Thank you Belfast Ravens!

Thank you Belfast Ravens!!

I’ve had an amazing time working with, learning from, and proudly sponsoring, the whole Belfast Ravens crew this past season.

Belfast Ravens is a ladies football team for women of all ages who are total beginners (many never having played before) - or who want to get back to a sport they perhaps played at school. From their very first kick-about 18 months ago, to almost 40 people every week for training and this season entering the big leagues -NIWFA Division 4 - they’ve achieved a lot in a really short space of time!

Their performances on the pitch, the passion for improving their skills in training and the determination to keep fighting against much more experienced opponents has been truly infectious.

Our games against MoneySlane, our rivals St James, and win at Camlough were an absolute blast, but honestly our super resilient never-say-die drubbing at the hands of Lisburn Rangers really was a season highlight for me! The performance really inspired me to do all that I can do to be everything the team needs from a coach going forward.

I know that my appearances will be a little more scarce now that the season is over, plus I’ve got a few life and business changes coming up 😉, but I really will miss everyone involved in the off season, and I hope to return very soon with more blind positivity, dodgy warm ups & screams from the touchline.

So thank you Belfast Ravens, Rigsy, Aaron and everyone else who came along and supported!

BRING ON SEASON 2!

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I am beyond excited to announce that Fitness Belfast is now the official & super proud sponsor of @BelfastRavens Ladies Football Team! Belfast Ravens is a team for women of all ages who are total beginners (many never having played before) - or who want to get back to a sport they perhaps played at school. Ravens provide a super welcoming & supportive community for new players, train once a week as well as playing regular friendlies. set up by husband and wife team David O'Reilly - @sketchyrigsy (Manager) & Lisa Sykes O'Reilly @misslisasykes (Striker) in July 2017. Fitness Belfast is coming onboard to help guide training off the pitch, be a source of nutritional info, and of course help cover costs (the crest designed by @LouiseBrowneDesign & team kits are AMAZING), as any fundraising endeavours by the team aim to raise as much as possible for the The Children’s Cancer Unit Charity, based at the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children. #GoRavens!

A post shared by Fitness Belfast (@fitnessbelfast) on Jan 22, 2019 at 5:21am PST

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You might have noticed that I’m this season’s super proud sponsor of @BelfastRavens Football team - a team for women of all ages who are total beginners (many never having played before) - or who want to get back to a sport they perhaps played at school. As well as making it to as many training sessions & matches as I can, I’m also working on a series of simple 5 station workouts they can do at home - this one featuring: - Squats - Lunges - Push-Ups - Forearm Planks - Ab Cycles Give each exercise a try for 30 secs, and repeat 2 to 3 times for a 15 minute blitz you can fit into your busy day. You don’t even have to be a Raven to give it a go! Enjoy! . . . . . . . #fitnessbelfast #fitness #belfast #personaltraining #kickstartbootcamp #bootcamp #BroFlo #yogaforguys #KickstartFlo #yogaforeverybody #BelfastRavens #Football #LadiesFootball #NIWFA

A post shared by Fitness Belfast (@fitnessbelfast) on Feb 4, 2019 at 2:17pm PST

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Excited, proud, and absolutely freezin at my first ever @belfastravens match today! Amazing performance with a final score of Belfast Ravens 2-0 Street Soccer Credit to keeper Paulina Kulisz, as well as defenders Lisa Black, Maria Diamond Joss, Hannah Anderson and - especially - women of the match Clara Alverez Alonso. Nothing got past Clara! Thanks to Street Soccer for visiting us today - we look forward to another game soon!

A post shared by Fitness Belfast (@fitnessbelfast) on Feb 10, 2019 at 11:57am PST

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Absolutely thrilled, and so so proud to be alongside @belfastravens for their first ever competitive fixture tonight, against Banbridge Rangers, in the NIWFA Division 4. . . I've only been involved with the squad for a few months, but the dedication, determination and sheer guts they show week in, week out is awesome and always super inspiring. . . So excited for tonights match - Banbridge Tech, 7.30pm - whatever the outcome, it's such an amazing milestone for a new team of mostly beginners. . . GO RAVENS! . . PS - sorry to be missing Kickstart Bootcamp, but you're in the very capable hands of @neilgilbridefitness, and i'll see you next week! . . PPS - sign ups for the next round of OUTDOOR Kickstart Bootcamp is open now! - link in bio ⤴️ . . . . . . . #Football #LadiesFootball #NIWFA #fitnessbelfast #fitness #belfast #personaltraining #kickstartbootcamp #bootcamp #KickstartFlo #yogaforeverybody

A post shared by Fitness Belfast (@fitnessbelfast) on Apr 25, 2019 at 11:28am PDT

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Awesome to see @ash_1977 & @twodoorcinemaclub repping @belfastravens & Fitness Belfast in Bangor today! . Next stop Spice Girls, Westlife & Electric Six 😎 . Have fun you lot! 💃🏻 🕺 . #WardPark3

A post shared by Fitness Belfast (@fitnessbelfast) on May 25, 2019 at 9:27am PDT

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⚽️ WE DID IT 🎉 Moneyslane Ladies 2-5 Belfast Ravens Match report from @sketchyrigsy : Almost two years to the day since this team of beginners took part in a charity tournament - a team who would eventually become the @BelfastRavens.... finally, WE DID IT! A little bit of history - as we enjoyed our first competitive win - and what a performance to get it! Unbelievably, the Ravens took the lead after seven seconds - Caiti McCloskey knocking it back to Lisa Black from the kick off, who looped a long pass putting Caiti on a clear run ahead of a confidant finish. The opposition had barely touched the ball! Less than three minutes later Caiti got her second to make it 2-0 in what was a crazy start to the game. Things got even stranger, with Moneyslane getting two goals in quick succession - both straight from corner kicks! At this point the home team took complete control - as we looked very much like a side who'd just blown a 2-0 lead, suddenly looking nervy and getting overrun all over the pitch by a very quick and well organised Moneyslane side. The half time whistle couldn't come quick enough - though we ended on a real high, Emer Maguire opening her NIWFA account with a well taken volley from just inside the box. 3-2 Half time - though the match was far from over. After a patchy first 45 minutes, The Ravens knew they needed to keep their focus and improve a great deal if they were to win this game. And that's exactly what they did. Amy McGarrigle was rewarded for her incredible hard work in midfield with a wonderful goal on the hour mark, rounding 3 defenders before tucking it into the corner. There was still work to be done at the back though, with rookie Jenny Rogan making some good saves - and the defence holding firm - Clara Alverez Alonso in particular not letting anything past her at left back. The return of Paulina Kulisz - our goalkeeper who got injured at the very start of the season - really helped shake things up, though she was brought on to play up top, eventually setting up Caiti McCloskey to complete her hat trick and put the game to bed with her SEVENTH goal of the campaign. Continued in comments:

A post shared by Fitness Belfast (@fitnessbelfast) on Jun 11, 2019 at 1:15pm PDT

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⚽️ Belfast Ravens celebrating after an absolutely killer performance against Lisburn Rangers last night! 🥳 Feeling super proud today of their dedication to working soooo hard for one another despite relentless pressure from an incredibly gifted Rangers team. - We may have lost (& comfortably so) but we looked feckin good in defeat!! - Go @belfastravens !!! _ #Football #BelfastRavens #LadiesFootball #NIWFA #fitnessbelfast #fitness #belfast #personaltraining #kickstartbootcamp #bootcamp #KickstartFlo #yogaforeverybody

A post shared by Fitness Belfast (@fitnessbelfast) on Jul 4, 2019 at 6:56am PDT

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St James Swifts 2-2 Belfast Ravens A night of drama at Whiterock - and a game of two halves. First half, The Ravens - perhaps feeling the pressure of what was a huge game against a team fast becoming our rivals - weren't playing to the best of their ability. A few sloppy mistakes and a lack of belief allowed St James to take complete control, dominating all over the pitch. Amy Burns and Suzie Savage were both outstanding as ever for the home side, ad Gemma Quigley in nets looked like nothing would get past her. That said, their first goal was an opportunist free kick taken while we were setting up our wall. Did the ref actually blow his whistle? We're not so sure. A scramble allowed a second goal to make it 2-0 at the end of a frustrating first half. Half time and the Ravens took some criticism on the chin and went out for the second half determined to make things right. They also closely followed tactical changes and played as a real team, suddenly full of confidence. Lisa Black got us back in the game with a calm finish under pressure as the away team started to turn the screw, suddenly taking complete control. It helped that captain and woman of the match Hannah Anderson did an incredible job of marking Burns, their star player, never letting her out of her sight. Amy Mc Garrigle was unlucky not to score with a couple of long range efforts - as was Caiti McCloskey who caused chaos up top, as always. Caiti finally got her goal though, making it it 2-2 with fifteen minutes to go. We were on the ascendency and it felt like only one team was going to win it - but we just ran out of time. Frustrating not to leave with all three points against a great side - even if it was only the second half that we really turned up. That said, to come from two goals down and to totally change the game after the break shows incredible character and courage. Not one single player let their head drop - and that's what got us a memorable point. Match report by @sketchyrigsy - - - - - - - #Football #BelfastRavens #LadiesFootball #NIWFA #fitnessbelfast #fitness #belfast #personaltraining #kickstartbootcamp #bootcamp #KickstartFlo #yogaforeverybody

A post shared by Fitness Belfast (@fitnessbelfast) on Jul 20, 2019 at 9:44am PDT

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GO RAVENS! Camlough Rovers 0-2 Belfast Ravens Sad as I was to miss Kickstart Bootcamp last night (thanks @neilgilbridefitness for stepping in 💪), I was thrilled to be in Camlough for this @belfastravens result! A second victory on the road for the Ravens after an absolutely heroic performance against quality opposition! Another one for the history books - our first competitive clean sheet!! We started the game calm & collected, creating chances straight away while holding firm at the back. Despite a young Camlough team often beating us for pace, we were organised enough to keep shots on goal to a minimum. Emer Maguire was in great form & hungry for goals - and it was her rifled shot that the opposition keeper could only parry, with Caiti McCloskey ready to pounce and give us the lead on the half hour mark. It's rare for us to be in front at half time, and we kept it up in the second half playing focused & thoroughly entertaining football, with Caiti McCloskey getting her second - an absolute screamer from outside the box after 55 minutes – her THIRTEENTH of our seventeen competitive goals this season! While she is an incredible player, this is FAR from a one woman team! Loads of top class performances across the pitch - Laura Adams and Robyn Lakes played together as centre backs for the first time and kept things tight at the back, Danielle Williamson caused chaos on the right wing, while Emer Maguire was very unlucky not to score herself, hitting the post. Meanwhile, joint woman of the match (with Laura Adams) Paulina Kulisz didn't put a foot wrong between the posts. But it was the link up play & teamwork for 90 minutes that won us this game, the three points meaning we are now in sixth place. Our final game of the season is next Wed against Banbridge at Strangford Avenue (off the Malone Road), kick off 7.15pm – come & see this remarkable team of consistently punching above their weight beginners in action! Match report: @sketchyrigsy Starting XI - Kulisz, Flemming, Lakes, Adams, Parker, Williamson, McGarrigle, Anderson, Maguire, McCloskey ⚽️⚽️ Subs - Diamond Joss (sub - Flemming), Alverez Alonso (sub - Parker), Smyth (sub - McGarrigle)

A post shared by Fitness Belfast (@fitnessbelfast) on Aug 7, 2019 at 10:05am PDT