The Good Sports Podcast

Walking Football Nov 19, 2019

In Episode 24, Dave heads to East London to catch up with the Monday morning session of Walking Football, run by the West Ham United Foundation.

We hear from the staff, volunteers and participants about the difference the sessions are making, how the games are as inclusive as possible and who scored the most goals! Make sure you check out the new 'Any Old Irons' podcast from the West Ham Foundation for more on their work in the Community

The gang then reflect on the interviews and relate to their experience of inclusive coaching.

The quiz rivalry is renewed as Lee and Sara take on the walking sports challenge with info from the excellent Just Get Active Website.

This is our last podcast for 2019, but we will be launching a new season in 2020 where we aim to amplify the voices of people who have personally experienced the value of sport and development. We would love to hear from organisation in England who would be happy to have one of us come to speak to staff/volunteers/participants. If you are further afield, please drop us a line as we can advise on capturing content which we will edit and put together.

Please do get in touch through the usual ways:

Twitter: @goodsportscast
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Email: info@goodsportscast.org.uk

As always please review, rate and subscribe on your preferred platform. Please enjoy the pod and thank you for listening!

My story: Jhon Cosgrove, the running broccoli Oct 10, 2019

In episode 23 we kick off our focus on sport for development personal stories by speaking to our friend and fellow Cricket Without Boundaries volunteer Jhon Cosgrove (@pickledjhon on social media).

We talk to Jhon about his love of running going from a reluctant jogger to a sub 3 hour marathon obsessive. We discuss the benefits of parkrun, how his new habit has helped his mental health and his positive use of social media. We also explore the particular benefits of individual sports versus our more familiar territory of team pursuits.

Jhon also joins us for a slightly irreverent quiz on running - will he be able to beat out the regulars quizzers Sara and Lee?

We would love to hear from others who have used running to help their health, or if you have any general questions or comments, you can get in touch with us on:

Twitter: @goodsportscast
Instagram: @goodsportscast
Facebook: facebook.com/goodsportscast
Email: info@goodsportscast.org.uk

Our upcoming episodes will be focusing more on hearing the personal stories who have lived and breathed sport for social good. We've got some exciting stories in the pipeline!

As always please review, rate and subscribe on your preferred platform and enjoy the pod!

Rwanda Special Aug 29, 2019

Reporting “from the field”, this episode of the Good Sports Podcast features interviews recorded during a recent Cricket Without Boundaries project to Rwanda. Lee was in country with a volunteer team from Leeds Trinity University, after travelling to Huye and Giterama the team returned to Kigali and were lucky to deliver several sessions at the Gahanga Stadium.

A big thank you to Vero, Mary, Audifax, Parfait and Eric for taking time away from the cricket to chat about their cricketing journey and how cricket is helping to change lives in Rwanda.

Featured organisations:

Rwanda Cricket Association
Rwanda Cricket Association is the official governing body of the sport of cricket in Rwanda. The RCA is Rwanda's representative at the International Cricket Council and is an affiliate member and has been a member of that body since 2003. It is also a member of the African Cricket Association.

https://twitter.com/RwaCricketAssoc

Cricket Builds Hope
Cricket Builds Hope is the successor organisation to the Rwanda Cricket Stadium Foundation (RCSF), which was founded in 2011 to build the country’s first proper cricket ground - the Gahanga Cricket Stadium.

https://www.cricketbuildshope.org/

Cricket Without Boundaries
Cricket Without Boundaries works with partners around the world to grow the game of cricket, while using the sport as a platform for health education and social change. It is run almost entirely by the dedication and enthusiasm of its volunteers. Founded in 2005, CWB is one of the world's leading cricket development charities. http://cricketwithoutboundaries.com/

Finally, a reminder to get in touch! We’d love to hear from you. Drop us a message via email info@goodsportscast.org.uk or tweet us via @goodsportscast

Sport and Sustainability Aug 01, 2019

In this month's episode, we discuss the challenges and opportunities for sport to contribute towards tackling climate change.

We kick off with Sara giving us the run down of the latest news stories in the world of Sport for Development.

The main part of the pod is an interview with Lew Blaustein, creator of the Green Sports Blog. Dave chatted to Lew about his journey in sport for development, where sport is making a difference in environmental matters, the challenges of sport and what the future holds.

The pod then discuss their views on opportunities and challenges, for instance how does the globalisation of sport and sport for development align with climate change messaging?

Finally we return to the quiz, where Lee is 11-6 down to Sara, with a tough quiz on sport and sustainability. The links supporting the questions are below:

As always a massive thanks for listening, please hit the subscribe button and share on social media. All reviews and subscriptions make a massive difference.

Please do get in touch with us with your thoughts and questions. Also if there are any topics you think we should be focussing on, please get in touch via the methods below.

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Thanks and see you next month!

eSports for Development? Jun 07, 2019

In Episode 20, we look at Esports and their contribution to sport for development.

We kick off with a news round up from Sara, summing up some of the latest stories from the world of sport for development.

Our main interview is with Richard Loat, a sport for development consultant with a focus on Esports and founder of @esportsforchange.

He spoke to Dave on the Esports growth, how it can contribute to social good and the challenges around this The pod then chew over Esports, the challenges and the opportunities. Our recent twitter call out showed that there were strong nostalgic memories for many people regarding sport and video games, but can it be a positive force for social change and if so how does it do that?

Finally, we have we have the latest installment of the quiz, on Esports of course. Can Lee or Sara win out in a head to head battle on Esport facts.

As always we would love to hear from you so please get in touch in the usual ways:

- Twitter: @goodsportscast
- Instagram: @goodsportscast
- Facebook: @goodsportscast
- Email: info@goodsportcast.org.uk

Please do rate, review and subscribe on your podcast platform of choice and make sure you tell all your friends! If there is an issue or topic you would like us to discuss, please drop us a line.

Supporting the supporters May 15, 2019

In Episode 19, the Good Sports look at the health and wellbeing of sports fans.

The Sport Insider Pod kick off the episode showcasing their excellent podcast.

The interview this episode is with Dr Matthew Philpott Executive Director of Healthy Stadia, European Healthy Stadia Network. Matthew and Sara explore a range of topics including fans initiatives, corporate responsibility and the future of healthy stadia.

Following on from this, the Good Sports debate the role and responsibilities of sports in promoting healthy behaviours. Should tighter regulation be employed or is education the key?

Finally, the quiz is based on this report from Health Stadia. Who will win this episodes quiz between Sara and Lee? As always we would love to hear from you so please get in touch in the usual ways:

- Twitter: @goodsportscast
- Instagram: @goodsportscast
- Facebook: @goodsportscast
- Email: info@goodsportcast.org.uk

Please do rate, review and subscribe on your podcast platform of choice and make sure you tell all your friends! If there is an issue or topic you would like us to discuss, please drop us a line.

Conferences and delivery Apr 15, 2019

In this month's episode we digest the recent activity by the Good Sports team both in the conference halls and the delivery field.

Firstly, we hear from Simon Lansley from ConnectSport who gives us the latest news from the world of Sport for Development.

We then hear from Paralympian and passionate Sport for Development advocate Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson DBE who Sara caught up with at the recent Bond Conference. Sara also caught up with Tobias Smith from the Bond Sport and Dev Group and Benji Sundblad from Tackle Africa. Sara then talks through her perceptions of the conference and how Sport and Development was received by the wider International Development community.

Dave has also attended a conference recently, as he was at the SportforDevelopment Coalition event hosted by Twitter UK. We hear about how Sport and Development can break into the mainstream and whether its possible to articulate the work that many organisations are doing in this space under the umbrella of well-being.

Meanwhile, Lee has actually been out in the field delivering, as he has spent two weeks in Uganda with Cricket Without Boundaries. Isaac from Family Spirit sums up the trip better than any of the Good Sports can, but we have a go at understanding the learnings and challenges from the trip.

Finally, the traditional format of the quiz returns as Lee, 4-10 down to Sara, looks to start his fightback. This month the quiz focuses on sporting language as a nod to the recent International Day of Sport for Development and Peace.

As always we would love to hear from you so please get in touch in the usual ways:

- Twitter: @goodsportscast
- Instagram: @goodsportscast
-Facebook: @goodsportscast
- Email: info@goodsportcast.org.uk

Please do rate, review

#BalanceforBetter Mar 08, 2019

As March 8th is International Women's Day, we have dedicated an episode looking at theme of the day, gender balance.

Firstly we hear from the I think She's Offside Podcast, exploring all things women in sports. You can follow them on twitter here.

As usual ConnectSport's Simon Lansley talks us through the latest in the world of Sport for Development.

The pod then gets in to the issue of gender balance in Sport. Dave gives his perspective from working with older people and physical activity. Lee and Sara reflect on their time coaching with Cricket Without Boundaries and how gender balance has played an increasing part in delivery, while Sara highlights the work of Parivartan for Girls, using Kabaddi to challenge ideas of what spaces are suitable for girls.

Sara speaks to Hannah from Mini Mermaid UK, a running club dedicated to improve the confidence of women and girls.

We also hear from the women and girls involved in Lee's Nepal project with Connecting Clubs from last year on how cricket is being used to address gender imbalance.

Finally, Sara takes the reins for a one-off quiz, testing Lee and Dave on their knowledge of female participation in Olympics, with suprising and shocking results. Her quiz is based on this IOC report.

As always, please rate, review and subscribe, it really does help us pick up new listeners.

We always want to hear from people with questions, challenges and ideas. You can get in touch with us via:

Twitter - @goodsportscast
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Or email on info@goodsportscast.org.uk

Thanks for listening!

Sport and human rights Feb 19, 2019

In Episode 16, we explore the role of sport and human rights.

We kick off with brief word from Rob Arnott, who hosts the Sport and Recreation Podcast, well worth a listen!

Next, we hear from Simon Lansley of ConnectSport, who takes us through the latest news from the world of Sport for Development.

Our main interview is with Minky Worden (@minkyshighjinks) Director of Global Initiatives at Human Rights Watch. She spoke to us about the impact Sport has had on human rights, through mega sporting events to funding for sport for development projects.

The pod digest the interview and highlight the link between elite and grassroots sports, how does the failings of the former impact the delivery of the latter? Finally, we finish off with the traditional quiz. Will Lee gain some ground or will Sara go to a commanding 10-4 lead? The quiz explores some of the initiatives using sports for the advancement of human rights including:

Yuwa
The Fare Network
Sport Inclusion Network
Climbaid
Teqball in Jordan
Berlin Kickt

Our next episode will be celebrating International Women's Day by focusing on the role of sport for development for women and girls worldwide. If you've got any inspiring stories or case studies please get in touch via the usual means:

Twitter - @goodsportscast
Instagram - @goodsportscast
Email - info@goodsportscast.org.uk

As always please rate and review, it really helps us grow and spread the good work of sports for development. Thanks for listening!

Dreaming big in 2019 Jan 15, 2019

Happy New Year to everyone, here’s to a happy and prosperous 2019.

Starting 2019 on a positive note, our first podcast of the year looks at what sport for development people are excited about for this year.

Before we jump into that, we first hear from Carl Ferguson from Cricket Without Boundaries, a charity we are all passionate about, who gives us the lowdown on the latest volunteering opportunities.

We then hand it over to Simon Lansley from ConnectSport for a round up of the latest news in sport for development.

We got in touch with some familiar voices from 2018 to hear about whats in the pipeline for 2019 and what can we expect from the sector as a whole. There’s an exciting mix of new projects, interactions with with other sectors and new ways of contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals.

Sara and Lee preview their year, which features more cricket coaching with different social focus, new self-testing HIV projects and setting up of two more women’s clubs in Liverpool.

We talk about our desire (and several of the contributors) to see sport for development take the next step, proving its worth to people in health and social care, prisons, education etc to become the properly funded and respected discipline that we believe it should be.

Finally, the quiz continues with Sara 8-4 up over Lee. In this episodes the quiz focuses on the big sporting events in 2019, will Lee claw some points back or will Sara continue as she left off in 2018?

As always a massive thanks for listening, please hit the subscribe button and share on social media. All reviews and subscriptions make a massive difference.

Next months episode will look at sport and its contribution to human rights. We want to hear from projects working in this field about the benefits, challenges and the future of the work. Please get in touch via:

Twitter – @goodsportscast
Instagram – @goodsportscast
Email – info@goodsportscast.co.uk

Harlequins Rugby Foundation Dec 18, 2018

In this episode we hear from ConnectSport’s Simon Lansley on the latest in the Sport for Development sector. Lee and Sara then talk us through their respective travels. Lee has been in Jordan and is going to Nepal to coach cricket for social purpose. Sara has been in Malawi with the Liverpool FC project and is off to Tanzania to continue her monotoring and evaluation work as well coaching. The main event is an interview with Head of the Harlequins Rugby Club foundation, Marc Leckie. Marc talks through women’s rugby, cross sport colloboration and monitoring evaluation. You can find out more about the work of the foundation here, http://www.harlequins.foundation and follow Marc on twitter on @marcleckie We then have the last quiz of 2018 with a game of higher or lower. The stats are taken from the taking part survey which combines three themes of the pod, child’s sports, creative activities and legacies of mega event. But who will be the victor? As usual please do share and subcribe to the pod, it all helps. All ratings and feedback gladly received, as well as your questions, comments and thoughts. Get in touch with us through info@goodsportscast.org.uk or on twitter @goodsportscast.

Never too late - Sport and Development for older people Nov 12, 2018

The pod is one person down, as Sara is off in Malawi on her monitoring and evaluation trip. However, she has made time to phone in and give us an update on her work so far. Next we hear from Colin Milner, CEO and Founder of the International Council on Active Ageing. ICAA's mission is to promote Active Aging as a solution to improving the quality of life for older adult. We speak to Colin about the missed opportunity of not properly segmenting the older people audience, how physical activity can ensure older people are engaged in life and some good practice examples from around the globe. You can follow Colin on twitter here - @colinmilner. Then we hear from Tony Jameson-Allen, CEO and Founder of Sporting Memories. This is a UK based initiative to encourage older people especially those living with dementia to use sport as a tool for reminiscence. The sessions also now include physical activity as well. We discuss with Tony some of the challenges of measuring progress, how the sessions work and also the efforts to increase knowledge and understanding of how to ensure events are dementia friendly. We would also like to congratulate Sporting Memories for being shortlisted for the Sports Journalist Associations 'Sport for Social Change' award. You can follow Tony on twitter here - @tja_evonet Lee and Dave then discuss their views on the interviews and their experience in this field. Clearly, there's a huge opportunity with an inactive population, but also a population that has many demographic subsets that require an analytical approach. Potentially, it's not quite as glamorous as working with children, but there are huge benefits of sport and development to both the individuals and easing the strain on health and social care systems. Finally, we would love to hear from projects who are working with groups of older adults. How do you attract different groups, how do you maintain participation and what hints and tips do you have? Please get in touch via the usual ways below: Twitter - @goodsportscast Instagram @goodsportscast Email - info@goodsportcast.org.uk Lee is off on a couple of very exciting sports and development projects in Jordan and Nepal so our schedule might be a bit erratic in the lead up to Christmas, but we will be bringing you updates from the field soon. As always thanks for listening!

I don't like cricket, I Love it. Oct 31, 2018

In Episode 12, we explore how one of our shared passions, cricket and how it can be used for social development. The episode kicks off with an update on the latest Sport and Development stories from ConnectSport‘s Simon Lansley (@simonlansley). We then hear about Sara’s trip to Kenya with Cricket Without Boundaries. The pod then discuss the pros and cons of cricket as a tool for development including: How can the technical nature of the game be harnessed for good? Is the complicated nature of the game and the equipment an issue? How can it be used for gender equality? The interviews this episode are Richard Joyce, Richard Darwin and Vanessa Greene from UK cricket charity Chance 2 Shine. Finally, the quiz this week features five cricket charities which Lee and Sara have to guess from their descriptions.

Creativity and Learning Oct 02, 2018

In Episode 11, we take a look back at what we’ve learned so far on the pod, hear from Create Chief Executive Nicky Goulder and the quiz returns. Also for the first time, we record the (majority of) the podcast in person as the whole team are at the Cricket Without Boundaries training weekend. As we spoke about on the last episode, there is still time to volunteer with the charity in 2019, just go to cricketwithoutboundaries.com/volunteer We’d love to hear from you about anything Sport and Development related; if you have an idea, a news item, a question, or want to join us for a chat, get in touch on Twitter @goodsportscast or email info@goodsportscast.org.uk or visit our website www.goodsportscast.org.uk

Coaches Across Continents Sep 05, 2018

This week on the Good Sports Podcast the team ran through some news items that had caught our eye in the last few weeks, then we interview Jordan Stephenson from Coaches Across Continents, and conclude with a quiz about the Beyond Sport Awards. We’d love to hear from you about anything Sport and Development related; if you have an idea, a news item, a question, or want to join us for a chat, get in touch on Twitter @goodsportscast or email info@goodsportscast.org.uk or visit our website www.goodsportscast.org.uk

Perfect Partnerships: Cakes, Clowns and Powerpuff Girls Aug 14, 2018

This episode focuses on partnerships, which are a Sustainable Development Goal and also key in increasing the impact in Sport for Development. We spoke to the founders of Philanthropy Playmakers, Erica Prosser and Eric Shainock about their organisation. Founded in 2016, Philanthropy Playmakers provides resources for the sports philanthropy industry and those who see sports as a change agent for social good. Their work is largely in the USA but are looking at international expansion. You can follow them on twitter at @philplaymakers We also spoke to Sarah Mortiboys, the lead of the Sport for Development coalition, funded by Comic Relief. Find out more about the coalitions work and how it is bring partners together from across the Sport for Development sector to create a movement. You can follow Sarah on @sarahmortiboys1

Sport has the power to change the world Jul 18, 2018

In this episode, on the 100th Anniversary of Nelson Mandela’s birth, we’re looking at the history of sport, sport for development, and the key figures in the development of the field. We explore where organised sport came from, how sport and development went from a UN and national government led enterprise to a civil society driven field, and those key civil society figures who put the field on the map. As always, we enjoyed another quiz, this week on famous Laureus ambassadors. And finally, we heard from a few of our past guests on what Sport for Development means to them. Finally, a reminder to get in touch! We’d love to hear from you. Drop us a message via email info@goodsportscast.org.uk or tweet us via @goodsportscast and don’t forget to subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

The Beautiful Game and Lasting Legacies Jul 09, 2018

We’ve got World Cup fever this week at the Good Sports Podcast; as the men’s football World Cup rolls into its final week we’re looking at both the use of football for good and how, or indeed if, mega international sporting events can be leveraged to secure a positive social legacy. First up we have a series of interviews with a variety of organisations that are using football to change people’s lives. Dave spoke with community organisations, journalists and a programme leader to help bring together a picture of the power of “the beautiful game”. We’d love to hear from you about anything Sport and Development related; if you have an idea, a news item, a question, or want to join us for a chat, get in touch on Twitter @goodsportscast or email info@goodsportscast.org.uk or visit our website www.goodsportscast.org.uk

Sports United Down Under Jun 21, 2018

Lee has returned from a Cricket Without Boundaries project with students from Leeds Trinity to Rwanda. We have been busy during this break, as we are now working in partnership with two great Sport and Development organisations: SportandDev and ConnectSport. Please check out both organisation for a wealth of information on the sector. Big thanks to Simon Lansley for making this happen. Sports United We talked to Richard and Emma, the people behind Sports United. This Sport and Development organisation started in the University of South Australia but is now working with different communities all over Australia.

“The stuff of life”, Mental Health Awareness week May 21, 2018

Last week in the UK was Mental Health Awareness week, and the Good Sports took the opportunity to find out about a couple of initiatives close to home that are using sport to address mental health in their communities. Meet the Good Sports Sara, Lee and Dave are The Good Sports. Sport and development enthusiasts, they were brought together through their involvement with charity Cricket Without Boundaries. The trio have learnt a lot over the years, but the more they learnt, the more they realised there was to know. The idea for the podcast was formed: speak to other practitioners and experts in the field and start opening up discussions about sport, development, and how they interact. We’d love to hear from you about anything Sport and Development related; if you have an idea, a news item, a question, or want to join us for a chat, get in touch on Twitter @goodsportscast or email info@goodsportscast.org.uk or visit our website www.goodsportscast.org.uk

Jordan Special May 10, 2018

Reporting “from the field”, this episode of the Good Sports Podcast features interviews from UNHCR, Right to Play, Cricket Without Boundaries and Equal Playing Fields, looking at how sport is contributing to addressing challenges of refugee integration and gender equality in Jordan. Lee and Sara spent 5 days in the country in late April delivering a pilot project for Cricket Without Boundaries, and the organisations featured here worked alongside the project team to deliver a joined-up and sustainable programme. We’d love to hear from you about anything Sport and Development related; if you have an idea, a news item, a question, or want to join us for a chat, get in touch on Twitter @goodsportscast or email info@goodsportscast.org.uk or visit our website www.goodsportscast.org.uk

Changing the role of coaches Apr 20, 2018

In this episode of the Good Sports Podcast we discuss the use of exploitative imagery in fundraising campaigns, politics in sport and in particular the Commonwealth Games, and the role of sport in tackling low levels of physical activity in populations. Dave then chats with Paul Caccamo, Founder and CEO of Up2Us Sports, and covers topics including how the organisation works, engaging with donors and others to highlight the positive role sport can play in people’s psychosocial development, how they recruit, develop and train coaches, and the growth of sport and development as a field in the USA. We finish with our classic quiz, which this episode focuses on the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace.

Scoring Goals for Sport and Development Mar 30, 2018

In this first full episode of the Good Sports Podcast we’re talking goals: Sustainable Development Goals and Tackle Africa’s football and development goals. Join us as we look at how the Sustainable Development Goals can link to sport, where the opportunities lie and what the challenges are, then listen in on Dave’s chat with Tackle Africa CEO Charlie Gamble as they discuss his personal journey in sport and development, what Tackle Africa are doing, and where their next steps lie. Finally, play along with our inaugural quiz and learn a bit more about other sport and development organisations.

Introducing The Good Sports Podcast: “on your marks, get set...” Mar 19, 2018

In this mini episode us "Good Sports" (Sara, Dave and Lee) introduce ourselves, our backgrounds, what brought us to starting the Good Sports, and what we're hoping to get out of the podcast.

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