Outwood Academy Hemsworth students experience day in the life of a footballer

The Leeds United Foundation hosted a group of young students from Outwood Academy Hemsworth at the Leeds United Academy recently to give them the chance to live life as a footballer for the day.

The group of Year 9 pupils are part of a behavioural programme being delivered with the club’s official charity, as they work on supporting students with improving attendance and overall behaviour in and around school. As a reward for the improvements they have made over the last few months including no sanctions or truant lessons, they were invited to Thorp Arch for an exclusive experience.

During the day the youngsters were able to meet with a number of different staff members, taking part in a gym session with the player performance specialists, a coaching session with academy coaches and also an education session with the chance to discuss the various elements that contribute to becoming a professional footballer. The group of eight were also treated to a full tour of the facilities at Thorp Arch, seeing where the Leeds United squad spend the majority of their time.

Some of the students that took part in the activity sent some feedback after their exciting day out and said:

“It was an amazing experience, ranging from the classroom to the football pitch. The part which I really enjoyed was of course the football, and it really showed the difference between professional and grassroots football. 

“The facilities and the staff were amazing! It really shows you that a great club doesn't only have great players BUT great staff.”

Another pupil added:

“The Thorp Arch player for a day trip was a great experience, we experienced what it is like to be part of a great club with fantastic facilities. The staff at Leeds were very helpful and supportive throughout the day and the coaches and player performance staff were very understanding of the different ability levels in the group. Overall, it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I will never forget.”

As part of the initiative with the Outwood Academy, coaches from the Foundation are used as a support mechanism, especially supporting those students that require more attention by meeting with them every week to discuss various targets and checking on their weekly reports whilst hearing about how they are coping and any struggles they might be facing.