Kenya bound

In one week’s time, The FA Football Futures Changing Lives Programme, will give four young coaches the opportunity of a lifetime to head to Nakuru, Kenya.

The Leaders were selected from 61 Ambassadors within the National Football Futures Programme 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 in with Skillshare International who are a volunteering and development organisation. Skillshare International work in partnership with communities in Africa and Asia to reduce poverty and inequality and work towards improving economic and social development.

Skillshare International achieve this by sharing and developing skills and ideas, facilitating organisational and social change and building awareness of development issues by:-

• International volunteering: developing workers, short-term consultants and other volunteers to share their skills with local colleagues in their partner organisations.
• Using their leadership development programme to enhance the long-term strategic leadership capability of their partner organisations.
• Working with their partners to access funding and develop strategies for financial sustainability.
• Networking to enable their partners to share information, learn and share best practice with other organisations.
• Participating in policy and advocacy activities enabling their partners to advocate for positive change.
• Working with medical students and health professionals to build awareness of development issues.

Throughout the week, the Football Futures Coaches will train and develop leaders, players and coaches at Nakuru Allstars and deliver coaching sessions in primary schools. The Nakuru AllStars are a Kenyan professional football club based in Nakuru, that compete in the Nationwide League, the second tier of football in Kenya.

The hope is that they will leave a legacy in Kenya to encourage and inspire the leaders they have trained to continue their work after they have gone.

The Football Futures Coaches

Kieren Laverick, Durham County FA, 19

Favourite team? Newcastle United

Person in football who has influenced you the most? Tina Reed – Durham FA Education Football Development Officer

How did you get involved in Leadership and Volunteering? Through my dad, helping him set up training sessions, etc, for my team, then went on to a similar role with the school team

How has being in the Football Futures Programme benefited you? Without the programme, I’d probably still be shy, have no confidence in speaking. I’d be unorganised and stuck in some nothing job, but I’ve realised now I don’t have to be.
 
What are you looking forward to the most about going to Kenya? Seeing the world through a different set of eyes and how different it is for people who have less than myself. I’ve heard a lot about how high spirited Kenyans are and I hope I get to see it in full swing.

Lindsey Whitton, 20, Somerset FA

Favourite football team? Celtic

How did I get involved in Leadership & Volunteering? My SSCO at Frome College asked me to coach football at the middle school with one of my friends. She then sent me to the L&V South West Regional Camp in 2009 and it’s gone pretty well since then!

Person in football who has influenced you the most? I can’t say that one specific person has influenced me the most in football but I have come across many influential and inspirational people. For example, previous coaches at home like Sarah Lawler and Dawn Prior, have shown me that women do have a solid place in football and have encouraged me, whether they realise or not, to continue my work within football development. Also, all the staff that are part of the FF Programme such as Donna McIvor and Steve Swallow have influenced and shaped me in so many ways.

How has being in the Football Futures Programme benefited you?  It’s opened my eyes to other aspects of football; it has shown that to be involved in football, you don't just have to be playing. The programme has also created a lot of opportunities for me, even within university with the BUCS Football Futures Programme. Football Futures has also taught me, and continually reinforced, communication skills and reflecting upon my achievements and mistakes which I think has set me up for when I get into the real world and work! 

What are you looking forward to the most about going to Kenya? I'm looking forward to experiencing the culture of Kenya and learning about what life is like for the young leaders. I am also really excited about seeing the young leaders develop throughout the week and gradually build up confidence to take sessions themselves. Another thing is that Nakuru is based near the African Rift Valley which I am really interested in as I'm a Geography/ Geology student at uni!

Amy Fisher, 20, Berks and Bucks FA

Favourite team? Manchester United

Person in football who has influenced you the most? The person in football that has influenced me the most has to be my football coach, she has coached me throughout all age groups, and has always encouraged me to get in to different areas of football.

How did you get involved in Leadership and Volunteering? I began getting involved in leadership and volunteering, by volunteering to help out in local events and by also helping weekly within my football club in the youth sector.

How has being in the Football Futures Programme benefited you? Being part of the Football Futures programme has benefited me in a number of ways, but the main two that stick out are; 1) my confidence, being part of the programme has helped me believe in myself I now am not shy to stand in front of large groups of people and talk, this has not just helped myself personally but also has helped me whilst I have been at uni during presentations. Secondly, I have a large range of knowledge in the different areas of the Football Futures programme, which now has again helped me during my placement at Uni but hopefully everything I have learnt will have an impact on my future career.

What are you looking forward to the most about going to Kenya? The impact that we can make to the community that we are working in, we are hoping to leave a legacy and I'm sure we will achieve this. It gives us the chance to show what we have learnt during our time on the programme, and give them some kind of opportunity to get involved in Football.

Jacob Odu, 20 West Riding FA

Favourite team? Leeds

Person in football who has influenced you the most?  My dad – he has taught me everything I know.

How did you get involved in Leadership and Volunteering?  I went to the West Riding Leaders Day and as a result was picked for the National Camp. It’s been non-stop since then!

How has being in the Football Futures Programme benefitted you? It has given me countless opportunities and the confidence to run my own Futsal league for ethnic minorities in my community. I also spent my summer coaching in America which was the best experience of my life so far.
 
What are you looking forward to the most about going to Kenya? I can’t wait to meet the Kenyan Leaders we will be working with and seeing the impact our coaching will have on them. I really hope they will carry on our legacy when we leave.