PLAY TO THINK A LITTLE MORE DIFFERENTLY
LifeSkills21.club is a multi-sport community club for players who want to develop an equally important skill to attaining higher technical standards. The ability to play with ideas. A skill which, when added to technique, makes for all-round excellence! And keeps us young at heart
FAQ'S
Answers to All Your Inquiries
WHO RUNS THE CLUB?
Arran, Josh and dad Jon Thorne. All profits go to local organisations helping make this world a better place for the neurodivergent.
HOW DO WE PROGRESS IF WE DON'T TRY TO ATTAIN THE HIGHEST TECHNICAL STANDARD POSSIBLE?
We use Games Coaching to help players see, create and exploit the space between each other - to play with ideas - to think a little more differently. A skill which, when added to technique, makes for all-round excellence! And keeps us young at heart.
Whilst attaining the highest technical standard is important, something else is equally important. It is the ability to see, create and exploit the space between objects. To play with ideas. To think a little more differently.
If we cannot attain this skill we play mechanically, robotically, and formulaically. We cannot create something out of nothing and we cannot adapt on the field of play.
Only pursuing technical excellence switches off the ability to see space. Games coaching teaches players to see, create and play with the space between each other. A skill which, when added to technique, makes for all-round excellence! And keeps us young at heart.
All our Games Coaches belong to their governing body - NeurodiverseGamesCoaching.ORG
WHAT IS YOUR "BE KIND" RULE?
We play to think a little more differently. We can't do that if we are making others think the same way as ourselves. The “Be kind" rule means we don't use any advantages we have to make others do and think the way we want them to. We think a little differently about how we play.
WHAT IS YOUR INCLUSION POLICY?
We will never exclude someone for struggling to meet The Standard of any given sport. We play with space to create something out of nothing. As everyone can occupy space - everyone can help frame space - so everyone can play a part in creating something out of nothing and help others adapt on the field of play. The only way a player will be excluded is when they refuse to follow the “be kind” rule - which often means they refuse to play with space and instead repeatedly tell others how to meet The Standard of the sport being played and/or impose athletic dominance to overcome weaker players.
For players with Learning Disabilities. Instead of lowering or changing The Standard to give players with Learning Disabilities a sense of achievement at attaining The Standard - we give players an experience of the joy and beauty that comes from finding previously hidden, personalised, performance that always lies outside of any standard way of playing.
WHAT IS YOUR CHILD PROTECTION POLICY?
Our policy is to minimise the power distance between a coach and their players. Games Coaches are not allowed to rank, grade, select or deselect players on their ability to progress toward The Standard of the sport being played. There are no squads. No weekly commitment to play. There is no peer pressure to meet The Standard of the sport being played.
WHAT IS YOUR POLICY FOR NEURODIVERSITY
We know from science that the brain rewires itself. As our brains rewire their circuitry to better meet our circumstances and we are all different and living different lives - no two brains are exactly the same. We are all - to varying degrees - neurodiverse from each other. Science also suggests that two brains that think differently are better at solving problems than many who think the same. We know the ability to diversify our thinking is crucial to all aspects of our lives. Our neurodiverse policy respects science and encourages everyone to be more neurodiverse of each other. Our "Be kind" rule stops everyone from trying to make others think more like themselves. To honour and encourage neurodiversity. We don’t try and “fix” the neurodivergent by making them less neurodivergent.
WHERE DO I GO IF I HAVE AN ISSUE WITH A GAMES COACH?
You are welcome to contact the Governing body for Games Coaching.
At the moment, Jon is also running the governing body. Which we know is not ideal. But, at our governing body - jon reports to a governance team.
WHAT DO YOU DO WITH ANY PROFITS?
All profits go to local organisations trying to make this world a better place for the neurodivergent.
Why?
LifeSkills21.club is brought to you by Arran, Josh, and Jon. Supported by Debbie.
This is their story.
When it became clear that helping some of the best engineers on the planet to work together had been the perfect preparation for home-educating his two neurodivergent children - Jon gave up work to home-educate. They spent the next 15 years - asking themselves - What if, attaining the highest standard is NOT the most important factor to success? The answer to that question created LifeSkills21.club, Games Coaching and NeurodiverseGamesCoaching.ORG
CONTACT US
We are always happy to chat