Why are you here? NGYC

6 months through the year, 6 months through my FA National Game Youth Council experience. My first ever experience of being a part of a youth council, and I'm loving every minute! The contact with counties, meeting new people, seeing the difference I'm making and now looking ahead to National Camp.

Attending meetings is always exciting, hearing how the team are getting on, the latest updates, catching up with friends, mentor meetings, planning and workshops which make you think. 

It's been confirmed that I am an elephant mixed with a dolphin (Nigel Risner - It's a Zoo Around Here) which has been reflected in my work. The time I take to do things, to make sure they are done properly. Spending time with counties who want help, looking to create strong rapports. 

I've come to learn, that the main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing. So I'm hoping that nearly all of the counties within the North West have some kind of youth council/ management team by the end of the year. Hoping to play my part in hitting our overarching goal for Youth coverage across the country. It's also my role to maintain the current youth councils we have.

So far we've run the County Chairs training for those currently involved within a County FA set up. Delivering workshops which will benefit the Chairs and people who attended, and now create a legacy where Empowering Youth sessions can now be delivered within counties, leagues and clubs. 

The Football Legacy Programme and Fund is up and running, events have been delivered and a number are planned for the coming months. A programme which is allowing youth councils / management teams an opportunity to create their own programmes to then be delivered. 

Now we look ahead to National Camp. Just a few weeks away, the excitement is sky high and I can't wait to return to the camp as part of the NGYC after attending as a young leader 2 years ago. The comment has been made that this could be 'my moment', time to shine.. *jazz hands at the ready.* I'm looking forwards to being around the young leaders, working with individuals and trying to make the week a positive experience for all. The first night's activities have been planned by myself and Jord which is very exciting.

What I love more, National Camp 2012 was the best week of my life. I met some amazing people and have continued to build on the learning and developments made. As Camp benefitted me so much, I really want to make sure that this year Camp has the same effect on others. 

The NGYC constantly question my thinking and challenges how I'm doing things. The latest question I'm pondering is, why are you here? Why am I on the youth council? Why did I apply? To be honest, I applied off the back of Camp 2 years ago, seeing the difference in which the Youth Council could make to me, and wanting to be able to do the same. Since Camp 2012 this want to be involved has grown, and since being a part of the NGYC I've come to realise how prominent my passion is to be to able to influence and help others. At no point have I ever thought, ooh that'd be a good CV enhancer, ooh that might provide me with experience for a job. 

I'm on the NGYC because I want to be able to make a difference whilst being a part of a passionate group of young people who want the same. 

So far the experience has been everything I hoped for plus more. Questions are already being asked about next year, but for now, I've got plans to make, #FFCamp14 goals to write, workshops to deliver and youth councils to support. 

If you're not already, please get following @TheFaNYC and join in with the Camp build up and to keep an eye on the amazing thing which young people are doing in football.

Just a little Pep talk:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-gQLqv9f4o&feature=youtu.be

Do you get courage? Or the opportunity to be courageous?

I get a lot of stick for the emotional kid that I am, some of these blog posts prove that. Realising the morals and key features of the Football Futures Programme, what's important in life and why we're all teachers. I've come to realise how other things have really helped and put me in the place I am. 

Uni has taught me about socialisation, theories about how we act, react.. take opinions, revise them and reshape them. But sometimes there is a much deeper meaning behind it all. I constantly read on twitter, in books, in lectures about allowing people to be creative, to.. try things, experiment.. Never miss out on an opportunity to experiment is what someone said last year. All of this and I think, yeah great, the kids are trying Maradona turns, attempting a Neymar penalty run up and creating their own route around a football pitch.

I've done a lot of thinking, isn't this just the basis for life? I might be wrong. 

I've grown up with the freedom to make my own decisions, follow the muddy path that hasn't been travelled..  As long as it's the one I want. To follow my dreams, MY dreams. I've not been pushed into A levels, a degree which will guarantee a job because I don't want that. 

Making a decision requires courage, doesn't it? Or does choosing what you want, stem from courage? Possibly both. The courage to think past the draw backs which may follow, the possibility of being wrong.. even if there is just a glimmer of being right. Someone once said it's the journey, not the destination. So those courageous decisions may evolve into a fantastic journey of learning, but finish in defeat. Still the winner though, cause I've enjoyed the journey? 

Through my year 8 options, friends at school, college choices, football team, uni, and most importantly my dreams, I've had nothing but support from my parents and family. I'd say I've followed what appears to be right, going to to uni before heading out into the world, but no one said that's the only way. I've created my own pathway, defined by me and what I stand for, but shared with people who want me to succeed.. and if I don't, to have learnt along the way. 

I look to my Dad, the man who never fails to bring tears to me eyes when he tells me how proud he is of what I'm achieving. The man who told me to chase after my dreams, fill my life with what I enjoy - that's how you get rich. Rich on life. To my Mom who hates the fact I might not return home from uni, but can't wait to tell everyone what I'm doing and having those 'proud Mom' moments. How amazing is that, giving your parents 'proud parent moments.' I can't even word it. 

Do you know what's even cooler, is I'm not going out there to create 'proud parent moments.' I'm just doing what I enjoy, taking everything which I can (literally) and pondering down a muddy path which seems to be leading to an unknown place. 

I've got Becky who sticks out a Facebook status when I'm off away, attempts to get a hug out of me when I'm home, and is just there when I need her. Moments that I smile about. Ben who treats me like a celebrity when I'm with him, doesn't want me to leave, telling me I'm not allowed to go back to Preston. 2 people aged 21 and 5 who I can talk to about anything, who can both bring out the best in me without even trying. 

So incredibly lucky to have an amazing family of number 1 Sarah supporters. Friends who tell their parents about me, what I'm doing and where I'm going. It's crazy sometimes, this kid from Telford creating a life full of experiences and enjoyment. The people who I've not spoken to for ages, but still care and are amazed at the things I've done. 

Looking now at teachers, coaches, colleagues, mentors... people. People who aren't there to modify me into a version of them, but to help create the best Sarah Nickless. To be a part of this journey. Although they speak through experience and for the best, they are more people just throwing in a thought.. Allowing me to make my own mistakes. 

Throughout all of this, it's me who is the decision maker. I sometimes think, are these recent successes fate? Does having a troubled childhood equal a successful future? I guess probably not. But it certainly allows me to enjoy and appreciate everything, knowing the past.

The mad thing is, sometimes I sit and read my blog to reminisce, and I wonder how I've done all the things I have. I've grown up knowing that you work hard for what you get, things don't get put on a plate. The things I've achieved, are things I haven't gone looking for. I've not asked for them, they've come to me. Just like progressions in a session, they kind of come naturally. You've just got to decide of to let them pass or take the opportunity. 

There's also this thing of, oh that will look great on your cv, or that'll help when getting a job... Never once have I thought that when applying for something or going to an event. I've done things because I enjoy them, and want to get better. Not because it's a CV enhancer or might get me an award. If that's what we're aiming for then nothing will be learnt, events won't be enjoyed and at the end of it you won't be able to recognise the value of what's been achieved. Where the fun in that, going places to be able to say that you've been there.. but done what?

I've never really thought about it, but this freedom, it's what's working for me. A want to enjoy things, do what I like doing. Obviously the support helps to no end, but ultimately only I can make the final decisions. Sarah's Wild Adventure has gotten me this far. Being who I want to be, doing what I want to do. 

Things like having a bit of hope to play football again, but then veering off in a different direction of volunteering, has been the best thing which has every happened to me. I wouldn't wish injury upon anyone, but I'm so grateful for mine, which has provided a head turn which is continuing to be a huge part of the journey. 

I've got some unbelievable people around me. Not everything is fine and dandy, the river still floods every now and then. But as we know, the rivers still flow. And it's this little bit of force which turns our stream, into a river and into the sea which then goes all over the world. 

Fortunate to have people around me who care and want to what's best, fortunate enough to be able to make my own decisions. 

I've learnt that by doing the right things, gets you noticed by the right people. Being allowed a freedom in life gets you as far as freedom on a pitch. That turn might not pull off every time, but to get past the hurdle/player/ challenge you've got to be ready. Back your decision, and if it doesn't pull off first time, go again. 

Bit of a mind dump, it's come after watching a film last night. Not really FF related, but it doesn't really have to be. 

A Year of Making Mistakes

This weekend I will finally be on my way back to Shropshire to have my final student summer, 2 months of no uni work, making my own tea, washing my own clothes and paying to live - one to savour I know. This might sound great, but realistically I'm already 2 months into my summer. 1 month was spent in Zambia, the other has been spent here in Preston, in and out of meetings, planning and emailing. Sounds riveting? 

2 months after my activator contract ran out for the year, I'm returning home to continue planning. It feels like I can't escape, constantly thinking about next season, plans that I've got in place, things I've yet to do and also my first year in the role. 

I think it says a lot about me to have spent so much time in Preston, planning and attending meetings.. But I want to get next year right, the more I do now, the less I have to do later. Without going on about my ridiculous sized summer, I want to have a look back over the season 2013/14 and my time spent in and office, behind a computer, down a phone and on the playing field. 

As my previous blogs have outlined, I was shocked and so overwhelmed to have got the role as University Football Activator for UCLan at the start if the year. It felt like the best possible next step on a ladder of football development, which up until 2 years ago, I didn't even know existed. This a new experience for me and one which I couldn't see the future of, as in where it would take me, what it really involved and if I was up to the challenge. 

The early stages seemed to pass me by, still amazed that I was in the role. Weeks and hours tumbled by and I hadn't really done anything, or so it seemed. Freshers' Fairs came and went, we had teams signing up and chasing round halls of residence to try and get more students involved. A task I thought wouldn't be a problem, everyone loves football right?

Wrong, that seemed to be a hard pill to swallow. One that I couldn't understand and it constantly annoyed me that I couldn't get more people involved, turns out that I probably wasn't looking in the right places or putting on the right kind of event.

They say that you make a mistake once, after that it becomes a choice. This is the best way in which I can describe the past year within my role. Mistakes are proof that I'm trying things, the plans I'm making for next year are proof that I'm learning. I've had a number of positives and successes, that with the Hub Club Project, referee developments and number of teams within our Student Union Leagues, but that doesn't mean that everything has run smoothly.

That of setting up a female only football provision, some sort of volunteer group, running our 11-a-side leagues.. Things that I want to work but haven't seemed to be able to get right. I've had a lot of people tell me that I'm spread far too thinly, and I agree. Having so much to with little time has been incredibly difficult at times I've lost enthusiasm and struggled. But sometimes it's that struggle and those mistakes which show us where to improve and what's needed. 

It's been a challenge to try and implement ideas without any research, to learn about how to run leagues, to organise referees and things which go wrong on match days - which they certainly have done! The times where referees haven't turned up, the weather has ruined fixtures, players moaning, teams dropping out, chasing money.. things that you don't expect to happen. There are times where I've wanted the ground to open up and eat me.. but learning how to deal with and in this situations has helped a lot.

After talking to many other Football Activators it seems like I had an awful lot of responsibility put on my shoulders. I've been involved with projects which others haven't and have had a lot to look after. With a lot to look after it's been challenging but also very rewarding. After linking up with the Lancashire Hub Club Project I have been able to see and be a part of some amazing developments where the Hub Club has now grown a number of arms including an FA Affiliated club for 5+ different age groups and now planning to run Football Mash Up centres under their name. This work has been topped off by UCLan inviting me to The Sir Tom Finney Tribute Dinner, a posh evening celebrating Sir Tom Finney's life and also raising money for the Sir Tom Finney Soccer Centre [the Hub Club].

Getting a referee course run and now progressing into hopefully a referee's forum is also very exciting, something I hope to pull off next season.

Now, looking towards next season, I've planned and will have a Futsal league running. The first futsal league at UCLan, expectations around me are quite low, but I'm fairly confident things will work out well following attendances to a futsal turn up and play session last year. I've spent time linking up with The FA to affiliate us to be an FA Futsal Fives League, setting up all of the ground work - now I've got to deliver it.

I've had a meeting with all football providers at the university to ensure that we can deliver the 6 point BUCs football offer as a team, instead of me trying to run it all single handedly. Although I've been able to spread some of my work, it seems that I will be doing the same if not more next season within less hours. A mammoth task. 

The challenges I've face have been difficult at times to get around, but they've provided me with first hand experience within an environment which I want to be in when I graduate next year. 

I've learnt to be patient and offer what students want, not what I think they need. To persevere, not give up if it doesn't work straight away. And also the importance of collaboration, whether that be when sending out volunteering opportunities, delivering the leagues or within the Hub Club. However small the input, that could be the final jigsaw piece. 

Frustration is natural, it's a struggle to juggle my degree, job, living, coaching and everything else I want to do. But I've managed to get through it, with better planning and knowledge of what next year will hold will definitely put me in good stead to leave a legacy for someone else to pick up next year. 

This season, 2013/14, I have:
- Run our 11-a-side SUL league with 16 teams.
- Run our 5-a-side SUL league with 12 teams.
- Formed a strong partnership with our Hub Club, creating 6 coaching placements.
- Run a basic referees course creating 12 new referees.
- Set up UCLan as a Mars Just Play centre, hoping to have more success with this next year.
- Run a football festival, Mars Just Play in partnership with Team 23 with over 100 students involved.
- Partially delivered a workshop around the Hub Club project at the BUCs Football Development Conference.
- Attempted to create a female only football provision.
- Put in all of the ground work ahead of a Futsal Fives League next season.

I think that my role this year has played a huge part in helping me to be accepted onto the National Game Youth Council, provided me with experience of contacting a number of people, looking to deliver projects, deliver presentations and come up with innovative ideas.

It's been a busy first year, where a lot has taken place. Hopefully next year will be a little easier with having a years experience, but I'm sure it will throw up more problems.

Just like queuing up for a rollercoaster, you see all of the climbs, drops and thrills - but you cant feel the ride until you're on it. I knew it would be a roller coaster, but had to be on it to experience it.

I've got more plans to write, provisions to maintain and a year to leave behind a job with a legacy.. not much of an ask..