So I was
thinking I should fill you in on what I do at ropes since it's where I spend
half of my day. Ropes is more than just an activity. It's all about
stepping out of your comfort zone, setting goals and working together. We equip
the kids with skills that will help them for the rest of their lives; such as
communication, responsibility, respect, trust, commitment and group work. How
do we do this? Well it's all a process.
Phase 1: We start with what we call
‘Initiatives.’ This is a lesson that we plan ourselves, with a bunch of
different 'games' that are designed to teach different lessons and equip them
with valuable knowledge. An example of this is 'Helium Hoop.' The aim is to put
their fingers on the hoop and as a group lower it to the ground. Seems simple
enough right? But there's a catch. The hoop is so light that it always goes up
instead of down. The group usually figures this out straight away only instead
of trying to fix the problem they yell at each other and get frustrated. That's
where we step in. We ask them what's working and what isn't and get them to
devise a strategy. This pattern continues on until they learn to communicate
effectively by talking to each other in a civilised manner and working together
to get the hoop to the ground.
After a few of these activities we
then move onto phase 2: Low Ropes
This phase is often rewarding but
at times can be monotonous if the group is not working well together. An
example of this is called 'The Nitro Swing.' The whole group has to swing
across from one side to the other but if one person falls then the whole group
goes back. This exercise develops trust and strategising skills. It takes the
group a few times, but eventually they discover that they need to help each
other to get across meaning that the girls who are swinging across need to
trust that the other girls have their backs. Once you've done a few of these
activities you 'Debrief'. This means you talk about the activities and what
they learnt and how they could help them in life situations. This is when the
group usually learns some very valuable lessons whether it be looking out for
each other, watching what you say, not pointing fingers, trust and thinking
outside of the box etc.
Once they pass this level they can
then move onto phase three: High Ropes.
This phase is the most strenuous on
us. We arrive early to set up the equipment; we tie knots that are holding people’s
lives and triple check everything. It's scary to know that one small mistake
could be the end of a child's life. Once we are done setting up we
then go over the rules and take our girls into the woods. The woods are where
the real fun begins. The girls put their harnesses and helmets on and one by
one you send each girl up. You start by checking their harnesses and helmets
even though they have already been checked twice and then you begin the
conversation. You ask them how they are feeling, what their name is and what
their goal is. Some girls will be fine and will fly through the course but
there will be plenty who are petrified. That's when it becomes strenuous. They
will get two feet off the ladder and freeze. Your job then is to push them
further. This process could go on for ages, meanwhile your belaying them which gets
exhausting very quickly. There has been so many times that I have had to tell
girls who are carrying on hysterically, to take a deep breath and trust that I
have them. However that moment when the girl reaches the top of the tree and
completes her goal is always one to remember. The smile that appears on their
face is always almost as big as mine. There is nothing more satisfying than
helping someone to step outside of their comfort zone and reach their goal. They
realise that if they can achieve that, then they can do anything. If they can
face that fear then they can face any fear. It is one of the most rewarding
jobs a person could have.
Loving
life. 
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