Saturday dawned much sunnier, drier and less breezy than the past few days, and it was easy to see the effects of this as people were hanging around outside much more, and it was easier to meet people in a relaxed way. I had a slightly later start today, and so arrived after the morning duty in the Oasis of Silence, but it was good to learn that 2 players had again come to the devotional time. After some practical tasks, we were all into match day routine - dividing our time between the match pitches and other parts of the venue. It was nice to be greeted in a friendly manner by some of the volunteers who're only here for match days - we get to know some of them quite well as they're largely stationed in the same places doing the same task each match day. Although there was again a wonderful family-type atmosphere, with spectators of all ages and also of many nationalities, there also seemed to be more tension in the air - there were not so many squad members around spectating, and many of the spectators seemed more focused - perhaps because by the end of today's 6 matches, everyone would know which 4 teams would have gained places in the semi-final play offs and so play future matches at The Stoop in Twickenham, and which 8 teams would be playing both their remaining matches here in Guildford.
In the end, it was England, New Zealand, France and Australia that gained the top 4 places. For chaplains, who're supposed in many senses to be impartial, and it was a case of "rejoicing with those who rejoice and weeping with those who weep".
Despite wanting to for a number of reasons, mostly to do with people I've got to know in the last two weeks, I didn't see much of the match between England and USA. This was firstly, because I was trying to make sure that an injured player who'd gone to hospital having been injured in an earlier match got chaplaincy support if she wanted it, and also through setting things up for our first movie night. In the end, no-one came, which was slightly disappointing, but at the same time we were only responding to an identified need and offering a resource or opportunity, so if no-one felt they needed or wanted it when it came to it, that's fine by us - it is responding and serving that's important.
Sunday 29 August 2010
The weekend (and final pool matches) approach fast
I wasn't in Guildford on Thursday, but apparently it was still quite quiet. Training had resumed in earnest, following the brief pause the day before, but apart from going to training and meals etc, people didn't venture out much as it as wet and windy again. Apparently, one chaplain even rashly promised the Aussies better weather by the weekend, but she had read the weather forecast first! One player did come to the morning devotional though, which was good, and those chaplains on duty still managed to 'loiter with intent' and meet and chat with people, both players/squad members but also staff and other volunteers - a reminder that chaplaincy at an event like this is for everyone, not just the elite sportspeople.
After a very early start at home on Friday, I was back in Guildford ready to open up the Oasis of Silence at 8am. A player from one of my pool teams again came for the morning devotional time, which was good. After that and a time of sharing with the other chaplain on duty this morning, we set about some practical tasks: One of the things that has become apparent through various conversations that the chaplaincy team have had over the last few days is that people in a number of squads have begun to suffer from something akin to 'Cabin Fever' (meaning the reactions that happen when a person or group has to live in a relatively small/enclosed space for an extended period with nothing much to do). Whilst many of the squads are impressed with all being based together in an Olympic-style athletes village, and enjoying the plus points of that - no travel, single rooms, good sports facilities, and the ability to walk from sleeping quarters to meals and to training facilities - a number of people are finding it quite claustrophobic, especially as, apart from their dining room, there's no shared communal space where they can relax and enjoy people's company outside their own squads - apart from the Bar and a branch of Starbucks in the sports centre that is! The seeds of the idea having been sown by various chaplains earlier in the week, 3 of us spent various bits of today checking out the practicalities: could we book/hire a room to show a DVD? what about projection facilities? publicity? did the organisers mind the chaplaincy doing this? etc, etc. By the end of the day, plans were almost fixed to have 2 movie nights, one games night, and a quiz night within the next week.
In between this, various visits were made and conversations had, including some time spent in the nearby hotel where the referees and other match officials are staying and based. We had originally planned to have an Oasis of Silence there too, but in the end no rooms were available, so we try and make sure that at least one chaplain visits once per day. So, it was good today that there were a numebr of officials around and we were able to have conversations with them.
After a very early start at home on Friday, I was back in Guildford ready to open up the Oasis of Silence at 8am. A player from one of my pool teams again came for the morning devotional time, which was good. After that and a time of sharing with the other chaplain on duty this morning, we set about some practical tasks: One of the things that has become apparent through various conversations that the chaplaincy team have had over the last few days is that people in a number of squads have begun to suffer from something akin to 'Cabin Fever' (meaning the reactions that happen when a person or group has to live in a relatively small/enclosed space for an extended period with nothing much to do). Whilst many of the squads are impressed with all being based together in an Olympic-style athletes village, and enjoying the plus points of that - no travel, single rooms, good sports facilities, and the ability to walk from sleeping quarters to meals and to training facilities - a number of people are finding it quite claustrophobic, especially as, apart from their dining room, there's no shared communal space where they can relax and enjoy people's company outside their own squads - apart from the Bar and a branch of Starbucks in the sports centre that is! The seeds of the idea having been sown by various chaplains earlier in the week, 3 of us spent various bits of today checking out the practicalities: could we book/hire a room to show a DVD? what about projection facilities? publicity? did the organisers mind the chaplaincy doing this? etc, etc. By the end of the day, plans were almost fixed to have 2 movie nights, one games night, and a quiz night within the next week.
In between this, various visits were made and conversations had, including some time spent in the nearby hotel where the referees and other match officials are staying and based. We had originally planned to have an Oasis of Silence there too, but in the end no rooms were available, so we try and make sure that at least one chaplain visits once per day. So, it was good today that there were a numebr of officials around and we were able to have conversations with them.
Wet Wednesday
Wednesday was very quiet with little movement around the campus. This was to be expected as squads often take the chance to take things slightly easier the day after a match, doing lightish training only in an attempt to give tired and possibly bruised bodies time to repair themselves. During the day, the chaplaincy team became aware of at least 5 players across the tournament who were having scans on one bit of their body or another, a reminder of how physical a game rugby is.
Taking post-match day quietly also gives people time to go off an explore - it seems a shame for those who've travelled huge distances to get here, not to have opportunity to see something of the country they're visiting - mind you, as businessmen have often told me, they do that all the time - those of us who live relatively static lives need to remember that jobs or professions that involve lots of travel certainly can't be compared to a holiday (even though people joke about that aspect). Today, whether squads stayed around Guildford or ventured further afield, they will have got very wet as it rained on and off, and was torrential at times.
Taking post-match day quietly also gives people time to go off an explore - it seems a shame for those who've travelled huge distances to get here, not to have opportunity to see something of the country they're visiting - mind you, as businessmen have often told me, they do that all the time - those of us who live relatively static lives need to remember that jobs or professions that involve lots of travel certainly can't be compared to a holiday (even though people joke about that aspect). Today, whether squads stayed around Guildford or ventured further afield, they will have got very wet as it rained on and off, and was torrential at times.
Thursday 26 August 2010
Second Match Day
Tuesday dawned bright but cool - good weather for this second pool match day, although sadly (especially for spectators) there was some rain later during some of the matches. It also got windier as the day went on, which made life difficult for both spectators and players. Today was another early start for me, and so I went straight to the Oasis of Silence at 8am. No players turned up for the devotional time but three of us spent some time sharing and praying, and later a few people called by.
After that Dave C and I met to discuss progress so far, and planned the rota for the final week. Now that we know how things are working out in practice we were able to tailor-make this much more than we'd been able to do with the initial rota - it's amazing how things differ between planning and practice, especially when practical experience is added.
My next task was to make my second trip of the tournament to the BBC Radio Surrey studios. This time it was to record a "60 second sermon" to go out on next Sunday morning's religious programme. The idea behind this is that local ministers distill their Sunday sermon for that day into 60 seconds - I remember doing one of these when I last lived in this area and found it a challenge (! - those that know me will understand the explanation mark!) - but, as I won't actually be preaching anywhere this coming Sunday, I wrote a 'thought for the day' type of talk, linking illustrations from sport with one aspect of our practical faith, using the parable of the sheep and the goats as my text.
Another brisk walk followed, in order to get back to Surrey Sports Park in time to do some wandering around before the matches started. As last Friday, there were 6 pool games in all today, with the first match kicked off at 12noon, with the 6th one doing the same at 6:30pm. They were again good matches - for those who know rugby, apparently women's rugby has a lot less kicking and a lot more running when compared to the men's game. It is still a very fast and physical game, though, requiring a mixture of strength, speed and agility on top of all the technical skills.
I wasn't able to stay for the last matches though, as I had a speaking engagement at Andover Rotary Club this evening. They'd invited me to speak about my work as a sports chaplain from Athens 2004 right through to today, so it seemed appropriate to attend in my Women's Rugby World Club uniform rather than dressed more smartly with my clerical collar. As I'd missed the matches involving my pool teams, I kept my mobile phone on silent and, after texts from WRWC chaplaincy colleagues, was able both to keep in touch with what was going on in Guildford and also begin my talk with the latest results!
After that Dave C and I met to discuss progress so far, and planned the rota for the final week. Now that we know how things are working out in practice we were able to tailor-make this much more than we'd been able to do with the initial rota - it's amazing how things differ between planning and practice, especially when practical experience is added.
My next task was to make my second trip of the tournament to the BBC Radio Surrey studios. This time it was to record a "60 second sermon" to go out on next Sunday morning's religious programme. The idea behind this is that local ministers distill their Sunday sermon for that day into 60 seconds - I remember doing one of these when I last lived in this area and found it a challenge (! - those that know me will understand the explanation mark!) - but, as I won't actually be preaching anywhere this coming Sunday, I wrote a 'thought for the day' type of talk, linking illustrations from sport with one aspect of our practical faith, using the parable of the sheep and the goats as my text.
Another brisk walk followed, in order to get back to Surrey Sports Park in time to do some wandering around before the matches started. As last Friday, there were 6 pool games in all today, with the first match kicked off at 12noon, with the 6th one doing the same at 6:30pm. They were again good matches - for those who know rugby, apparently women's rugby has a lot less kicking and a lot more running when compared to the men's game. It is still a very fast and physical game, though, requiring a mixture of strength, speed and agility on top of all the technical skills.
I wasn't able to stay for the last matches though, as I had a speaking engagement at Andover Rotary Club this evening. They'd invited me to speak about my work as a sports chaplain from Athens 2004 right through to today, so it seemed appropriate to attend in my Women's Rugby World Club uniform rather than dressed more smartly with my clerical collar. As I'd missed the matches involving my pool teams, I kept my mobile phone on silent and, after texts from WRWC chaplaincy colleagues, was able both to keep in touch with what was going on in Guildford and also begin my talk with the latest results!
Monday 23 August 2010
Week 2 begins
Saturday was a day off for me and I'd returned home for that - one of the advantages of an international sporting event being hosted in our own country is that we all live relatively close. However, that said, as I live in Wiltshire I'm the chaplain with the longest journey. This is partly because our chaplaincy team comprises a number of local ministers in addition to a few specialist sports chaplains. I was also absent from Guildford on Sunday, as I was taking part in services at St Michael's Church, West Andover, the parish where I'm an assistant priest.
On Monday, I returned to Guildford, and to chaplaincy duties in and around the Women's Rugby World Cup. This was the 'usual' mixture of spending time in & around the Oasis of Silence and out & about around the whole venue, plus some admin and preparation tasks that needed to be done. Having been away over the weekend, there was also some catching up to do.
Sadly, one aspect of that was learning that a player from one of my pool teams had sustained a more serious injury than was at first thought - a broken bone means that she won't be able to play again in this tournament and so will be heading home sometime soon. Although the bone concerned means that this isn't actually a major injury as such, it is obviously major for her and also for her team mates with whom she's trained intensively for the last few months. So, it was good to be able to offer support to members of that team and their TLO, both explicitly and implicitly. As a chaplaincy team, we're also able to pray for her, and for others with needs, as well as for the whole event. Even if no-one comes for the 8:30am and 8:30pm devotional times, the chaplains on duty still meet to pray at those times each day.
On Monday, I returned to Guildford, and to chaplaincy duties in and around the Women's Rugby World Cup. This was the 'usual' mixture of spending time in & around the Oasis of Silence and out & about around the whole venue, plus some admin and preparation tasks that needed to be done. Having been away over the weekend, there was also some catching up to do.
Sadly, one aspect of that was learning that a player from one of my pool teams had sustained a more serious injury than was at first thought - a broken bone means that she won't be able to play again in this tournament and so will be heading home sometime soon. Although the bone concerned means that this isn't actually a major injury as such, it is obviously major for her and also for her team mates with whom she's trained intensively for the last few months. So, it was good to be able to offer support to members of that team and their TLO, both explicitly and implicitly. As a chaplaincy team, we're also able to pray for her, and for others with needs, as well as for the whole event. Even if no-one comes for the 8:30am and 8:30pm devotional times, the chaplains on duty still meet to pray at those times each day.
First match day
Friday was yet another early start, the fourth in a row. However, although I went to the Oasis of Silence at 8am I didn't stay there for long, as I'd been invited by BBC Radio Surrey to be interviewed on their breakfast programme so that their listeners could hear all about the chaplaincy presence. Their studios are located on the main University campus and it was a nice walk across in the sunshine - thankfully the first match day had dawned much brighter than had been forecast by the weather people. The interview seemed to go well - perhaps too well in that it created further work as afterwards I was invited back to do something else for them next week!
The walk back to Surrey Sports Park, and on to the Oasis of Silence, gave me the opportunity to chat to various people along the way - Surrey Sports Park staff, match day security staff, members of the event organising team, new volunteers, and a few players. Later, once the gates had opened to the public, the chaplains already onsite walked the area around the 2 competition pitches, sometimes meeting and chatting with people we met, and in quiet moments praying for all involved in this tournament in so many different ways.
There were 6 games in all today. The first match kicked off at 12noon, with the 6th one doing the same at 6:30pm. These were all games between 2 teams in the same pool - meaning that it was perhaps even more important than usual for chaplains to be impartial as we each had an interest in both teams playing a game. I watched most of both games involving the four teams in my pool, although I also spent time talking to spectators and event staff, as well as to players spectating later games. I also spent some time on the phone and chasing & talking to contacts in person to offer support, both practical and pastoral, where injuries occurred. Thankfully none seemed as serious as they might have looked at first.
The walk back to Surrey Sports Park, and on to the Oasis of Silence, gave me the opportunity to chat to various people along the way - Surrey Sports Park staff, match day security staff, members of the event organising team, new volunteers, and a few players. Later, once the gates had opened to the public, the chaplains already onsite walked the area around the 2 competition pitches, sometimes meeting and chatting with people we met, and in quiet moments praying for all involved in this tournament in so many different ways.
There were 6 games in all today. The first match kicked off at 12noon, with the 6th one doing the same at 6:30pm. These were all games between 2 teams in the same pool - meaning that it was perhaps even more important than usual for chaplains to be impartial as we each had an interest in both teams playing a game. I watched most of both games involving the four teams in my pool, although I also spent time talking to spectators and event staff, as well as to players spectating later games. I also spent some time on the phone and chasing & talking to contacts in person to offer support, both practical and pastoral, where injuries occurred. Thankfully none seemed as serious as they might have looked at first.
Thursday 19 August 2010
Building both relationships and bunting
Thursday brought another early start, and it was great this morning that 2 players came to the Oasis for our morning devotional time - and especially that they were from the pool team that I'd met with yesterday. As well as sharing in the devotional, they added topics to our prayer board and stayed for a coffee and a chat.
Contact with another team and their coach came when they used the metal staircase outside the Oasis for one of their fitness tests (it involved a piece of equipment that attaches with a magnet hence the need for something metal). This provided an opportunity for the players waiting in the queue for their turn to see into the Oasis, and for me to ask questions of the coach about what they were doing whilst he was packing things up.
Other activities today included further casual conversations with several other players from the pool team I spent time with yesterday; a telephone conversation with another of the TLOs I'd rung yesterday; a visit to the area surrounding the 2 match pitches, which included conversations with several people setting things up and getting the ground ready for the first match day tomorrow; and trying to 'design' various attractive but weatherproof ways of decorating the outside of our building - several of the 12 squads have started to decorate their buildings and so why should we miss out, especially as it also draws attention to our new location.
Contact with another team and their coach came when they used the metal staircase outside the Oasis for one of their fitness tests (it involved a piece of equipment that attaches with a magnet hence the need for something metal). This provided an opportunity for the players waiting in the queue for their turn to see into the Oasis, and for me to ask questions of the coach about what they were doing whilst he was packing things up.
Other activities today included further casual conversations with several other players from the pool team I spent time with yesterday; a telephone conversation with another of the TLOs I'd rung yesterday; a visit to the area surrounding the 2 match pitches, which included conversations with several people setting things up and getting the ground ready for the first match day tomorrow; and trying to 'design' various attractive but weatherproof ways of decorating the outside of our building - several of the 12 squads have started to decorate their buildings and so why should we miss out, especially as it also draws attention to our new location.
Beginning to build relationships
Wednesday dawned bright and clear and, after the shenanigans of yesterday, this felt like a sign of a proper new start to our chaplaincy presence - and it turned out to be so.
Our daily pattern in the Oasis of Silence is that it is open from 8am to 10pm, with a short devotional period scheduled at both 8:30am and 8:30pm - although this can be altered timewise and/or repeated if people drop in at other times. Linked to this, we have advertised that at least one chaplain will be present from 8-10am and 8-10pm each day. Inbetweentimes, there will be someone present as often as possible, either our admin assistant or one of the chaplains, although we need to be out and about as much as possible too.
After our presence in the Oasis first thing this morning, we headed off to a meeting of officials (referees, touch judges, etc) to introduce the tournament chaplaincy. They're based in a nearby hotel, as it's not wise for them to be in the same accommodation as players. We had hoped to have an Oasis of Silence there too, but this hasn't proved possible as no 'extra' room was able to be made available. They were pleased to hear about our role though, and that we're here for them as well as everyone else.
Another task for today was to make contact with each squad's 'Team Liaison Officer' (TLO). These are volunteers (like us!) who are the main link between their respective squad and the organisers and structure of the tournament. I'll talk more about their role in a later post, but the main reason for contacting them today was to ask for a short meeting with the Team Manager to explain the chaplaincy and offer any specific support, facilities or resources that they may want. We also wanted to tell them about our change of venue! Although all chaplains are there for everyone, we've aimed to provide a more personal service by linking chaplains specifically with each of the 3 tournament pools (each containing 4 of the 12 competing teams). As lead chaplain for one of the pools, I telephoned each TLO and was pleased when a meeting with one Team Manager was quickly arranged for early afternoon - she even came to the Oasis for the meeting rather than me going to her as I'd expected to. Further positive contact was affirmed when she invited me to meet with the squad, and introduce myself just before their team meeting later this afternoon.
Having done this, it was great this evening when a number of the girls shouted "Hi Mary" as they passed me on their way back from their meal - relationships starting to be formed which hopefully can be built upon as the tournament goes on.
Our daily pattern in the Oasis of Silence is that it is open from 8am to 10pm, with a short devotional period scheduled at both 8:30am and 8:30pm - although this can be altered timewise and/or repeated if people drop in at other times. Linked to this, we have advertised that at least one chaplain will be present from 8-10am and 8-10pm each day. Inbetweentimes, there will be someone present as often as possible, either our admin assistant or one of the chaplains, although we need to be out and about as much as possible too.
After our presence in the Oasis first thing this morning, we headed off to a meeting of officials (referees, touch judges, etc) to introduce the tournament chaplaincy. They're based in a nearby hotel, as it's not wise for them to be in the same accommodation as players. We had hoped to have an Oasis of Silence there too, but this hasn't proved possible as no 'extra' room was able to be made available. They were pleased to hear about our role though, and that we're here for them as well as everyone else.
Another task for today was to make contact with each squad's 'Team Liaison Officer' (TLO). These are volunteers (like us!) who are the main link between their respective squad and the organisers and structure of the tournament. I'll talk more about their role in a later post, but the main reason for contacting them today was to ask for a short meeting with the Team Manager to explain the chaplaincy and offer any specific support, facilities or resources that they may want. We also wanted to tell them about our change of venue! Although all chaplains are there for everyone, we've aimed to provide a more personal service by linking chaplains specifically with each of the 3 tournament pools (each containing 4 of the 12 competing teams). As lead chaplain for one of the pools, I telephoned each TLO and was pleased when a meeting with one Team Manager was quickly arranged for early afternoon - she even came to the Oasis for the meeting rather than me going to her as I'd expected to. Further positive contact was affirmed when she invited me to meet with the squad, and introduce myself just before their team meeting later this afternoon.
Having done this, it was great this evening when a number of the girls shouted "Hi Mary" as they passed me on their way back from their meal - relationships starting to be formed which hopefully can be built upon as the tournament goes on.
Tuesday 17 August 2010
Frustration and fulfilment
Two more chaplains arrived today, and whilst they were collecting their kit and being inducted into the venue (etc), Sophie and I went into town to buy various things to make the room more homely and welcoming - candles, flowers, tea & coffee making facilities, sweets & biscuits, and a prayer board, to name but a few. We also procured practical things such as local bus timetables and a map of Guildford, so that if anyone wishes to visit a local church or place of worship we'll be able to help them find their way there. These resources were all added to our 'Oasis of Silence' whilst I and 2 other chaplains attended the first of the daily Team Liaison Officers' meetings. As well as meeting these vital people for a second time - Dave and I had been with them and introduced the idea of chaplaincy to them at their training day a few months ago - and reminding them that we're here for them too, we also gave each of them a bundle of letters to pass on to their teams, one for each squad member. These were our attempt to make sure that each squad member has a 'personal' introduction to the idea of chaplaincy, the Oasis of Silence, and the availability of our facilities and services. For 3 of the squads, where English isn't a primary language, we'd had these translated into an appropriate language for them.
After lunch, I went off to visit the nearby Guildford Cathedral to re-establish a practical link between them and the chaplaincy team. Sadly, I came back to find the Oasis of Silence in total disarray - a lot of our stuff was being hastily packed into boxes and carrier bags and one of our sofas was being carried away down the street!! To cut a long (and not very pretty) story short, whilst I was away someone had decided to install 2 rather large vending machines in the room we were using. This meant that the remaining space was both too small and too noisy not just for the Oasis of Silence alone, but also for the 'resident' Muslims to pray in. What was worse was that this had happened whilst the Muslims were actually having a time of prayer. Several animated telephone and face-to-face conversations ensued, and we were given another room a few blocks away. It was exceptionally frustrating not just to carry everything from A to B, but also to have to spend a couple of hours remaking, redecorating, and re-resourcing a second Oasis of Silence within 24 hours. It also meant that we didn't get out and about to make contact with squads as we'd planned. However, we are now in a larger room, which has more potential and greater flexibility of use. We also have use of a smaller room on the same corridor, normally a student bedroom, for a Chaplaincy Office; so the outcome at 6:30pm, when I left to head off to the family home where I'm currently staying (another long story, possibly to be told in a later post), was not so bleak as it had appeared at 1:45pm. We were also pleased to learn that, despite being disturbed earlier on, the Muslims did still hold their late afternoon prayers in the former room - I guess though that sadly it will be very crowded for them on Friday when larger numbers may well attend.
After lunch, I went off to visit the nearby Guildford Cathedral to re-establish a practical link between them and the chaplaincy team. Sadly, I came back to find the Oasis of Silence in total disarray - a lot of our stuff was being hastily packed into boxes and carrier bags and one of our sofas was being carried away down the street!! To cut a long (and not very pretty) story short, whilst I was away someone had decided to install 2 rather large vending machines in the room we were using. This meant that the remaining space was both too small and too noisy not just for the Oasis of Silence alone, but also for the 'resident' Muslims to pray in. What was worse was that this had happened whilst the Muslims were actually having a time of prayer. Several animated telephone and face-to-face conversations ensued, and we were given another room a few blocks away. It was exceptionally frustrating not just to carry everything from A to B, but also to have to spend a couple of hours remaking, redecorating, and re-resourcing a second Oasis of Silence within 24 hours. It also meant that we didn't get out and about to make contact with squads as we'd planned. However, we are now in a larger room, which has more potential and greater flexibility of use. We also have use of a smaller room on the same corridor, normally a student bedroom, for a Chaplaincy Office; so the outcome at 6:30pm, when I left to head off to the family home where I'm currently staying (another long story, possibly to be told in a later post), was not so bleak as it had appeared at 1:45pm. We were also pleased to learn that, despite being disturbed earlier on, the Muslims did still hold their late afternoon prayers in the former room - I guess though that sadly it will be very crowded for them on Friday when larger numbers may well attend.
Monday 16 August - destination Guildford
Surrey Sports Park in Guildford is the venue for the 2010 Women's Rugby World Cup, and the destination today for 12 of the most highly ranked female rugby union teams in the world, as well as members of the different aspects of the organising team, the officials and support staff, and, of course, the chaplaincy team. It was good to finally arrive onsite, and to see the infrastructure coming together, after a couple of visits in recent months and almost 2 years of planning the chaplaincy input along with SCORE's Chaplaincy Coordinator for Rugby Union - our joint planning had started before I knew that lack of funding meant I'd have to leave SCORE, but I'd promised to continue to work on this as I wanted to see the project through to the end.
Around 2pm Dave and I collected our kit (white polo shirts, Tshirts, and baseball caps, along with navy rain jacket and shorts - yes shorts!) and together with Sophie, our young admin assistant, began to work on the smallish student common room we'd been allocated, in an attempt to turn it into a combined 'Oasis of Silence' and Chaplaincy Office. But first we had some negotiation to do, as it soon became evident that the room was also being used by some Muslims amongst the University's staff and students as their prayer room during the season of Ramadan. The spirit of cooperation was strong on both sides and with judicious and sensitive placing of resources such as posters, coloured table coverings, and various symbols an appropriate 'reflective space' was created which we hope will be both useful and well-used.
During the afternoon and early evening, it was good to see the 12 squads gradually arriving, and beginning to settle into the venue and its facilities. Some teams had their first session on the training pitches, whilst others used the gym or swimming pool, whilst yet others relaxed after long journeys. We were able to make contacts and begin to chat with people and so let them know of the chaplaincy presence - although we'd written something about this in the official handbook that all squads receive, nothing beats personal contact for spreading the word.
Around 2pm Dave and I collected our kit (white polo shirts, Tshirts, and baseball caps, along with navy rain jacket and shorts - yes shorts!) and together with Sophie, our young admin assistant, began to work on the smallish student common room we'd been allocated, in an attempt to turn it into a combined 'Oasis of Silence' and Chaplaincy Office. But first we had some negotiation to do, as it soon became evident that the room was also being used by some Muslims amongst the University's staff and students as their prayer room during the season of Ramadan. The spirit of cooperation was strong on both sides and with judicious and sensitive placing of resources such as posters, coloured table coverings, and various symbols an appropriate 'reflective space' was created which we hope will be both useful and well-used.
During the afternoon and early evening, it was good to see the 12 squads gradually arriving, and beginning to settle into the venue and its facilities. Some teams had their first session on the training pitches, whilst others used the gym or swimming pool, whilst yet others relaxed after long journeys. We were able to make contacts and begin to chat with people and so let them know of the chaplaincy presence - although we'd written something about this in the official handbook that all squads receive, nothing beats personal contact for spreading the word.
2010 Women's Rugby World Cup beckons.....
Almost 5 months after sitting in Vancouver airport reflecting on my Winter Paralympic experiences, Sunday 15th August found me packing my bags again ready to leave the next day to serve as chaplain at another international sporting event. This time, there wouldn't be so far to travel, and when many of my friends learned where the 2010 Women's Rugby World Cup is being held they said "oh, that's nowhere near as glamorous as Vancouver or Berlin!" (Sorry, Guildford, don't blame me!) Although my sports chaplaincy role at Loughborough University has continued throughout that time, a lot has happened in the last 5 months (some of which explains my 'silence' since the end of March) and there are more changes afoot in the next month......but more of that in a future post.....
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