Category: News/Blog

From day 1 this has always been the JPF moto, to me its really important that every client that walks through the doors is treated as a complete individual. As humans we respond to different situations in different ways, and that’s the same with sports therapy treatments. What works for somebody might not necessarily work for somebody else, so its really important to identify what works for that person and I think its essential as a therapist to make sure that I am equipped with a wide range of techniques to allow myself the best chance of finding what works best for you. 

I hear a lot comments like ‘no pain no gain’ this in some cases can be true, of course sports therapy isn’t whale music and candles but at the same time I believe the client must feel comfortable. My opinion is that if I was to cause a whole world of pain on that individual, the body will respond negatively by tensing up, not just the area being worked on but by the body as a whole. To get the best results the client must feel comfortable with what we are doing and the pressures we are using. This isn’t to say that a sports therapy treatment isn’t going to be uncomfortable at times because I would be lying but its about adapting each treatment to the individual and working within there limits.

 

 

This blog is only going to be a short one, but it’s a very important one, JPF Sports Therapy tailors every treatment to your needs, whether that’s finding the techniques that you respond best to, or whether its identifying your comfort zone of treatment and working within that to avoid a negative treatment response.

Our first consulation is all about getting to know the individual sat in front of us, getting to know their past experiences of treatment they have reeived prior, if any at all and assessing the individual as we see them infront of us. Together we create a treatment plan to suit you. If you have any queries please do not hesistate to get in touch.

jamie@jpfsportstherapy.co.uk
Mobile: 07515 060 121

Thank you for reading.

Jamie

Polocrosse has given me a lot in life, from a career perspective it has given me the chance to be involved on the international stage working with South Africa in two World Cups so far, the first in the UK, the second in South Africa and a third on the horizon in Australia in 2019.  From a personal perspective it has taken me to places in the world I could only have dreamt of.  South Africa to me is now my second home.  Working with the South African Polocrosse since 2011 has enriched my life with so much opportunity; I have met some incredible people who are no longer just work colleagues, they are family.

Its hard to put in to words the feeling of being involved with a team, without battling it out on the field itself, or on the ice during the ice hockey days, you still feel very much part of the team, when the team win, you win, when the team lose, you lose. I remember the lows on the long bus drives home with Telford Tigers Ice Hockey Team, after a defeat the bus was just silent, but at the same time there was no other place like it on the journey home after a win.  That’s what these guys play for, and for me it’s an honour to have experienced It and continue to experience it with the South Africa Polocrosse Team & also the Highlanders Polocrosse Team in the UK.  I have been very fortunate to work with such great professionals, and great Polocrosse players, South Africa currently are the best in the world, the have won both the 2011 & 2015 world cups,  in my opinion they just have everything, the skill, the courage, the fearlessness, the organization from the top with Bruce Maclarty (Coach) & Helene Steenkamp (Team Manager), to myself and Kirsten Van Heerden (Sports Psychologist) who herself knows what it takes to perform at the top, being an ex swimmer for South Africa. Most importantly, the team spirit and togetherness is very rare and it’s a privilege to be a part of and experience and as I write this I cant wait to experience it all again in Australia in 2019, which could possibly be the biggest challenge yet but it will be a challenge we will all relish and look forward to.

I have been fortunate to not experience many lows in Polocrosse but one that stands out for me was the British National Polocrosse Championships 1 month after the World Cup in 2015.  I had just started working with the Highlanders Team in the UK, with a South Africa connection in Travis Timm, it was my first taste of club level Polocrosse in the UK.  Highlanders made it to the final to play a very strong Kent Target team, unfortunately the result didn’t go our way, but the team just played their hearts out and on another day it could have been a different outcome, for me seeing the heart break and disappointment in the Highlanders, I believe that day made them stronger for it, it pulled them together and for the following two years and to this day, they have been the British Polocrosse Champions, which they deserve so much.

There are a seriously big number of amazing people in Polocrosse, not only in South Africa but also in the UK.  I have made life long friends and learnt so much about myself, and seeing the commitment and determination in the players is something I try to emulate myself and put back into my work at JPF Sports Therapy and myself as a person.
Polocrosse has given me so much, and I want to be able to give Polocrosse as much as possible back.  It’s a fantastic sport played by incredible athletes, amazing horsepeople and played on unbelievable horses.  I hope that Polocrosse can continue to grow as a sport, it really is such an entertaining game which requires not only skill and ability but also a lot of mental attributes.  6 years in Polocrosse so far, and here’s to hopefully many more.
Links:

South Africa Polocrosse – http://www.polocrosse.co.za/

UK Polocrosse – http://www.ukpolocrosse.co.uk/

Highlanders Polocrosse – https://www.facebook.com/highlanderspolocrosse/

For me I have never been afraid to open up about my battles with mental health, I was very fortunate to have an incredible support network and to some this might sound crazy, but I am happy that I faced those demons and won those battles, I learned a lot about myself and in doing so I re-found my purpose.

Move For Change was born with the intent to get people to start a conversation about mental health, and learning the importance the conversation. Most importantly knowing that it is okay to talk and its okay to ask for help. A great friend of mine Harvey from Positive Outlook Clothing, who with his own brand of clothing is constantly spreading positive messages of hope and courage wanted to get on board with Move For Change.

Move For Change is still very much in its early stages and there is a whole load of ideas on paper ready to be actioned, but we have already had a great success with our first 5k fun run we organised back in April’17, our aim for this run was to raise money and awareness for two great mental health charities, MIND & To Write Love On Her Arms (TWLOHA).

MIND provide advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem. They campaign to improve services, raise awareness and promote understanding.

To Write Love on Her Arms is a non-profit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury, and suicide. TWLOHA exists to encourage, inform, inspire, and also to invest directly into treatment and recovery.

I feel I am in a really fortunate position at JPF Sports Therapy, I get to meet a lot of people from all different walks of life and backgrounds, who feel comfortable and happy to open up about their struggles, and it was a big reason behind the inspiration of Move For Change.  I get a real sense of people wanting to make changes, to make a difference, whether it be a change in their own life or to someone else’s.  By us all coming together it sounds very cliché but it really is strength in numbers and its that strength that can create hope, that inspires courage, and that can be the difference.

This is only the beginning of our journey, and we hope we can go from strength to strength.  Currently our focus is on mental health and we feel like this is the time to talk up about it, but our mission is to create change as a whole, whether its mental health, fighting other illness and disease, helping the homeless, the list really can go on.  We want to make a change and we want to do it together through movement and community.  Watch this space as we hope to action our ideas from paper to reality.

I would like to personally say a huge thank you to everyone who has helped out already with our event, and to those of you who donated, who came along and got involved, and to anyone who even just spoke about the event and what its about.  This is the sort of conversation we want to create so thank you.

Links for more information on Mind & TWLOHA.

Mind – https://www.mind.org.uk/

TWLOHA – https://www.twloha.com
Thank you

Jamie x