Alexander’s Story: A Tale of True Sportsmanship

On Active Fusion Holiday Camps we aim to provide a great experience for all children and young people attending, impacting the lives of those most vulnerable. At Thurnscoe Summer camp 2023, Active Fusion had the pleasure of working with Alexander who finds learning and making friends outside of school more difficult than in his normal traditional school setting.

Alex has benefited from Active Fusion’s services previously through our school partnerships work with the Federation School Trust and his attendance on multiple Fusion Camps. Alex had previously formed strong relationships with the team whilst they he worked with his school and remembers how much they attributed towards his learning.

Alex has been to several camps in the past and never fails to contribute to the positive atmosphere amongst the friends he makes during the holidays. He finds learning and making friends more challenging outside of a traditional school setting so returns to Fusion Camp whenever possible.

Alex mentioned that “Coming to camps helped me make friends and learn other skills such as teamwork and how to win and lose games fairly and with respect.” These were skills that Alex had particularly struggled with beforehand. Some activities did not determine a ‘winner’ or a ‘loser’ so that Alex and similar children didn’t get overwhelmed. The coaches also adapted games such as cricket and dodgeball, so that players did not get marked as ‘out’ to allow them as much time as possible to practice new skills. Active Fusion staff also made the most of games that included partner or team cooperation so that Alex and other young people could work alongside others to increase Alex’s engagement.

At Active Fusion, we strive to reach as many children and young people as we possibly can, reaching outside of Doncaster to areas such as Barnsley, Rotherham and Sheffield. We implement Fusion Camps within communities for children to express themselves through physical activity and arts.

During Thurnscoe Summer camp, there was a great age range which allows Alexander to socialise with a wide variety of children. It was important for Alex to engage with different age groups and to meet new friends. We asked Alex what he enjoyed most about Fusion Camp this Summer. He commented, “I especially enjoyed football and also trying wheelchair basketball.”

You can read more stories just like Alex’s here or find out more about Fusion Camps here.