3 years ago today I had a double road trip, firstly to Owestry Orthopedic Hospital to see a specialit physio about my knee, then raced to Loughborough for my first ever coaching event, the Youth Sport Trust, National Young Coaches Academy. 3 days with 180 other young coaches who were just starting out on their journey. I was 1 of 20 coaches representing the FA. My first real event, I remember being scared and worried that I wouldn't be able to keep up, or would be starting way behind everyone else. That turned out not to be the case, managing to keep up, being a 'keeno' asking loads of questions and starting to realise how big of a job coaching is, the amount of skills it involved and develops and quite importantly, how many other people were getting the buzz from it also. I walked away from that event with an award, but the reward of just being there, meeting some incredible people and having the enthusiasm to learn and continue to do so meant a lot more!
2 years ago I was supporting 2 county FAs (Shropshire & Lancashire) with their Football Futures/ Young Leadership events. Going from a young leader attending the events to learn and develop, to now supporting them and delivering parts of workshops. Holding an ambassador role on the day, asking questions and trying to probe answers out of people, using my experience to develop and support others.
This time last year I was on the other side of the world in Rwanda with The FA delivering the FA Changing Lives Leadership Award. Putting into practice my coaching skills to mentor and support peer leaders in another country. Really testing the key communication and problem solving skills. Being selected as 1 of 4 young leaders to go out and deliver an international programme, working closely with 4 peer leaders, delivering in school and universities in physics, environments like no other. I'm still learning from the experience looking back and thinking about things, what I could have done differently and just the incredible memories of having such an experience.
This year, this week, I'm attending 2 County FA FF Camps, one being in Manchester where I have supported the working group creating the event, seeing it come to life from behind the scenes. On Friday we are presenting our first Youth Onside Award at Lancashire FA, recognising a club who have created a junior committee to allow young people at the club to be heard. Now I'm having a bigger hand in football development work.
All the while I've been developing the skills learnt from the first NYCA camp, transferring them from place to place which has led me to where I am now, with the contacts and friends I have across the country. Goodness knows what will happen over the next 3 years, but I hope it's as exciting as the last 3 have been!
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