Towering achievements for coaches with disabilities

Emdad Rahman

Participants at an East End project have come up trumps after successfully training as football coaches during a two week summer programme. The Tower Project is a community-based voluntary sector organisation and award-winning leading service-provider for children and adults with a learning disability, sensory disability, autism, physical disability or health related issues.

Excited participants on the Job Enterprise Training (JET) scheme were taught the basics of football coaching for a week at the Play on Sports Centre, Whitechapel. The tables were reversed in the second week, with the new recruits taking on coaching and mentoring roles.

“They’ve been doing basic drills dribbling, shooting and passing to team mates,” said programme head coach Jamie Crouch. “We have had a drill a day and spent a week coaching the coaches. This week the roles were reversed and it’s been really great to see how good they’ve been.”

The select group had expressed an interest in becoming coaches, so Crouch and the team provided them all a platform to increase their knowledge and skill. He added, “Next week all the young people start appointments with advisors like Robin Smith, who has been part of the coaching set up here. They will work out a pathway based on interests and hobbies and we will look at their areas of interests together.

“We supply courses for the clients and students to build up their knowledge and skills – and hopefully work towards an award or qualification  The skills they have picked up these last two weeks will boost their CV a little bit and help them to apply for jobs. It is very satisfying just to see our students make friends, learn new skills, and develop soft outcomes. They have improved in every aspect, and all in a fun environment.

“Participants on the programme have learning disabilities, while others have high function Autism, Dispraxia, Cystic Fibrosis and/or Type 1 Diabetes. During the programme the clients have learnt about healthy living and developed transferable skills that they can use at home and in the community.”

Crouch has a pathway in mind for the budding coaches. “We hope to do this on a more regular basis with these coaches, and hopefully pay them and get them to do their level 1 coaching to hep them develop even further. That would be pretty amazing.”

•Penalty king Adebayo has loved his two weeks of learning and fun. “I enjoyed passing and playing and making friends,” said the Cardiff City fan.
•“I loved it and I hope I can learn more about coaching,” said Ryan.
•“The Penny Shoot and the games warm up with my friends were fun,” said Fatima.

The key aims of the Tower Project are to enable and empower people with disabilities to develop opportunities, become independent, participate fully in education, employment and have a voice in the community. For more information about their work, go to:
www.towerproject.org.uk

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