Olympic Coaches, Premier League Stadiums and Inspiring Talks – Students Get Experience of a Lifetime
Sports students from North Notts College have been invited to work alongside The Sheffield and Hallamshire Football Association on the EURO 2022 Young Activators Academy.
The Euro 2022 Young Activators Academy is a programme aimed at individuals aged between 16-25 who wish to further their knowledge and understanding of the wide range of roles available in football. The programme looks to encourage and increase female participation in sport, particularly football, and is part of England’s bid for Euro 2022.
Level 3 Sports students Amy Cocking, Ellie May Frost, Ellie Newton, Georgie Wasnidge and Phebe Squire are all part of the programme and spoke about the importance of encouraging participation from women in sport.
Ellie Netwon said: “It’s brilliant to be part of a programme like this, where we grow our confidence in sport and learn how to give younger girls that confidence.”
On the programme, the students gain access to some of the top sporting professionals in the country through a series of talks, workshops and visits.
The students have taken part in guest talks from Olympic medalist Paul Greaves, who coached gymnast Bryony Page to her Olympic Silver and Bronze medals in Rio De Janeiro and Tokyo, as well as a coaching workshop with Samantha Griffiths, Derby County Ladies manager.
Callum Lister, Lecturer for Sport and Public Services at North Notts College underlined what a brilliant opportunity the programme is for students and young girls.
He said: “For students to be able to get involved with a course like this, that is built around the Euros, has been fantastic, especially with it being held in England.
“It has given them a fantastic opportunity, not only to build on their strong sporting knowledge and confidence, but also to get hands-on experience with sporting activities in the local area.”
As part of the Euro 2022 Young Activators Academy, the students also took part in top-quality CPD (continuing professional development) courses on topics such as; psychology, Mental Health and Wellbeing in Football and Player Care.
Students also travelled to Premier League stadiums, where they visited Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium and Manchester United’s Manchester United’s Old Trafford, as well as visiting the National Football Museum.
The experiences of seeing these professional environments and learning from people in the top of their field is something which is incredibly important for the students’ development, something which Callum touched upon.
He said: “To get the opportunity to visit world-class stadiums and see behind the scenes is a fantastic chance for our students who are looking at a career in sport to see the environment that they may be working in, in the future.
“To see students participate in a course like this and bring the ideas and coaching elements they’ve learnt back into College sessions, has been fantastic. The confidence levels when delivering sessions within College have been super pleasing to see.”
This confidence has also been carried into the students’ professional lives, with Level 3 student Ellie Newton using her experiences from the programme to gain a role as a Football Coach for kids in the local area.
Ellie was delighted when she spoke about her experiences on the Euro 2022 Young Activator Programme.
She said: “It’s good that we get the opportunity to hear from people who have achieved within women’s sport.
“It gives you the confidence to see that you can do it and that there is a huge place for women in sport.”