You could be forgiven for thinking that Football Futures is just another football thing, you volunteer lots of hours and hear nothing back.. well that's not the case. 20,000 young volunteers have progressed through the programme and I'm fortunate enough to be one of them.
Football Futures has changed my life, and is changing the lives of others in so many different ways. Knowing how much FF means to me, it has been immense for me to be a part of FFCamp this year to be a part of many other personal journeys.
I went to camp with my own little book of goals, thoughts about what I wanted to achieve and an imagination of what ifs?! As i've learnt this week, crazy things can happen if you allow yourself the opportunity to dream. My goals were all built around enjoying myself, not dwelling on minor issues, delivering a camp to highest standard possible both individually and as a team and finally to enhance my own and the NGYC's children and young people network.
It's easy to rock up with a book of goals, it's another to execute them and get so much more.
Delivering Road to Rio, pushing myself well out of my comfort zone, what an experience?! The weird thing is, how enjoyable it was. I wasn't too nervous about it, I just got on with it, then cracked on with the evening. An evening which hit all aims, and the results were pretty conclusive come Tuesday morning when all young leaders were chatty, making links and coming well out of their shells.
Getting the chance to work closely with incredible young people, and be a part of their own journey. I know how much I value people, especially those who want to help, take time to listen and genuinely care. I hope that I got that across, because it was a real pleasure to work with like minded people and try to influence them positively.
I've spent the week being myself, just Sarah. Might be a little bit excitable and enthusiastic at times. But I've allowed myself the opportunity to relax, which has in turn allowed others to do the same. Sure I've got a pretty poor and dry sense of humour, but that's just the character I am. I hope that Camp has allowed others to be themselves, to develop their personality and the opportunity to enjoy themselves.
The response has been overwhelming, being asked questions, being needed and valued - the reason why I got a bit emotional at the closing ceremony. It's humbling to have been able to help people on their journey. To see people progress and develop is something which I can't really word, again very humbling to be a part of.
To have been a part of the delivery team of NGYC and Young Leader Mentors has been truly amazing. I'd like to think I've made lifelong friends. Looking around at the NGYC at our summer ball, and I was thinking - how have I managed to get into this position? What a team we have!
I've been inspired by our team of YLMs, NGYC, national staff and most importantly our young leaders. They've given me ideas which I can use, I am so excited about the coming months and how I can work with my region to develop the voice which we all have the power of using.
Having role models and people who inspire you is always a positive, but I can't ever express how fantastic it is that all of my role models can be found either in my phone or email contacts. People who I can ask for help, ask those silly question and just enjoy myself with. Mad to think that we're just people, trying to help other people be the best that they can be.
National Camp is about developing young leaders in their area of interest, but it's also about developing them as people.. 'And that's all it is, that's what the programmes about..people, and taking those people to their highest potential, their summit.' Amber Wildgust
A final outcome from #FFCamp14, I have accepted the offer to be a part of British Universities and College Sport's [BUCS] National football student management group next season - another challenge!
A huge thank you to:
The National Game Youth Council:
Lauren O'Sullivan, Kieren Laverick, Adam Herczeg, Jack Patmore, Jazz Hervin, Harry Organ, Lindsey Whitton, Dan Leggett, Lauren Asquith, Matt Dandy, Michael Ryan, Luke Baker and Jordan Guttridge.
National Staff:
Donna McIvor, Steve Swallow, John Heathcote and Sharon Muxworthy.
Greg Lambert - National Staff / National Game Youth Council.
Young Leader Mentors:
Marc Di Carlo, David Ebberson, Matt Prosser, Tina Reed, James Shiplee, Danny Hickinbottom, Kathryn Hall, Pete Collins, Rhea West, Emily Hill, Sarah Cummings, Andy Coles, Steve Tanner, Ollie Williams and Julia Ladbrooke.
Our 85 young leaders, go and be the change you want to see in the world, because you're more capable than you think.
'Sometimes we face a different kind of blindness. We don't see what we're capable of because we don't see our own possibilities.' Sir Ken Robinson.
For Erin Bates, an inspiration to many, remembered by all.
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