Dave brings his experience to help males in Bedford and Milton Keynes

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 information to each our soccer and rugby communities.

Dave’s onerous 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 12 months’s MAN v FAT Awards, so we caught up with him to search 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 whole lot 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, inspecting my very own state of affairs with regard to mindset, diet, sleep and health, regularly creating efficient methods to deal with my day by day challenges.

Having studied Social Sciences and Psychology, I’ve a lifelong fascination with society, relationships, human behaviour and the thoughts. My explicit curiosity is Optimistic Psychology, which is grounded in what’s working with reference to our behaviour, somewhat than what’s damaged. This emphasis on character strengths, function and resilience types the background to my teaching fashion, working collectively to construct
confidence, develop abilities, and supply help to these looking for constructive change.

After additional examine, finishing programs in Dietary Recommendation, and Sleep CBTi, I started by working with colleagues, focussing totally on enhancing dietary selections, and introducing higher sleep methods,in addition to championing the deserves of standard 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 help for kids between the ages of seven and 13 and their households, to realize and keep lasting more healthy way of life behaviours.

The workforce was tasked with encouraging households to be extra bodily lively, in addition to studying that wholesome food and drinks selections will be nutritious, reasonably priced, in addition to scrumptious. The outcomes from the programmes that I delivered have been merely staggering, with each dad and mom and youngsters benefitting from weight reduction, and enhancements in vanity.

What attracted you to turn out to be 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 keen about males’s well being, as a result of the stark actuality stays that males proceed to have a better mortality charge than ladies, dying nearly 4 years youthful and going through increased charges of heart problems, most cancers, diabetes and loss of life from suicide.

It’s important that we take steps to reverse these alarming traits by tackling excessive profile danger behaviours, resembling extreme consuming, smoking, and drug dependency in addition to poor weight-reduction plan and lack of train.

I’m an advocate of encouraging males to see looking for assist as a power somewhat than a weak point, and encourage them to routinely go to a GP, and to be proactive with reference to particular well being dangers, resembling prostate most cancers. Decreasing the stigma round psychological well being can also be important, and it is very important begin the conversations that preserve strains of communication open.

What have you ever loved most about teaching at MAN v FAT?

Every participant concerned within the programme has a novel story, and start their MAN v FAT journeys from completely different ranges of confidence, health, information and skill.

Supporting every participant from the outset as they settle into the swing of issues, making them comfy, and understanding their particular wants and studying fashion is at all times an essential factor of the bedding in course of. By partaking in non-judgmental open and sincere dialogue, both with myself, a teammate, or by the workforce chats, gamers normally embrace the constructive 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.

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What impresses you most concerning the males you help within the programme?

The largest factor for me, is the extent of mutual help 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 each programmes?

Having begun my MAN v FAT teaching expertise on the established membership of Milton Keynes, competitors and workforce 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 nonetheless 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 improvement stage as a membership, with development of numbers a precedence, the present gamers place much less emphasis on the outcomes on the pitch, focusing as an alternative 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 widespread theme that runs by each of those programmes is the engagement, dedication and dedication of every group to make significant and constructive sustainable adjustments to their existence.

Mutual help can also be strongly represented throughout each sports activities, with many gamers assembly socially, coaching collectively on the fitness center, or strolling collectively. Each communities are acutely conscious that merely turning up and enjoying each week, isn’t ample, however the attribute of exhibiting up with candour and openness concerning the triumphs and challenges of the week underlines the power of the gamers dedication.

Banter and humour can also be a useful asset, conserving spirits excessive, on a chilly moist night, or disarming awkward conditions.

You’re one of the crucial skilled coaches on the brand new look system, having used it for Rugby beforehand. What distinction do you suppose it can make to coaches and gamers because the Soccer programme totally migrates throughout?

The brand new look system is an enchancment on its predecessor. From a coaches perspective, it permits entry to the entire related data simply and successfully, seamlessly shifting from one part to a different.

The person participant data 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 the entire essential weekly data 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 outdated 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 suppose are the principle priorities for males’s well being within the coming years?

Enhancing wholesome life expectancy of males, by focussing on decreasing the drivers of CVD, resembling hypertension, extreme alcohol consumption, smoking, drug abuse and weight problems.

Decreasing 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 somewhat than struggling in silence once they have an issue. It’s important to place the best help the place it issues, in order that it’s not solely accessible, but in addition efficient – an App isn’t at all times the perfect answer!