Team GB, What got us here.....

Team GB's Squad Day 2 was another full day for me, the support team and of course the 40+ handlers in this years squad.

We had two jumping and two agility courses arranged for the squad all based on a typical international theme. Overall the squad handled these courses very well. Of course there are some seasoned international handlers in the team that you would expect nothing less of, and some people relatively new to the scene who did remarkable well.

Over the last few days I've received feedback, which I've asked for and am very grateful for. Why would I want feedback, surely that's an open invitation to criticism....

Well as we keep being told the world is changing, in fact its changing quicker now than it's ever done, we need to change with it. How does this effect agility? 

In 2009 when I was in the EO Team in The Netherlands I don't remember having Facebook, Twitter, Blogs or anything like the social media we have today. News travels fast, information is cheap, knowledge is easy to find. How does this effect agility?

For Team GB to keep up with or ahead of the competition we need to keep moving our knowledge and learning. We need to be innovative, forward thinking and definitely not standing still. Have a read of the book 'what got you here won't get you there' you'll get the picture. How does this effect Team GB?

What we're trying with the squad process, assessments, performance weekend, etc.. is new and different. It's new to me, the support team, the handlers and I guess the wider agility community are watching with interest too.

The idea of being assessed maybe a difficult one for the squad to grasp. Trying to understand assessment (in this process) is not about who wins, who gets 5 faults, who goes fastest, who gets eliminated. So what is it about?

What assessment is about is: demonstrating commitment to the squad; enthusiasm and a willingness to learn; taking part & joining in; supportive to each other; being able to really 'pull the stops out' when required; being a tactician; having the skills in all areas of agility, not just being able to run fast; etc.. etc...This is a big change for Team GB and one I believe will take us there......and beyond.

Thanks to everyone who has helped with these squad days. Behind the scenes there are over 15 people, sponsors ( KC, CSJ and First Contact, NTU, Euro tunnel, Agility 1st) who all help to pull these days together and support Team GB. It definitely is a team effort



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