Daisy Mae is part of the Marketing team at Experience Education, sharing the stories that bring school residentials to life. Before joining, she worked as a ski rep in Alpe d’Huez with SkiBound – so she knows a thing or two about adventure! A Marketing and Management graduate from the University of East Anglia, Daisy’s love for travel has taken her interrailing across Europe and road-tripping along the West Coast USA. Now, she’s all about helping schools discover safe, seamless, and unforgettable residentials that give students memories (and muddy trainers) to last a lifetime.
Here at JCA Sports, we understand that the start of the school year can be a busy one, with so many possibilities for success. Excursions and trips are a great way to get your students forming friendships from the start of the year, which will last throughout their academic journey. Condover Hall offers action-packed junior sports weekends. Football and netball teams of all ages can train, compete, bond, and celebrate together. We sat down with our JCA Sport Sales Manager, Rosina, and our JCA Sport Sales Executive, Cerys, to answer the questions we hear most – so you can book with confidence and focus on the fun!
What’s included in a tournament weekend?
Rose: “You can get so much from a weekend with us! It’s the perfect balance of playing netball and enjoying adventurous activities. There’s full-board accommodation, with a great range of breakfast, lunch and dinner options to choose from. Groups will have pre-organised tournament fixtures which are all allocated based on the teams ages. If you’re at Condover for netball you play on our 4 onsite netball courts.”
Cerys: “ We also run 4 football weekends during the year, alongside netball. Your footballers will play on the very same grounds as Shrewsbury football stadium, and enjoy lunch in the concourse stands – how cool is that! If you’ve got both a netball and football team, then less travel costs for you! We also ensure that both tournaments are ran by qualified umpires, referees and scorers. So really, group leaders don’t have to worry about organising a thing during your time at JCA.”
Rose: “As well as the tournaments, players can also take part in our drop-in activities. It’s a great way to break up the day and let off some post-match steam. My favourite activity has to be the axe-throwing!”
Cerys: “You can’t forget about the evening entertainment as there’s lots to choose from. I couldn’t believe they do a silent disco every Saturday, the kids love it almost as much as the teachers do! If you want to brush up on your shoot skills, why not try our new activity Aeroball, which is also great for fitness on the trampolines. ”
Who are your tournaments for?
Rose: “The majority of our netball and football tournaments are for U12-U16 teams. But we also run a couple of weekends aimed at younger players which are U10s and U11s, right through to Sixth Formers.”
Cerys: “Our U10s and U11s weekends are getting super popular. We had 32 teams entries across our last March 2025 weekend on just this age group alone!”
Rose: “Both junior clubs and school teams can enter our tournaments. For schools, we also have school-only weekend options. This ensure that the teams are well allocated into the correct competitive ability.”
How do you ensure safety in these tournaments?
Cerys: “That’s a great question, safety is our top priority whenever we’re organising these weekends. All of our staff, both site staff and sport staff are DBS checked and first aid trained. All JCA instructors receive enhanced training for each activity also.”
Rose: “It’s also important to mention that all of our umpires are qualified to at least C level. The majority of which have many years of tournament experience too. Our staff are on hand to control the games, ensuring safe play, whilst encouraging fun and talent.”
Cerys: “Prior to each tournament, our netball officials carry out a court check which happens every Friday evening and Saturday morning before each weekend. We want to make sure that everyone has fun, but is also safe doing so!”
Rose: “The whole of Condover Hall is also super secure. We have a 24/7 security guard in the main hall area at night time. They are also in charge of night site walks. All of our accommodation blocks also have individual codes to get into, as well as a key for each individual room. No one else knows those codes apart form the people in that accommodation block.”
How do we actually get in to the grounds? It looks a bit confusing.
Rose: “I promise it’s an easy one. For extra security our main gate has a camera and a buzzer, so we can monitor who is on site. When you arrive, just give that a press and let reception know you’re hear. There will then be a friendly face to meet you on the other side. Simple!”
Do I need to coach and referee the matches?
Rose: “Nope! We organise everything from the fixtures to the umpiring to the scoring. Teachers and coaches can simply coach and cheer from the side lines.”
Is there a lot of admin involved? I’m overloaded with marking and can’t take on anymore paperwork.
Cerys: “We know that can put teachers off, which is why we take care of everything, taking the pressure off trip leaders. There’s a few simple forms to fill out at the start. It’s mainly medical and dietary questions, but that’s it.”
Check out Rose’s top tips for planning a tournament weekend:
- Book well in advance: This allows parents to spread the cost over time rather than facing one large payment.
- Early planning: We can hold your places provisionally for one month, so you’re not financially tied to anything while gathering confirmations. This helps you secure your preferred date early!
- Provide clear itineraries and information to parents: We can help with this — we have lots of promotional material to support you in launching the tournament weekend at your end. We’ll also send your fixtures before your event so you’ll know where your teams need to be, when they’re playing, and how many games to expect.
What happens if one of my pupils get injured or homesick?
Rose: “We know that some children can feel homesick – it’s totally normal. Our staff are trained to spot the signs early and offer reassurance. On top of playing the sport they love, we will keep them busy with fun activities, make sure they’re with friends. Most children settle quickly once they’re distracted and supported”
” A fantastic weekend! Both staff and students had a great time. The netball tournament was organised and officiated superbly and the activities on offer for the girls were great.”
Blackheath High School
Is the schedule really fun on? Some of my students quite like some downtime
Rose: “The weekend is action-packed, but there’s also plenty of opportunities for downtime. The layout of the weekend will depend on how many teams we have. Typically, our tournaments take place on both Saturday and Sunday.”
Cerys: “Teams are either scheduled for the Saturday morning or afternoon sessions, followed by Sunday matches from 9am to 1.30pm. When they’re not on the pitch, they have time to explore and try some of our drop-in activities, or have some downtime”
Rose: “It’s also good to note that there’s no pressure to take part in the drop-in sessions, that’s why they’re drop in! If players would rather take a nosey at the gift shop or chill with their friends, they absolutely can. It’s a great weekend for them to be independent. Our site is super secure, so both staff and players feel safe 24/7.”
Is there anything else you want to add?
Rose: “Ooo yes. Something that I think is unique to our JCA Sports weekend. We’re actually celebrating our 15 years partnership with HC tournaments this year. The HC team are netball enthusiasts and run the tournaments incredibly efficiently. Jo Coker, the owner of HC has tones of netball experience. This year she actually went over to Dubai to officiate the UAE netball cup 2025.”
Cerys: “A little sneaky tip from me, the earlier you book, the better the deal. We’ve also then got more time to ensure your trip is fabulous! If you’re thinking about booking for March-July 2026, get chatting to us now!”
We know leading a school trip can feel like juggling flaming footballs but with us, you’ve got the whole team backing you up. Get chatting with Rose or Cerys to start planning your next fantastic tournament!
