Photo via assistnews.net

Sporting Marvels takes its message to the Welsh Government

At 5am on Wednesday, February 6, twenty-one alarm clocks simultaneously sprung into life all over the Rhondda Valley. It was a corporate wake-up call that another Sporting Marvels adventure was about to begin.

This time the destination was the Welsh Assembly Government in Cardiff Bay. The occasion? The monthly prayer breakfast attended by Assembly Members.

With the entire Sporting Marvels team rendezvousing at the Gatehouse at 6am there was a sense of excitement in the air.

"Any chance to share our message is always seen as a great opportunity, but this one would take us to the very seat of Welsh Government!" said the group's Phil Davies.

"To see the team fully kitted out heading toward the Millennium Centre was a sight to behold; something akin to the SAS going in to do the business!!" Davies commented.

As the people gathered, conversations were buzzing all over the room; the Sporting Marvels workers telling their unique stories to the very interested and slightly surprised listeners.

When the breakfast was over, it was time for the biggest challenge of Phil Davies' life: Telling the story of the ministry's work in just twelve minutes!

"The breakfast set the tone for twelve powerful minutes of synchronized passion, pace and power. With lots of photos of the guys interacting with smiling kids, video clips of head teachers raving about the project and quotes from some of the kids themselves there was no escaping the fact that this is a project that really works," Davies said.

The passion increased further as another team member stood to his feet. "Sporting Marvels is about role modeling and our role models come from all over the world,” he said.

"They model right living, strong character and the Christian lifestyle. They are people of influence; �?kid magnets’ who in effect, become agents of transformation. They build quality relationships with the youngsters. They seek to influence behavior for the good. They aim to affect the choices our young people make with particular emphasis on how they arrive at their choices. In short, we look to change the way our kids think; about themselves about others and about their community and society in general."

With that Phil introduced the team; each member standing as their photo, name, country and national flag appeared on the screen.

"It was a powerful and poignant moment," he said.

The meeting was chaired by Darren Miller, Conservative Assembly Member for Clwyd West and a committed Christian. After Phil sat down, Miller took the microphone. “That was incredible! Inspirational!!” he exclaimed, clearly moved. “How can we get this into my constituency?”

Assembly Member for Rhondda Leighton Andrews, sat alongside Phil throughout the morning and must have been mightily impressed with what he saw. He made a point of saying how highly the head teachers speak of them. Phil has a meeting with them scheduled for the end of this month.

The invitation to speak was made by Jenny Hill, organizer of the National Prayer Breakfast. “Excellent! Wonderful! Amazing!” she said after the meeting had closed. “ The Assembly Members and staff were clearly bowled over!”

Hill must have been pleased -- she’s invited the team back for a Part 2 in May.

Sporting Marvels is a Christian Sports Ministry and registered UK Charity that looks to partner with the schools and churches within the Rhondda Valleys.

Working through the medium of sport, they place quality Christian role models into key strategic positions within the educational and church community.

Their mission is to model the Christian lifestyle; healthy living and the importance of character, principle and values. They become people of influence; “kid magnets” who in effect, become agents of transformation.

Empowered to build quality relationships with the children and young people, our role models seek to influence behavior for the good and aim to affect the choices our young people make and how they arrive at those choices. In short, they look to change the way they think; about themselves, about others, and about their community and society in general.

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[02/14/2008]

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