News
Team RAGE! Tuesday 9th March
Hello all you polo legends,
Next Tuesday we'll be doing a team RAGE tournament as a bit of a warm up for the Warwick tournament.
Teams will be A, B, C, Ladies, Old.
Handicaps will be arranged to even up the games.
A sign up will go up on the website shortly, please sign up before Monday if you want to take part.
I know that whenever I propose a team RAGE with handicaps some people look as if I've just proposed urinating on their leg. Those with the Dunkirk spirit think "Ha, I will use my handicap to try and put the willies up the opposition and most of all I will learn from the experience, after all I won't be playing against teams like this in the real competition!". Having spent 6 years of university previous to a couple of BUSA bronzes losing everything, I can tell you that losing is character building. If you don't like losing, either do something about it, or get over it!
Get signing up!
G
Our Tournament and BUCS
Signups are up for our tournament (Sunday 14th March) 
Training on Tuesday
Evening all,
Training this Tuesday will be on breaks, where your team regains possession and attackers quickly break free to receive a long pass and score. Same as usual, first two sets of people on the pitch do training followed by a game.
The drill I would like to do is here: http://www.warwickcanoe.co.uk/site/polotraining/poloskills#breakdrill . Please let me know if you find anything you think is wrong.
This should involve lots of sprinting, shooting and passing and hopefully we'll get good enough at it to have minimum sitting around!
Hopefully see you all tomorrow,
G
Real Ale
That's right folks, it's that time of year again So Thursday 4th March (week 8) we shall ALL be going to the copper rooms for the return of the Real Ale Festival featuring the legendary Dr Busker! Doors open at 6pm, but we shall meet there at 7:30 (I need time to eat dinner!) Once again: Thurs week 8, Copper Rooms, 7:30 It's THE social of this term so don't miss out! (You are of course more than welcome to get there early, or indeed go to the festival for the other two nights it is ruuning. In fact I recommend that you do!) Happy Drinking xx
General Training
Hello there!
Not many weeks of me inflicting my dubious coaching on you left now! Thought I'd write a general e-mail of some stuff.
If you have been intrigued by the miniscule amount of training we have done and would like to learn more, the pages I wrote here are a start: http://www.warwickcanoe.co.uk/site/polotraining/home/ . They contain stuff on basic paddling, ball skills, training drills, strength/power/flexibility training, tactics, fitness training. Why not have a go!? If you are wondering where to start, I would go for basic paddling skills and core strength (particularly rotation), the latter seems to help the first a lot.
I hope the training yesterday was of some use! During the run through of the corner set piece we were certainly seeing results. Unfortunately there weren't as many opportunitiespresent or taken to score nice goals like that in the real games! Still as more general points to take away:
-If you are running in to shoot, do soon a route where there are no defenders marking you.
-Almost every spectacular looking goal is made by good passes from other players, and a good clearing of a gap by other players, the shooter just finishes it off. Give and take credit to/as a team!
-Don't be afraid to be the one who initiates a bit of team work during a game or especially at the start. If you get on the pitch and have a little discussion of what you're going to do, you might enjoy building some sort of game plan and executing it more than ignoring your friends and participating in what I would consider to be a demoralising free for all.
-Channel your inner rage into your effort levels and your concentration, not your mouth!
Glad the sprinting was of use too (not my idea, can't claim credit for that).
This e-mail has been long and emotional. I might go and run a couple of kittens through a wood chipper to make myself feel more manly again.
G
Let's get SOCIAL(s)!!!
A short but informative email/news post... 1) Week 8 - REAL ALE! An event not to be missed! For 3 nights a year only...look out for an email from Mofo shortly telling you all you need to know about anything. 2) Week 9 (Wednesday) - Warwick Canoe's first ever FILM NIGHT! Brought to you by your loving social secretaries. You will be treated to an evening of entertainment involving...a kayak movie!....a non-kayak-related movie!....domino's (at your expense, not ours, we're not that loving). This spectacle will most likely take place in the maths department, but destination to be confirmed. Time will be pm, again, probable from 7pm onwards (so leam training is defo on the cards if you're up for that). Requires sign up. 3) Week 10 (Thursday) - End of term / pre-tour COCKTAIL night! See the term out with a bang, let's get pissed and have a wicked time. Definitely requires sign up. Time: to be posted nearer the time. Place: dependent upon numbers, but at my house in Leamington Spa. I live in central Leamington, behind the church. I will send out the precise address in an email in week 9 containing all the other important details to those who have signed up. Cost: £5 - to cover spirits and mixers. This must be paid in advance, preferably at the film night in week 9. [ Disclaimer: As usual, drinking at socials is not compulsory, soft drinks are welcomed with open arms (though good luck with real ALE and the COCKTAIL night). ] Jen & Mofo xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Tuesday training
Right my pedigree chums,
This Tuesday will be similar to last Tuesday, where we have a go at a set piece attack, before more games. This time it will be slightly different, and take place from a corner.
Please read this before the session:
http://www.warwickcanoe.co.uk/site/polotraining/tactics#setpiece2
If not you will fall foul of my inept explanations of what makes sense inside my head!
Once again, beginning to sound boring, please turn up on time, but preferably a bit early to help set up goals and get gear out.
Want it, be the one,
G
Canoe Hoodies
Hey everybody!
The day you have waited for is finally here, and you can order yourself a canoe hoody to parade around in.
The cost will be a miniscule £23 (a whole £2 cheaper than the polo hoodies, not that it's a competition or anything). They will come in the following 4 colours, of which you may pick just one.
- Navy
- Cornflower
- Candy
- Lime
You can see the colour chart at http://www.admdirect.co.uk/product.aspx?id=3805
So, you say, how do I get myself one of these hoodies? Simples!
1) Signup at http://warwickcanoe.co.uk/site/trips/trip/143/
2) Email me (secretary@warwickcanoe.co.uk) with your size, colour, and desired name.
3) Pay myself or smacrass via cheque or cash.
You have until monday evening next week to signup, email me and pay me. Cheques should be payable to UWSU, and cash is also good. Give it to me or Smacrass, and if you can't find me/him, email me and we'll sort something out.
Your always-humble secretary
Steve
I wish they called it Foundation Aptitude and Rescue Training.
This may be pretty premature, but women the world over won't be surprised with that coming from me, so here goes.
POSSIBLE TRAINING THINGS HAPPENING AT SOME POINT MAYBE
Trying to organise a couple training days with the leam boat centre before easter tour. Don't have dates yet, but should be during the weekend, and I know none of you lazy layabouts are doing any work.
Hopefully we will be able to organise an afternoon of ropes/pinning training, as well as a full day's FSRT training. For those of you who don't know what that means, it stands for Foundation Safety and Rescue Training. For those of you who don't know what that means, welcome to the club.
Shouldn't require too much expereince, and would be very helpful, especially for those going on tour. Prices are dependent on number, but we will be getting a discount from the boat centre as well as being able to claim some back from various training subsidies, so looks like it could work out very cheap.
So, boys and girls, maybe PGL's impressive rope skills have awakened a long dormant knot and bondage fetish in you? Perhaps you need to learn a few rescue tricks so that when that ruggedly handsome coach you've had your eye on gets in to a bit of trouble you can be the hero and steal him away? It's even possible you might just want to make use of a really good opportunity to develop your canoe skills for a fantastic price, though personally I reckon this is far less likely than that madly in love with the coach option.
Whatever the reason, an idea of numbers would be very helpful, so anyone interested should definitely make some noise.
And just to cover my ass, no promises! Whilst we're doing our best, there's no a huge amount of time left, and this whole idea could very well just end abruptly and anticlimatically, with no warning or explanation, and leaving everyone involved very dissappointed. I think I hear the sounds of unsurprised women again....
Tuesday Polo Training!!
Evening all!
This Tuesday, we're going to continue the training theme, and try a set piece attack that I've called 'Clear-out', seems a good a name as any, and since I'm making them up, live to love it or... else? Explanation found on the training pages at the link below:
http://www.warwickcanoe.co.uk/site/polotraining/tactics#setpiece1
Please read this before the session so you have a head start when I try and explain through my crippled jaw.
As always, please turn up a bit early to help set up. I would like to start as close to 19:15 as possible so we can fit in as many games as possible, on top of the training.
G raham