Through looking at the choices for taking part in work experience, that was when I saw the future before my eyes, I have always wanted to be a fitness instructor, a physical education teacher o take up the career of being a coach. The choices list stated “Football in the community, Glanford Park Scunthorpe” the thought of being trained by professionals excited me; I knew this would be for me. I decided to write this down as my first choice of work placement.
Week later the whole class was given placement details about their choice of work experience, at the top of the letter the sheet was given the title “Recreational Training Assistant” to me this sounded very professional. My working hours were to be 9:00am to 5:00pm. In the past I have already trained with the scheme and I found it very enjoyable and improved my football incredibly, a friend of mine, Paul, is part of the team, through contact with him I was confident that this experience would be to a certain extent successful.
Paul informed me that the working hours may differ from what was stated on the letter I received, I was comfortable with that as I knew I would be making a difference within the community and I was happy to use my own time to participate in something I found interesting and enjoyable. I was informed that I had to contact Lee Turnbull four weeks prior to the placement commencing for an interview and a health and safety information review.
I rang and spoke to Lee Turnbull, he said that an interview wouldn’t be necessary as on the first day I would use the morning by getting to know staff, the environment, and the rules of safety within the workplace. Two weeks prior to the start of work experience all the students taking part were given a work experience diary and log book, this was to sign the work experience agreement and fill in personal details. Health and safety awareness had to be stated as well as placement details. Throughout the week we were asked to make a diary of each day.
Monday morning I woke up at seven o’clock, I prepared my clothes the previous evening, they were an adidas tracksuit and trainers, I got ready for the first day at work. I was aware of the physical participation within my work experience so I prepared bottles of water as the weather was hot. My parents drove me to Barton where I was to meet up with another employee and catch the bus to Scunthorpe Bus Station. The journey to Scunthorpe was an hour and a half, on the way I felt apprehensive but in a way excited.
This next week was to be a whole new experience for me and I was looking forward to working with children within the community and helping them develop new sporting skills and to teach them how I feel comfortable. I arrived at Scunthorpe Bus Station with Paul where we was to meet Max, another employee for the football in the community staff, Max drove Paul and I to Glanford Park, this is where the office was, a kind of office where everybody would meet to find out the tasks for the day.
Lee Turnbull was waiting in the office, he was the kind of person who spoke his thoughts he was self-assured, confident, sociable and fun person to be around. He made me feel very welcome, he introduced me to other staff such as grounds-men of the football stadium and the football teams mascots. I was given a ground tour and shown all fire exits and toilets. Lee asked me to read the rules and regulations within the work place and the health and safety laws. I was then tested of my knowledge and according to all the staff I “Passed with flying colors”.
By the time I had read all the rules and health and safety l laws it was lunch time. I was given an hour for a lunch break, I walked over to Tesco with Paul were I had a pasta salad. Returning back to the working world I was told to collect football equipment from the store and put it in the truck, this is what the workers referred to as a people carrier. On the work day plan it was set to go to Winteringham Primary School to teach some basic skills and understanding of football and to finish off with a penalty shootout competition for the whole school.
I was given a task sheet to complete with the children along with partner Max. The students were learnt that football is a game that has offensive and defensive responsibilities. We had to Recall and demonstrate the essential elements of passing and receiving, demonstrate how to run offensive patterns, Demonstrate defensive capabilities, and help understand and implicate the legalities of defensive play. This brought the days work to an end.
Not only had I taught the children new aspects of football I also learnt a number of things for being a coach or trainer. Tuesday’s agenda was to visit schools in South Yorkshire and teach the basic principle of football to children of seven years and under. Unfortunately I had been selected to represent the school for a number of events in an athletics competition and I had arranged with Lee Turnbull to have this day off if it wasn’t to cause any inconvenience with plans made beforehand which would involve me.
The athletics competition involved me participating in four events, Javelin which this year I had come 2nd in a county competition and on this day I came 1st, Triple Jump which over all on this day I finished 3rd, Long jump which this year I had came 3rd in a county competition and on this day I came 2nd. Relay was my final event with our team loosing due to two competitors being injured and filled in by reserves. Wednesday had come around quickly, I felt bad for having my second day of work off but the workers didn’t seem to mind.
On arrival Jerry, the bus driver had brought two bus loads of students from North Lindsey College to Glanford Park for a ground tour and a few lessons on football skills. I felt very uncomfortable as in the office in had been told by Lee not to get too involved as all of the students present today had criminal records and wouldn’t be afraid to use their temper to the best of its ability. I was assisting Bamber, another employee, through the ground tour and assisted with a group of ten students, I was taught that a coach shouldn’t take on t group which consisted of more than fifteen people as it would become more difficult to cope with.
The students were all very loud and impolite, I stood back to watch as Lee had told me to. Basketball games were played as no interest to football was made at all by any students. The teacher who came to supervise the students said that the students were sent here to basically get out of the way for a little while; this all soon became clear, sixty percent of the students were smoking and refused to take part in any activity at all. Dinner time came and past, the next lessons scheduled were a girl’s football training on Winterton Playing Fields. This group were aged seven to twelve, and were all very well behaved.
I took the warm-up, stretches and relay games took place and then eventually a game of football was played to use the new skills and techniques that had just occurred in the relay games. The employees whom I had assisted were Paul and Max. Max took me home and dropped me off to save me time and money by catching the bus. So far I had got on with the workers really well they treated me like a friend as well as an employee, which made me feel very welcome. Today Lee told me not to come into work on Thursday until eleven o’clock as there was nothing planned in the diaries and I would be sat around bored.
Thursday morning was a lie in bed for me and I was at Glanford Park all set and ready for work just before eleven o’clock, I made sure that every day I was on time o that I didn’t disrespect my work experience opportunity and let down my employer. Today a ground tour was the only thing on the agenda until six o’clock, I volunteered to work out of my set hours as I would be doing something to help me and others and it was something I enjoy doing. After the ground tour had taken place Paul and I went into town for something to eat and to do a bit of shopping.
The activities scheduled for six o’clock were cancelled because of bad weather. Thursday evening I took part in a fashion show held at school called “Fashion Passion” I was to be there for seven o’clock and wouldn’t be able to leave until eleven o’clock. Friday Morning as anybody could imagine I was really tired, everybody at work asked me how it went and told me today I was in charge of the other two people who were o work experience and our jobs today were advertisement, I had to go around shops putting out information leaflets about football in the community and speaking to members of the public about the scheme.
I must admit handing out leaflets wasn’t as enjoyable as been out with the rest of the team having the hands on experience, but further still I coped with it and was another job well done. By the end of the week I felt very comfortable working with the football in the community staff and they made me feel very welcome, so much so that I was offered a part time summer job. I took up this opportunity and I am now looking forward to a career in sports and education. During my work experience week I learnt a number of things about coaching. The students were taught that football is a game that has offensive and defensive responsibilities.
I showed this through demonstration instructions. Recall and demonstrate the essential elements of passing and receiving Demonstrate how to run offensive patterns Demonstrate defensive capabilities Understand and implicate the legalities of defensive play. I learnt that all sessions should be well prepared beforehand, and that all equipment is in place before the players arrive. Coaches should insist on good timekeeping from the players. There is nothing worse than everyone waiting for one latecomer. Whenever possible practice on good surfaces, whether it is grass, all weather or even hard core.
Expect and demand the highest possible standards when the coaching sessions begin. To get this ensure that everyone involved has the right attitude towards the practice. Give good demonstrations, this will save a long preamble of words, remember the players learn much quicker through their visual sense. Practice is vital to success. Players need to prove they can re-produce technical skills, learned in practices, into match situations. Furthermore players need to accept that they need to work at their game if they hope to improve. Every session should have at least 15 minutes of technical practice.
Young players need to work with the ball all the time, so that control of it becomes second nature. The more touches the better for the players to retain their interest Coaches should try and assess the players both in practice and in their teams; especially the young, who should all have a development programme. Parents can help by assisting the discipline, attendance and punctuality of their offspring. Group sizes are important for training exercises. Ideally it should be no more than 15 players per coach. All techniques should be worked on – not only those with which players are comfortable.
Coaches will appreciate that players of the same age group generally follow a pattern, and so particular weaknesses can be worked on within the squad. For example under 7″s will have a tendency to chase around in a pack following the ball, and so teaching positional sense will be an item in itself with this young group. Finally remember nothing comes easy, success has to be worked for no matter how much natural talent is available. I would highly recommend this place of work for anybody who has a great interest in sports and physical education.
