Red loves the tree to defy gravity!

After numerous emails to the squad, reminding them to plan their route, add time for the journey and be on time - alas I am the only one late! Typical. I would love to blame my navigator Deb Deb, although that will only result in sloping shoulders. What was I late for?
The Go Ape course in Cannock Forest, Staffordshire. We had arranged a team building, confidence boosting session for the deaf players to tackle. As it turns out I was actually an hour early because Roger booked for 10, not 9. Very clever Roger, I see what you've done there.
Surfice to say, the players rose to the occasion and pressed on through the trees. After a thorough and professional brief from the instructor - "red loves the tree" "red last off, red first on" "red loves the tree" "red loves the tree" "red loves the tree" - has anyone else been getting flashbacks?
Like I said thorough!
So, apart from the obvious enjoyment, fear and loathing, there was a point to all this.
At the start of the session, you could see everyone, including myself talking to themselves - "red loves the tree" - an obvious pattern of clipping in and out from obstacle to obstacle, one that maintains your authority over gravity. Without a routine and a level of respect for a simple procedure then there's a decent chance that you will sucumbe to the forces of nature. I imagined myself on some of the trickier "no hands" obstacles without the harness. Without that safety net the nerves can kick in. Nerves can get the better of you and you fail to perform the task to the best of your ability. The thought of falling can distract you from the thought of what you have to do to stay on.
We are in a process of getting the players to appreciate and respect the basics. Routines save time. Routines become habits. In the last section of obstacles, I for one, was certainly clipping in and out, in the right order, without questioning my decisions. "red loves the tree" was a habit. All in the space of 90 mins of constant coaching and self coaching.
Getting around the course was as individual as it gets.
Tennis is an individual sport when it comes to the match.
As a team all the players can now relate the experience of getting around the course as a positive one. No one minds saying they were a bit nervous jumping off the bungee rope or taking their hands off "blue" on the balance beam 30 feet up.
The goal is to strengthen their confidence in confronting their fears when it comes to performing in a match. There is such a thing as a team of individuals.
The GB Deaf Tennis Squad are all unique indivduals. Each with a different plan on the court. Each with a different physical attribute. Each with different levels of hearing and communicating. This was the final exercise to show them that the basics required never change from individual to individual. We all need to get red to love the tree.
Next time, we will race around the course as a time trial. Follow the basic pattern required to defy gravity and chances are you'll end up high in the final standings. Rushing around because you think you're the fittest and fastest could mean taking short cuts. The squad are starting to behave like tortoise and the next phase is to morph into the hare as well.
Good luck to them.