Year 11 Clontarf Camp

On Wednesday August 23rd, seven Year 11 CLONTARF boys embarked on a motivational camp to Newcastle to immerse themselves in a variety of workplaces and gain an insight to opportunities that are available to them.

First stop was Newcastle Fire & Rescue 260 station. Upon arrival, the boys were greeted by Station Officer Jamie Sewell and Senior Firefighter Leon Doherty. S/O Sewell and SF Doherty gave the boys a comprehensive overview into what a day in the life of a permanent firefighter looks like and provided valuable insight into what avenues there are for employment opportunities with FRNSW. As a bonus, the boys were allowed to inspect some of the tools and protective equipment that firefighters use daily in the course of their job. All were surprised at how heavy the clothes were and how cool the jaws of life looked! Another added bonus for the group was that they were taken inside the Regional Communications Centre, which is responsible for all communications for FRNSW outside of metropolitan Sydney. Throughout the visit, the level of respect they showed to Jamie and Leon and the inquisitive questions that were asked by the boys showed how much they got from the visit and how engaged they were.

Next up was the punish session! PinPoint Athlete was the destination. Head trainer, Bill Coffey took the boys through a mental strength and preparedness session, as well as a rigorous endurance workout, similar to the ones he puts his professional athletes through. For the mental side of the workout, Bill spoke about how the body likes to trick itself into saying that it can't produce anymore effort and it is up to the brain to override it and continue pushing through the pain. He reinforced to the group that that is what separates professional athletes from everybody else. Next up, it was time to put this knowledge to the test. Intense bursts of effort followed by a short rest period, on repeat. It was great to see the group dig deep and go past what they thought was possible. All the way to the point where one of them saw their lunch again. Speaking with Bill after the session, he could not speak highly enough of how committed everyone was and how they supported each other to keep working and to not give up.

It was a quiet trip to our accommodation for the trip at CLONTARF head office at the University of Newcastle and an early night to bed. Next day brought about a visit to the Centre of Excellence of the Newcastle Knights NRL teams. This visit opened the eyes of everyone involved as to the ins and outs of professional sports and the massive effort that goes in behind the scenes every week to get a team on the paddock. Again, the level of respect and engagement shown by the boys was commendable and this was appreciated by the organisation on the day. Our host, Georgina Thorpe, commended the group on their politeness and welcomed them back anytime they please.

Thursday afternoon/ evening was all about rewarding the boys for how well they carried themselves and upheld the CLONTARF ethos during the camp. A trip to the movies and some late-night shopping at Charlestown Square capped off the few days away perfectly.

Overall, it was a thoroughly enjoyable trip, and the boys did themselves proud.

Alister, Rob and Reece