schedules for a bit of online learning. Here’s a taste of what we’ve been enjoying:

It is sometimes tricky to work from home, and the past month has seen a slew of articles about self-discipline, balance, routine, and the importance of keeping active. Amongst these articles and other online opportunities, Julie, Kelly, Charlotte, Emma, Jen and Jake have picked out their own recommendations….

Julie Amies

I have been listening to The Game Changers: Fearless Women in Sport Podcast on my daily walks. Yesterday, it was a conversation with Sally Munday, former CEO of England Hockey and now CEO of UK Sport. I enjoyed it because it was time outdoors with no interruptions. This meant that so I could really concentrate and reflect on what Sally was saying. Topical in our own work, Sally talked about getting more done through collaboration. Her “natural state” and her leadership style would be described as collegiate. This was true for her work in her own organisation, with other CEOs from other sports and with her international peers.

Sally also talked about the role of clubs in their communities which I thought was very relevant right now. She believes, and I agree, clubs can make an impact in their communities. This could be helping to build a community and being at its heart. As well as having a social impact on the lives of people that live in those communities.

Finally, I was struck by her thoughts on the place high performance sport has in society. Of course, it has an influence on the British people and engenders pride. But drawing on insight, Sally reflected that the public were less motivated by the desire to be at the top of the international medal table and were prepared to compromise on a lower position to achieve broader and deeper representation in sport. To celebrate those stories of the struggles athletes have had to get to the top and to represent their country.

Success is more than medals. Also, elite sport is attracting a different kind of athlete now. UK Sport and those with whom they work will need to respond to, adapt and flex to meet this changing environment. I would perhaps add athlete welfare into the mix and perhaps Sally was alluding to this in her comments about a different kind of athlete coming into sport?

Kelly Bailey

I am enjoying some of the content put out by AFPE (Association for Physical Education). I enjoyed it because multiple people across the sector were contributing which helps to build a bigger picture.  The format was also quite clear, which made it more enjoyable.

Charlotte Doughty

I enjoy training that is interactive, simple and has video and audio, so I don’t have to read everything!  Having quizzes at the end of online learning make me feel like I am going through the training for an obvious purpose as well as for my own learning.

I liked the Co-production Oxfordshire training. Although it involved a lot of reading, it was colourful and visually interesting. The course allowed me to go through it at my own pace – spending more time to read and think about sections I found the most interesting/important. I found the handbook was a useful takeaway to refer back to if I’d like a refresh in the future. The fact that the site provides separate links to different sections of the handbook removed the barriers of having to find relevant information myself if I wasn’t motivated to do this. There is also the opportunity to take the training further with a face-to-face training day. I like that there are multiple options and levels depending on how you learn and how in depth of a knowledge you are looking for.

Emma Dovener

I’ve been participating in lots of webinars! My favourite so far was from Mind, the mental health charity. It was on Mental Health Support for the Sport and Physical Activity Sector. The webinar introduced their toolkit for the sports sector. As a Mental Health First Aider, I was fascinated to hear about the guidance available for the sports sector.

Jen Stangroom

I have been doing an online web development course from Udemy. It was only £15 and so far, really good. It would be good for new or smaller providers who are thinking of setting up their own website, or if they just wanted to understand a little more about how their website works.

I have also been listening to the Happiness Lab podcasts. I especially like the episode A Silver Lining. It talks about why silver medallists are the unhappiest out of everyone on the

podium and explains the psychology behind it.

And for something slightly different…Jake Hitchcock

Did you know that there was a road built in California, that plays the William Tell Overture when you drive over it? Or rather, it was supposed to…

We’d love to hear more about what you have enjoyed whilst working from home. Maybe you’ve read a really engaging article, or there’s a podcast you think we should all listen to? Tweet us at @EnergiseMe_ and let us know!