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IN THE SPOTLIGHT WITH - PERSONAL TRAINER, JOSH DAVIES  Getting involved in a new sport or activity can be daunting. Whether you played a sport at school and want to try it again, or you are trying an activity for the first time, our series putting the 'Spotlight on' a range of activities should help you along the way. We've been in touch with various people from a range of sporting backgrounds, starting with St Pierre Park's personal trainer, Josh Davies.  How long have you been going to the gym?                                     11 years, including a mixture of weightlifting, CrossFit and endurance running. What was your initial motivation to pursue exercise as a career?                     To guide others and prove that they can aspire to always ask more of themselves. Once you see the difference you can make in a person’s life through exercise alone, it becomes more than just a career. What is your pre-gym ritual?  Simple, trainers on, headphones in, music blaring…go! Working in a gym must have its highs and lows… what are these for you and how do you remain positive? Coming to work is nothing but a joy, I have a great team of staff, members and clients around me daily. What is it they say? Find a job you love and you’ll never work a day in your life. Very cliched but true. What is your go-to training outfit? Running shorts, a comfortable T-shirt and my ever-faithful Nike Turbo 2s. What is the one piece of advice you give to everybody you train? Get outside your comfort zone, you might just surprise yourself. The scariest thing is to say you didn’t try. Do you notice if your workout clothes are high-end/low-end? Does it affect your performance? I can tell if I am wearing ‘cheaper’ running shoes. It’s worth investing in shoes that are suited for your sport, it’ll reduce the risk of niggling injuries. Tell us your most embarrassing story from in the gym! I was doing box jumps, misjudged it, barrel rolled off the side landing on a dumbbell! We’ve all been there right!? How do you reach your personal best? I chip away at my goals a little each day, some days are better than others, but they all serve towards improving - the personal bests will follow. If you could train/ be trained by anyone of your choice, dead or alive, who would it be? I have a love for endurance running so to train with the master Kilian Jornet would be unforgettable. What would your advice be to someone who has neglected exercise for a long time? Any words of encouragement to get involved?                                  It’s never too late to start, find something that gets you up and out of the house and just keep at it. There are countless activities on island, find one you enjoy and get stuck in!    If you fancy getting into the gym, Fletcher Sports has a large range of trainers, running shoes and clothing. Come and speak to one of our experienced sales assistants who will help get you kitted out. You can shop online and collect in store too. To find your perfect pair of running shoes click here

Respondents to our first Fletcher Sports customer survey have given staff a resounding vote of confidence. A huge 92.8% of customers who took part in our survey said that shop assistants at Fletcher Sports were either ‘helpful’ or ‘very helpful’. More than 230 people responded to the survey, which was available online and in the shop in February and earlier this month. 63.4% of all respondents gave our staff the highest praise available to them within the survey, with a further 29.4% saying that they are helpful. ‘We pride ourselves at Fletcher Sports on having knowledgeable staff who can guide customers towards the right sports equipment or school uniform. We are delighted with the results of the survey,’ said owner, Terry Ferbrache. ‘We gave customers the chance to add their comments and we had some very useful feedback in terms of what we’re doing right and what could be improved. Space was one thing that came up a few times, as well as the idea of a loyalty card and the relocation of the changing rooms. We will take all these comments on board, although unfortunately we’re unable to make the shop any bigger!’ Another positive was the overwhelming support for shopping local – 68.5% of people who filled out the survey said that Town was their first port of call for sportswear and schoolwear. Just 9.4% said they would turn to the internet first. ‘To have more than two thirds of people say that they would try Town first before going online is fantastic. High street retailers really suffer because of online competition, so it’s a huge achievement to have so many people in Guernsey say that they would come to the shops in Town first before hitting the internet,’ added Mr Ferbrache. One surprise was the result on parking and access – there was an equal split between good and average (42% for each, with 8% saying it was excellent). Respondents to the survey had the chance of winning a £100 voucher for Fletcher Sports for filling out the survey. Winner, Jill Gill (pictured with owner Terry Ferbrache) was thrilled when she heard she was the lucky one.

Fletcher’s Team of the Month for December is Le Mont Saint Used basketball team   We spoke to the team’s founder, Jeff Stuart, about their successful first half of the season so far.   We are continuing the unbeaten run that carried us through the whole of last season (we haven’t lost since March 2017!) We’ve only had one change to the squad this year and whilst we don’t get a full turn out for every game we have managed to scrape enough of the guys together to make sure we compete hard each game. It’s tough when the average age of the team is 43 and we’re playing against 18yr old athletes!   We’re confident about the rest of the season and focused on remaining unbeaten for the second season in a row. The Cup competition starts in April and we are confident in doing the double and securing the cup and league titles for 2018/19. The only other silverware up for grabs would be individual honours, and after the MVP for Division 2 being a player from our team for the last four seasons, we are hopeful of keeping that title in the family also.   The basketball scene on island is very much a family. A great social set up and well run by the GBA. The development work that goes on is one of the strengths and the Future Stars program for years 2 to 11 is excellent – with players that have come through the programme now in Island representative squads. This season has seen the development of Under-13 league teams which begin their games in the league this week.    Basketball is a great sport to play. It rewards hard work and that can be from a physical and also cognitive standpoint. As it is a team game it develops great communication, support for teammates, strategic understanding and promotes positive health and wellbeing. High octane, fast-paced, athletic and competitive – all the things that challenge us in our growing years as an over 40s team!   The Future Stars program is a great starting point for school-age kids (futurestarsbasketball@hotmail.co.uk or via facebook), or if you are older and looking to get involved in a new (or re-live an old) challenge then contact guernseybasketball.co.uk. But if you are a lot older, contact me and get involved in the over 40s!

 Fletcher Sports’ Team of the Month for November is Blaze A.  We spoke to Nena Copperwaite, the team’s captain and coach about their successful start to the season.    Blaze A have had another fantastic month, with a huge 83-39 win over Resolution IT Black. We have also posted a 48-28 win over Titans A which was a great performance from the girls, particularly in both our attacking and defending circles where we were up against our fellow Guernsey Panther team mates. On that occasion Hannah Blondel came away with the Player of the Match nomination for her superb efforts in making numerous interceptions at WD.  Both our shooters (Abbie Greening and Jemma Green) have been outstanding this season. The high scores that we have been able to post are a testament to them and the work they have been putting in both on and off court.    This season our aim is to win the league, however this is going to be tough and could potentially come down to the last match of the season as we are up against stiff opposition in the form of Resolution IT Green. The last time we played each other at the start of the season the match ended in a high scoring 62-62 draw. We were due to play them again recently, but due to circumstances out of Resolution’s control, they were without two very key players. Out of respect to Resolution, and because the league is so tight this year, we requested that our match be moved to a date when both sides can field a full squad.  Therefore, we are now due to play them at the end of the season which could end up being the title decider!    Netball is a fantastic sport for people of any age to get involved with and here in Guernsey our Guernsey Netball Association (GNA) has something to cater for everyone, from elite level (Guernsey Panthers), to club level, walking netball, minis netball (starting from reception age), men’s netball, social summer leagues and also Nets (an indoor version played in a court surrounded by spring netting in which you bounce the ball off).    Currently netball has seen a huge boost in participation numbers, following England's gold winning medal performance at this year’s Commonwealth Games. With weekly matches of the Vitality Superleague (the UK’s top netball league) being shown on Sky Sports and a new sponsorship deal between England Netball and Nike, now is an exciting time to get involved with the game. We have seen a big rise in participation on island with numerous girls attending weekly club sessions and trialling out for various Guernsey Panther Squads.    Being part of a team sport like netball is fantastic as not only does it keep you active but for children it teaches them about teamwork, respect and is brilliant for socials skills, often lifelong friendships are formed through playing sport. The GNA currently has two clubs which offer youth netball -  Nerine (reception - seniors) and Investec Wealth Zebras (Year 5 through to seniors).    If anyone would like to get involved in netball then they should visit the GNA website, www.guernseynetball.gg where they can find contact details for all club and island teams.  They can also contact the GNA direct from there if they wish any further information with regards to Walking Netball, Nets or Summer League.

After the success of the 17/18 season, Fletcher Sports caught up with 2017 Players player of the year & Supporters player of the year Anthony Armstrong to debrief on last years exploits and look ahead to the new season. If you had to sum up last season in one sentence what would it be?  Beyond anything I could have expected at the start of the season. The Siam Cup was a huge win - how did it feel in the changing room after the game? We were all buzzing. Everyone, whether we’ve lived here all our life or been here for a year, know how much it meant to everyone at the club. This season’s team works so well together, what makes everyone gel? We’re all good mates, it’s a lot easier to turn up and grind out results when you’re doing it with your mates What was your biggest challenge last season? The biggest challenge was probably being at the top end of the table. Everyone you play against is desperate to beat you so we had to make sure we turned up every week. What are you most looking forward to next season and the promotion? All of the challenges of next year; the increased travelling, stronger teams. You always want to test yourself at the highest level possible so really looking forward to giving it a crack. Guernsey Raiders start their new campaign with an away match against Old Albanians on 1st September,  The first home game of the season is a week later on 8th September against Worthing.  Fletcher Sports are delighted to be the exclusive kit partner of The Guernsey Raiders and stock a large selection of official merchandise, available online and in-store.