Cyprus 2024

The ECSA have recently returned from the Coral Bay Hotel and Resort in Paphos, Cyprus. The trip was incredibly successful in providing learning and development opportunities for student athletes both in and out the pool.

balcony

The ECSA student athletes have all embraced their time away with tenacity and focus. When conducting themselves around the hotel, the athletes were ambassadors for Ellesmere College and demonstrated the core values of the ECSA. They were polite, respectful, and consistently registered on time, building a solid foundation of trust. The coaching team arrived with high expectations; having planned a demanding schedule of training, balanced with down time for the student athletes to be able to enjoy the experience as a whole. The team did not disappoint and showed their dedication and determination towards their training by stepping up in the pool and pushing themselves when asked.

Our day started at 6.25am where the team made their way down to the 50m pool and woke themselves up by doing some pre-pool exercises with the luxury backdrop of the morning Cypriot sunrise. After a session in the pool the team would then enjoy breakfast together in the restaurant.

Breakfast became the highlight of the day as the variety of food on offer catered for everyone's tastes, with pancakes and waffles being a firm favourite. After breakfast the team would gather on the sofas which became our meeting point, and the plan for the day was discussed. Down time consisted of playing snooker, table tennis, volleyball, relaxing at the beach, sunbathing by the pool, or enjoying unlimited mocktails on the terraces. Next it was lunch, where the team would regroup and then return to the pool for the afternoon session, to continue pushing themselves in their training.

team

In the evenings the team would meet for supper and discuss the day. The evening food at the hotel was exceptional, featuring a variety of foods to meet everyone's needs. We enjoyed Mexican,Fish, BBQ, Cypriot and 'All Around The World' themed evenings. Following advice from the coaching team around nutrition and hydration, the student athletes tried foods that they had not experienced before, ensuring they ate responsibly, refuelling their bodies ready for following days training. The student athlete's day finally drew to a close at 9.30pm when they went back to their bedrooms to rejuvenate, ready to go again the following day.

A huge thank you to Sports Abroad and the Cyprus Tourism Board for all their help in organising this trip for the ECSA. We look forward to the next one!

Kind regards,

ECSA Coaching Team

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