Sprint B
ert Trautmann was not the only sportsman to break his neck in an on the sportsfield collision, and not know about it at the time. It happened to twenty-one year old John Dodwell on the rugby field, at a time when his sporting ambitions were high and he was looking for a place at Loughborough and a subsequent future as a PE teacher. John was not only a talented winger
ert Trautmann was not the only sportsman to break his neck in an on the sportsfield collision, and not know about it at the time. It happened to twenty-one year old John Dodwell on the rugby field, at a time when his sporting ambitions were high and he was looking for a place at Loughborough and a subsequent future as a PE teacher. John was not only a talented winger
for Rosslyn Park, he was an accomplished sprinter, having represented Surrey, the South East of England, and competed twice at the All England Championships. The injury was catastrophic and put paid to any ideas he had of active sport being a career path. Its true extent was not realised until days after the match. In fact, John didn’t even think it was bad at all at the time, and carried on playing for the full eighty minutes. A numb feeling in the bar afterwards, as he put it, told him there was something wrong. It was a life-changing calamity. One thing it didn’t do was stop him from going back to school. He already had connections with
Caterham School. His two brothers were pupils there, though he himself had been to another independent school, Trinity in Croydon. More significant as it turned out was that he
Caterham School. His two brothers were pupils there, though he himself had been to another independent school, Trinity in Croydon. More significant as it turned out was that he
for Rosslyn Park, he was an accomplished sprinter, having represented Surrey, the South East of England, and competed twice at the All England Championships. The injury was catastrophic and put paid to any ideas he had of active sport being a career path. Its true extent was not realised until days after the match. In fact, John didn’t even think it was bad at all at the time, and carried on playing for the full eighty minutes. A numb feeling in the bar afterwards, as he put it, told him there was something wrong. It was a life-changing calamity. One thing it didn’t do was stop him from going back to school. He already had connections with
finishing school
It started as a casual summer job thirty years ago: it became a lasting and fulfilling career for a promising sportsman whose ambitions had been dashed by serious injury.
Neville Johnson visited Caterham School in Surrey to talk to Head Groundsman, John Dodwell, about his work there, his unusual route into the profession, and an interesting idea he has to inject something into politicians’ failing ‘sport for all’ promise
knew Caterham’s then Head Groundsman, Steve Moore, as a patron of his local pub. He had started helping him over the summer when he was nineteen. At this time of turmoil and decision making for the young John Dodwell, Steve proved to be an immensely significant contact, offering him regular work on the pitches at the 200-year old school whilst he was assessing his future.
John now admits that then, like so many young sportsmen, he took groundsmen, and what they do, for granted, but doing jobs for Steve, he says, fired a real passion. He’d tried to get the adrenalin flowing again after he knew for sure that his sporting life had reached a full stop.
A flirtation with sea fishing didn’tA flirtation with sea fishing didn’t
really do it, but the professional care of sporting surfaces somehow did. The casual job became a full-time one and, with the school’s support and encouragement, he embarked on acquiring formal qualifications via day release at South East London Technical College (SELTEC). It was here that he fell under the life-long influence of one of groundcare’s foremost role models, Dave Bracey, who was one of the lecturers.
John says that it was Dave that inspired him to pursue a career in
John says that it was Dave that inspired him to pursue a career in
really do it, but the professional care of sporting surfaces somehow did. The casual job became a full-time one and, with the school’s support and encouragement, he embarked on acquiring formal qualifications via day release at South East London Technical College (SELTEC). It was here that he fell under the life-long influence of one of groundcare’s foremost role models, Dave Bracey, who was one of the lecturers.
John now admits that then, like so many young sportsmen, he took groundsmen, and what they do, for granted, but doing jobs for Steve, he says, fired a real passion. He’d tried to get the adrenalin flowing again after he knew for sure that his sporting life had reached a full stop.
knew Caterham’s then Head Groundsman, Steve Moore, as a patron of his local pub. He had started helping him over the summer when he was nineteen. At this time of turmoil and decision making for the young John Dodwell, Steve proved to be an immensely significant contact, offering him regular work on the pitches at the 200-year old school whilst he was assessing his future.
groundsmanship.groundsmanship. “He instilled in me that a “He instilled in me that a
groundsman should always have an enquiring mind - about all the jobs he has to do. You can’t always get it right: it’s a moving target, one that needs constant analysis. Dave made me realise that it is anything but a prescriptive job where just doing as you’re told gets you by. He taught me always to be self- critical and always ready to adapt. Thanks to him I came to know it is always challenging, frequently rewarding, and there’s plenty of fun to be had too.”
It was a beautifully sunny early summer term morning when I visited the school tucked away in leafy tranquility, yet inside the M25 ring. Sport was so obviously going to spring forth that afternoon. You could sense it. Everything was in tip-top shape. John was like a player before a match; a runner before a race. You could bet he was like it every single day. All those years ago, a SELTEC lecturer had made him see that groundsmanship could actually be just like sport itself, and this suited him down to the ground. I could tell that the Dave Bracey effect had well and truly rubbed-off. By the time he was twenty-six, John was the school’s Head Groundsman, Steve Moore having left to start up a
It was a beautifully sunny early summer term morning when I visited the school tucked away in leafy tranquility, yet inside the M25 ring. Sport was so obviously going to spring forth that afternoon. You could sense it. Everything was in tip-top shape. John was like a player before a match; a runner before a race. You could bet he was like it every single day. All those years ago, a SELTEC lecturer had made him see that groundsmanship could actually be just like sport itself, and this suited him down to the ground. I could tell that the Dave Bracey effect had well and truly rubbed-off. By the time he was twenty-six, John was the school’s Head Groundsman, Steve Moore having left to start up a
groundsman should always have an enquiring mind - about all the jobs he has to do. You can’t always get it right: it’s a moving target, one that needs constant analysis. Dave made me realise that it is anything but a prescriptive job where just doing as you’re told gets you by. He taught me always to be self- critical and always ready to adapt. Thanks to him I came to know it is always challenging, frequently rewarding, and there’s plenty of fun to be had too.”
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