The FA Leadership and Volunteering Programme; Changing Lives Trip, sees four Football Leaders heading to Trinidad.
In one week’s time, the young Football Leaders will get the opportunity of a lifetime to travel to Trinidad as part of The FA’s Changing Lives Programme.
The Leaders were selected from 103 Leaders who attended the National Leadership Camp in July 2010 and will now get the chance to not only develop their coaching skills, but also their life skills such as communication, organisation, creativity, decision making, problem solving and team work.
They will be working with local schools and linking into their International Inspiration Programme, which is a UK Government led international legacy programme for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. This is the first time in its history that there has been an official commitment to an international legacy as part of the Games.
International Inspiration aims to:-
- To transform the lives of 12 million young children in schools and communities across the world, particularly in developing countries such as; Brazil, India, Palau, Ghana, Jordan, South Africa and Trinidad & Tobago through the power of sport.
- To create strong, sustainable and supportive systems within which children of all abilities, some from the most disadvantaged communities can enrich their lives by playing and excelling in sport.
A challenging ambition, but International Inspiration London 2012 Olympic Legacy programme is confident that it can engage young people in physical education and high quality sport, through various projects under II that touch different parts of community, schools (primary and secondary) and sport development work at professional and community level, including coaches and clubs.
Throughout the week, the Football Leaders will train and develop Trinidad & Tobago Leaders and deliver coaching sessions in primary schools.
The hope is that they will leave a legacy in Trinidad & Tobago to encourage and inspire the leaders we have trained to continue their work after we have gone.
The Football Leaders
Jay Amin, 16, St. Bedes
Favourite Team?
Arsenal.
Person in football who has influenced you the most?
Lionel Messi.
How did you get involved in Leadership and Volunteering?
I was selected to attend the ISFA Leadership Camp in March 2010 and things continued from there.
How did attending the National Camp in July 2010 help you?
It enabled me to learn many new coaching skills and ideas, plus the concept of going away with other coaches and being together as a team was a taster of what is to come.
What are you looking forward to the most about going to Trinidad?
Coaching and developing myself and others around me and enjoying what Trinidad has to offer culturally and the weather!
Laurisa Robson, 16, Derbyshire
Favourite Team?
Manchester United.
Person in football who has influenced you the most?
David Beckham.
How did you get involved in Leadership and Volunteering?
My school saw my ability in leadership and sport so I was glad to volunteer when asked to coach and referee football.
How did attending camp in July 2010 help you?
It’s improved my coaching so much and provided me with so many new amazing opportunities to help me continue to develop as a coach.
What are you looking forward to the most about going to Trinidad?
The challenges that I will face while I’m there and helping the underprivileged children in the orphanage we are visiting. I’m so excited about meeting all the new people too.
Stuart Brown, 19, Leicestershire
Favourite Team?
Leicester City
Person in football who has influenced you the most?
My Dad. He was manager of the first team I ever played for, and as I grew older, became chairman of Loughborough Dynamo Junior Football Club; the Chartered Standard club where my leadership and volunteering journey began. He has always been really enthusiastic about my coaching and volunteering in football.
How did you get involved in Leadership and Volunteering?
At the age of 15, I took a Junior Football Organiser’s course and participated in a Step Into Sport programme through the School Club Link between Loughborough Dynamo JFC and Burleigh Community College. I really enjoyed helping out at the club I’d played at since I was an U7. I carried on coaching a number of mini-soccer teams and developed a passion for coaching football. I then sought to gain qualifications and had passed my level 1 and 2 Certificates in Coaching Football before turning 18.
How did attending camp in July 2010 help you?
This year on the camp, my role was to mentor the Management Team who were charged with running and organising the week long residential camp having shown great potential and ability on the previous year’s camp. Working with a group of both individually and collectively, talented people really helped me develop my mentoring skills. The challenge for me was guiding the Management Team through the journey I had been on myself as a member of the Management Team in 2009 and allowing and helping them to solve problems, work as a team and develop the camp in their own unique way. They did an outstanding job and made the 2010 camp the best one yet!
What are you looking forward to the most about going to Trinidad?
For me, it’s the chance to work with yet another group of outstanding Football Leaders, as well as some brilliant role models who already work for The Football Association that I can learn a great deal from. I know as a team we will deliver some brilliant footballing experiences to the people of Trinidad and if we can leave the kids with a smile on their face at the end of the week… then I think the trip will have been a success.
Victoria Summerfield, 16, Wiltshire
Favourite Team?
Chelsea
Person in football who has influenced you the most?
David Beckham - every time someone told him he couldn’t do something, he tried harder and came back better.
How did you get involved in Leadership and Volunteering?
I went to watch my little brother playing Brazilian football and there were only two leaders, so I volunteered to help so that way I could teach and learn at the same time. I have enjoyed my volunteering and have just started to volunteer with Streets Ahead; a disabled football group in Andover and love it.
How did attending camp in July 2010 help you?
It helped my confidence in terms of teaching me how to deal with older children or parents. As soon as I got back, I had both the parents and the teachers telling me how I had changed and how my lessons had improved.
What are you looking forward to the most about going to Trinidad?
I am looking forward to helping the leaders carry on training and giving the children football in their lives. I love football and want to show how through football you can enjoy yourself, be part of a team and stay healthy. Football lets everyone be the same on the pitch - we are all equal no matter what background you come from and the more you learn the better you get and the better you feel about yourself.