Contributors
Sparky
Background
Here is some infomation about all of my brothers and sisters, and some more about how we are going to become champions!!
Imagination Our Nation
Diversity, Collaboration, Passion, Celebration, Conversation
Imagination Our Nation is a collaborative, national, participatory arts project, which uses
art to explore the changing world and how communities can positively embrace the future.
It is a national conversation about innovation and change, engaging with the youth of
today and encouraging them to become champions, to achieve their personal best and to
fulfill their potential, whatever that may be.
The aim is to leave a legacy of ownership, engagement, collaboration and acceptance of
change, to create a voice for change, by engaging the youth of today as the citizens of the
future.
In 2009, 23 partners engaged over 9,000 participants, and 17 champions appeared at 57
events reaching an audience of over 3 million across the UK; Imagination Our Nation has
also won the Cultural Olympiad Inspire Mark two years running.
Meet Sparky – The Medway Champion
In 2009 Sparky, the Medway Champion took his first steps into the world as part of the
FUSE Medway Festival, waking up from his custom built pod on Chatham High Street.
Since then Sparky has visited a multitude of schools, community groups, festivals and
events and has made quite an impression. Much of the puppet action was captured on
camera by a team of film-makers who filmed the events to give a champion's eye view of
Medway. Sparky has been cared for and nurtured by local artists Wendy Daws, Ciaran
Mckay and a team of students from the University of Kent at Medway. He was given his
name by pupils at St Peter’s Primary School.
How can we get involved?
In 2010 Sparky is looking for lots of people to tell him more about Medway, he is still quite
young and learning all the time. He wants to know more about the people who live in the
area and find out what makes them tick. Sparky wants you to tell him what he should
become a champion of.
There are three ways in which you can meet Sparky:
1. Sparky can visit your school / organisation for a whole day and meet everyone.
2. Sparky can visit your school / organisation for a half day or shorter session and
meet one specific group.
3. You can give Sparky a home for a longer period of time where you will be able
to work with him and create a short performance for the Performance Relay
which will take place as part of the FUSE Medway Festival on 12 June in
Chatham.
Where can I find out more information?
www.imaginationournation.co.uk
www.fusefestival.org.uk
www.facebook.com/people/Sparky-Champion
Normal 0 false false false EN-GB X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4
The Mind of a Champion
Start with Pierre De Coubertin’s vision
‘It was upon the valour of the youth that the freedom of the city would ultimately depend’
Training the mind was combined with the harmonious development of the body
The five rings symbolise the union of the five continents coming together to celebrate the festival of the human spirit in an international gathering to foster mutual understanding between peoples. The five colours were chosen from among those which appear at least once on the flags of every country in the world.
All success is the fruit of a long personal journey. In every journey there is a hidden part and it is this part that most often builds the talent of a champion
The Mind makes a Champion – their journey is..
A path made of emotion
Patient hours of solitude, of passion, of constraints, of pleasure but also suffering
Whilst dreaming his goals, a champion learns to overcome the obstacles, the doubts and disappointments which are part of his search, he builds himself mentally
Like the body the mind needs to be trained
There are three stages of the journey – Motivation Preparation Creation,
MOTIVATION (FASCINATION)
The word motivation has its origin in the latin term ‘motus’ meaning movement. Motivation is what drives athletes, what sets them in motion, what serves as their motor. There are different types of motivation, ranging from the simple pleasure of carrying out a specific gesture to a driving desire to climb the steps of the victory podium
It all starts with desire, the decision to begin
This can be motivated by a multitude of reasons, combining passion, dreams, the wish to excel, to be recognised, or be part of the whole, the spirit of exploration
Motivation is an essential internal component of a champion, it forms the space where each person devises their projects and returns in order to rebuild his mental strength, relight his flame and keep in tact his desire to do better.
Internal motivation stems from ambition, enthusiasm, desire for self – improvement
Allow oneself to dream the impossible
BUILD ON YOUR AMBITIONS
Initial enthusiasm –what is the trigger? Do you have a childhood dream you cherish. Play and Discovery. Is it a desire for glory, a drive for excellence. Build on your ambition. Behind any project there is a dream
This is an indispensable driving element , the dream allows us to plan ahead
Those with big plans are generally great idealists. Most often what marks out exceptional men and women is having been able to discover and cultivate their dream
The strength of those who go far is imagining where they want to go without necessarily knowing how they will
get there (…that’s exactly me in terms of ION!!! And I believe the same for all of us artists with ambitious ideas)
DREAM OF RECOGNITION
Athletes may find motivation in the eyes of their support group or of their fellow countrymen. Wearing a team’s colours, feeling the warm admiration of fans or the pride of representing one’s country can be a real driving force.
And you, what kind of recognition do you need to keep progressing?
Some champions are focused on a desire that exceeds their individual motivation
IDENTIFY YOUR MOTIVATIONS
Motivations vary from one athlete to another. Athletes are distinguished by their daring, by their spirit of adventure, their quest for the extreme. Their convictions drive them to explore, to push back the limits.
Mohammed Ali ‘ Champions aren’t made in gyms, champions are made from something they have deep within them, a desire, a dream , a vision’
What is your dream? Seeking excellence, sharing an experience or living out a passion.
‘Man needs passion in order to live’ Eric Tabarly (France) sailing
How do you fuel your dream?
GIVE MEANING TO YOUR ACTIONS
The desire for emancipation
Through sport, certain athletes are able to remove themselves – albeit perhaps temporarily- from a situation where they are disadvantaged or suffer discrimination, and to make a stand for their rights.
Their will to go further is founded on a cause that they defend, they are committed to a fight in which the stakes exceed those in a sporting competition
More than winning, their objective is to be heard on these matters
This unshakeable desire is a remarkable motivation, but it can also place the athlete under very great pressure
Eg Muslim Women who strive to become champions..’I think I am trying to fight for modernism” Hassiba Boulmerka (Algeria, athletics)
REACHING BEYOND YOUR HORIZONS
Athletes who choose to develop their sporting career must give up a lot of other activities. Such ‘sacrifices’ may sometimes seem too restrictive and can become real limits to progress or to the evolution of a career.
Launching out in a new different career or quest involves choices and sacrifices and requires a person to free himself from different fears
Whilst remaining true to himself the athlete/artist who sets himself a goal has to place himself in new situations where his previous reference points are no longer sufficient
He has to view changes as a necessary and logical evolution and be prepared to make sacrifices.
In this stage between dream and its realisation he therefore needs to refocus on his motivation and overcome that which is stopping him from going further
Jesse Ownes 1936
“ I am afraid of losing my friends’
I am learning to find motivation in confrontation
I am building my future
“victory belongs to those that take risks’ Jean-Claude Killy (France Skiing)
PREPARATION (2010 Adolescent puppets?)
Athletes complete their physical, technical and tactical preparation with mental training. They must determine their objective and decide on the means necessary to achieve their goal, whilst putting into place the different strategies they require to cope with the mental rigours of competition
‘one of the key issues to success is self-confidence. And one of the keys to self-confidence is preparation’ Artur Ash (USA tennis)
An athlete goes into training. He builds up a rock solid state of mind to transform his dream into reality
Stages..in the making of a champion
Apprenticeship
Talent development
Discipline
Generosity in effort
Repetition, intensity, determination
Fixing concrete objectives
A will to seek opportunities
Managing strengths and weaknesses
Building an identity
Cultivating differences
Making exceptional decisions
Surpassing oneself
(all the things as creators of ION we will have to do too!)
START A REVOLUTION!
The pioneer spirit..where am I going?
In order to progress, athletes must constantly question their techniques and strategies. It is this process which allows them to innovate, to move towards victory..and sometimes even to revolutionise their discipline.
And you, do you ever question the way things are done?
What could I do to improve myself, what do I need to do to get to the next stage?
A champion is defined by his/her thirst for self-awareness, he/she constantly innovates and seeks new stimuli for his passion. Never afraid to ask questions.
Need to stand out from the crowd and make headway.
Find a method TRICKSTER style
Must continually reject accepted truths and demonstrate a pioneering, exploring spirit
Indeed, the perfect movement- the ultimate aim of their quest is a creation which is subject to constant self-searching
ASSESS YOUR PREDISPOSITIONS
Build your identity
In order to gain respect or to build up their personality, athletes create an omage for themselves. They have to find their styles, their ‘thing’, the attititude that will see them through moments of pressure.
They have to work out how to capitalise on their potential.
And you, what are your strengths and what are your weaknesses?
An athletes needs to define the qualities that he wishes to cultivate and find the right scenario to get the best from them.
Analyse one’s strengths and weaknesses. Develop one’s differences, use them and defend them.
AIM FOR THE UNCOMMON
Dare to be different, to be the rebel personality and exploit the thing that makes them original in order to build a strong identity.
Have the ability to make people to believe that you doubt nothing.
Exceptional goals – lead to exceptional decisions – demands exceptional constraints.
- Discipline – creates the framework which allows individual qualities to shine through in the optimimum way. The more the framework is strict and rigorous, the more the mind is cleared and the more it becomes possible to express oneself freely. Discipline is freedom.
- Intensity – high level of concentration and effort. The quality of work depends on an intensity. All resources are drawn upon and converge in one single point. Commitment is total.
- 3. Suffering. Achievement is inconceivable without a little suffering.
Passion must remain sincere
And you, when you want to go somewhere, what restrictions do you want to place on yourself?
BUILD GOOD RELATIONS
Coach-athlete relationship – passionate, rigorous , committed
The relationship between an athlete and his coach is primordial. It is extremely important that mutual confidence be established. Nontheless, the coach must know when to step back to let the athlete perform on his own.
The relationship is built on trust and communication as well as coherence in terms of the objectives set and the means to reach the reach the agreed upon goals.
Who is your mentor, your guide?
CREATE NEW CONDITIONS
A sporting career (also artistic) can be jeopardised by an accident or illness: many athletes have had to break back after a difficult or painful period in their lives. Such an experience can galvanise them and actually push them into going even further; that is, if they possess the mental force to keep going and not just give up.
And you, have you ever faced a situation which called all your plans into question?
MAXIMISE YOUR PREPARATION
Mental training groups together methods and techniques which seek t help manage the pressure of competition and to optimise performance. It is a complement to physical, technical and technical training, with which it shares the phases and general principles: needs evaluation, acquisition, repetition, then application in competition.
CREATION
When the moment comes to perform, athletes must put into action everything that they have worked on during the preparation period : they have to reach an optimal level of activation, be capable of visualising the task ahead of them, manage their thought patterns and stress levels and focus their whole attention solely on their performance.
COPE WITH TENSION
During competition, the pressure is important. The stakes are high, the adversaries are intimidating, the objectives ambitious, the expectations of the family, the public or even the nation significant: together, they generate a level of stress which can endanger the quality of performance. Coping strategies and mechanisms become essential.
PREPARE FOR ACTION
Preparation rituals
Before performing, some athletes carry out reassuring rituals, such as doing things in a certain order or carrying good luck charms with them. To have such a routine allows them to focus their attention and therefore to diminish the anxiety that they may feel before an event.
MASTER YOUR EMOTIONS
In spite of their mental management techniques, athletes are not always able to remain entirely in control. In a situation of overwhelming stress, they may lose their nerves..or their restraint.
MAINTAIN CONCENTRATION
Negative thoughts, often centred on athlete’s fears, limits or doubts, can hold athletes back..positive thinking, visualisation ..
ACHIEVE PERFECTION
Known as the ‘flow’ or the ‘zone’, the ideal state of peak performance is one in which everything goes perfectly: the mind is centred on the task at hand, the motivation is total, the feeling is one of being in perfect control of one’s thoughts, movements and surroundings. It can also manifest itself as a feeling of things moving in slow motion, giving the time to react appropriately to any event or circumstance. It’s an extraordinary experience, a coming together of different strands of performance, which makes the moment unforgettable.
