Last Friday, Marshall Wolfe and Rokker, together forming ‘The Rokker Network’, attended a sports day at Adastral Park, a charity event to raise money for Homestart, a family support charity in Suffolk. Firstly, I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone at BT who worked hard to organise such a joyful event!
When we arrived, the atmosphere was instantly filled with excitement and anticipation as all the different groups came together to take part in a huge group warm up, accompanied by a DJ, who remained onsite mixing feel-good, motivational tracks for the rest of the day. The event received a successful turnout as approximately 25 teams took part, although it must be said, (no bias intended), that The Rokker Network showed the best team presence, sporting branded Marshall Wolfe and Rokker shirts and headbands. Throughout the day, the Rokker Network competed in netball, badminton, and boules. Who knew that BT had its own netball, badminton and tennis courts!?
To begin with, in the morning, the team played two highly energetic seven-minute netball matches. Our team consisted of a mix of sporting experiences – some of us skilled club or ex-school team players, some possessing an advantage of towering height, while some players relying on remembering rules and tactics that were learnt merely the night before. The first match, rivalled against ‘404 Team Not Found’, was of a close standard throughout. Nevertheless, during the ‘power-minute’ in the seventh minute of the game, meaning all goals scored created double points, we skilfully shot one lucky hoop, thus winning us the game. In our second match, we endured a similar level of intensity. The competing team, ‘The Believers’, consisted of strong players, yet after another seven minutes of resilience, teamwork and determination, we left the court victorious. We finished the tournament in joint third, which subsequently led to a penalty shoot-out to battle for second place. Despite our greatest efforts, we remained in third, although we were very pleased with the ‘bronze’ status.
Later in the day, we tested our racquet sport abilities in a series of badminton doubles matches. Unfortunately, badminton proved not to be our forte, with one of the matches suffering a rapid defeat, resulting in a score of 21-1. Regardless, we entertained the crowd with our attempts, and morale remained high. Given our lack of experience, badminton arguably proved to be the Rokker Network’s proudest moment. We demonstrated our open-mindedness as we were not afraid to try something completely out of our comfort zone. Additionally, we showed positivity and support as we encouraged each other throughout games, rather than succumbing to frustration or disappointment at our mistakes and blunders. Afterall, the charitable purpose of the event which was in aid of Homestart remained at the forefront of our mind.
Our boules games achieved relatively higher success, however. As newcomers to the sport with almost no prior experience, we surprised ourselves with unexpected wins which carried us through to the semi-finals, resulting in an additional third place title.
Overall, the day was a huge success. The event allowed for several opportunities to network with other companies, including our clients at BT and Innovation Martlesham. Furthermore, the activities throughout the day were perfect for teambuilding. Spending a day of work in an environment of physical activity, albeit unusual, improves mental health, and, I would argue, improves the collective morale of the team. For example, stepping out of our comfort zone to try new sports boosted confidence which can be applied within the office.
My first week at Marshall Wolfe consisted of learning about the company as a hiring consultancy, understanding the skills of a recruiter, and taking part in a sports day… It is safe to say, my first week was not what I had expected! I am eagerly looking forward to what is to come in the future of my career at Marshall Wolfe!
By Maddie
