Meet the Team

Le Staff

We have some awesome guys working in the shop, all specialising in different sports.   In order for you guys to get a feel for the team they have answered some huegly sport and shop specific questions and I will blog their answers over the following weeks.

We will start with Dr David Draper.... Our newest recruit:

Name David Draper

Works - 3 days during the week and on Saturdays

Specialist Sport - Crossfit (Level 1 instructor), Surfing (laid back world travelling club!), Snowboarding (anywhere the powder is knee deep and fresh), Gymnastics (Gold medal in some club competition aged 14!)

Sporting Hero - Kelly Slater (9 x ASP World Surf Champion) for being regarded universally as the best surfer that has ever lived - i think a very rare thing to achieve amongst your peers.

Sporting Villain - Didier Drogba - for continually falling over at the slightest of touches and sometimes even when never touched at all! (but he has admittedly got better this season!)

Best Product and Why - Vibram Five Fingers - unusual, pioneering, niche but still selling like hotcakes (wish i'd thought of them!)

Top 5 Products in an NRS supermarket sweep - Vibrams, Adidas Kanadias, Under armour thermals,  Kettlebells, Nike Blue/Black running shorts
Hottest Sportsperson. - Alison the American pole vaulter (google it!)

David's a PT and very much into functional training and is knoweldgeable about all of our fitness equipement and clothing and has also been asked by customers to help them get in shape. He also loves his new Taupe Vibrams.

David has also recently played tennis in running trainers and doofed up his ankle as he didnt listen to the shop advise... let that be a lesson to all of ya!.

I do however 100% agree with Alison the American Pole Vaulter.

Ndubz.

Tennis - My new OCD

Tennis - My New OCD


I played a lot of sport as a Junior and after playing county Tennis I decided Cricket really was the choice sport. At the age of 13 I hung up my Wilson Ultra Superlite's X 3 and focused on Cricket.


Now fast forward to the Shop a few years on and it was painfully obvious that I was not going to take any enjoyment out of standing on a field on my only day off in the week. My Cricket career, that was resurected only the year before had now finished and I needed another sport to focus on.... Tennis.


We met a few Tennis Coaches very early into the shop. Then one slow Tuesday afternoon enter Ben and Jack. 


Ben and Jack - Young Tennis Coaches at Pavillion and Avenue Tennis Club http://www.brighton-hove-tennis.co.uk/ entered the shop looking like 2/3rds of NDubz and are now my new coaches.....From this day I see Ben and Jack most days, I get lessons 3 days a week and my new OCD has started.


The OCD is still in its exciting early phase of taking up too much of my time, energy and thoughs, Jo is waiting for the burnout but this time I feel more mature and have decided in my wisdom that the key to becoming a better sportsperson is Longevity.


The racket selection in the shop grows daily as I am yet to find my Weapon of Choice and wont rest until I find her. As a result of this quest I have used all the rackets and I have to say my knowledge of them all is personal and Anorak.


The search grows and so does my forehand inside out.

Challenges

I have been thinking for some time now that I need a new challenge. I have considered Triathalons but I cannot swim and I have signed up for the Marathon but dont think I have the time/energy to train and do the shop..... I'm struggling.

Then it hit me.... The shop sponsored this years Tennis Championships at the Pavillion and Avenue Tennis Club in Hove and the good folk of the club invited us up on Finals Day to have a stall and to give away the winners prizes.... My good self and the fair maiden Jo duely obliged and set up camp.

The turnout of members was great as there was some impressive tennis on display with the Mens signles finals being the highlight, it was watching 1 of the 2 coaches rackets being thrown full way across the court when my latest challenge hit me.....

If I was to dedicate 1 year of my life to understanding all the technical and physical aspects top class Tennis players require, would I be able to beat a Tennis Coach in next years competition. 


Basically what I am saying is can I learn in a year what coaches have been working towards all their life. 
And so the quest begins. I need to understand what the key aspects of Tennis are (Help and Hints are required here), train at them and then add on top of that the pyscology of Match Play and pressure..... 

I am currently on a train back from Liverpool and have yet to Tell Jo another OCD is born. I will keep you informed

Intro into Nick Rivett Sport Ltd

I am not sure how I am going to use this Blog but at present I am going to use it as a diary to document the many thoughts and events that go on in my head and in the shop on a weekly basis.

Intro into the Main Players

Nick Rivett

As my good friends will know I am very much focused on the immediate present. I do not plan and I cannot finish anything to save my life. I dont get that feeling of reward by scrubbing it off my 'things to do' list and I have either misplaced it or been interupted and gone onto somthing more interesting half way through.

I am OCD about the latest thing I have decided to get into and will do it to the death up until the point I lose, have a bad practice, injure myself or generally lose interest. 

I prefer to be with people than by myself, I'm sarcastic, find it difficult to say No and go quite when upset.

Jo Rivett

Jo on the other hand is ruthlessly efficient and plans her lists to the minute, she has a task and gets it done and lives about 2 weeks in the future. She is organised, efficient and likes routine.
She needs her space, tells it straight and finds it difficult to rest.

Burt Rivett

He is our 8 month old Pug, Burt is incredibly spoilt and gets whatever he wants, not in a 'My pug is the best' type way but in what is the easiest way to shut him up type way. We have created a very cute and adorable monster. Burt is found sleeping on carrier bags, weeing on anything that dangles or permenantly attached to Jo's hip. He is our furry baby and we now wouldnt have it any other way. 

Nick Rivett Sport

We all gave our jobs up at the begining of this year to focus on opening a 1000sq ft general sport shop in Church Road Hove. It was always a passion/dream of mine and after a few personal setbacks we decided that lifes too short and the time is now. 

I gave up my job as a Retail Accountant and Jo hers as a Retail Buyer and with Slick Rick (My Dad - Previous Department Store Manager) The wheels of Nick Rivett Sport started to turn. 

After 4 years serious work, Intersport Nick Rivett Sport opened its doors on 28th May 2010 and so it began. http://www.nickrivettsport.co.uk/


We will forever be learning but even over the 4 months we have been open the shop has generate some rather amusing stories, especially when you add the 'General Public' into the mix.