Sports Leader Spotlight!

In this case study we are celebrating one of our fantastic Sports Leaders!

Before the start of the Covid pandemic, Emily, a young sports leader from All Saints Secondary School, undertook a Level one referees course funded by the School Sport Partnership.

Emily wanted to do the course because she enjoyed playing football and it would allow her to consider a different aspect of to the game. She really enjoyed the course and decided it was something she wanted to progress further.

Undertaking the course opened up a number of opportunities for her, and Emily is now a registered referee within her local County FA.  She has been able to referee a few games, however with the continued lockdowns this has been limited, especially with the postponement of school and primary football events.

Emily plays football outside of school and has asked the league that she plays in if she can referee some of the younger teams’ fixtures before or after her own games to gain valuable experience. She has also been in contact with a Referees Mentor who works closely with local junior leagues as a referee consultant for young referees.

She has also been offered the chance to referee in other grassroots leagues which will start next season.  Her next aim is to referee more games to gain more experience and then take the next level referees course.

With her interest in sport and particularly football, she has enrolled in the Steven Gerrard Academy to further her studies in September after her GCSEs. The SG Academy also have links with our local Pro Academy in the area so there will be lots of opportunities to support young players with coaching and refereeing matches.

Emily has made a fantastic start in her sport and leadership journey and we wish her good luck in the next stage of her journey!