“You must always enjoy what you are doing, and if that is football, then I encourage you to keep playing..." Dani Bowman Visits St Christopher's School Football Festival - April 2021
Team Mintridge couldn’t think of a better way to spend our Saturday, than with the staff and students at St Christopher’s School!
We were back for another brilliant programme with the amazing Danielle Bowman, current Brighton and Hove footballer and former Arsenal, Chelsea and England women’s player. We were so excited to be back to join St Christopher’s School for this afternoon of football, as they welcomed over 100 girls to the festival, in an aim to inspire them and encourage them to keep playing!
Dani welcomed the students as they arrived ready for their day of coaching and mini matches, that were being delivered by external coaches throughout the day.
Danielle moved around all of the groups, whilst they were being coached, to give them a couple of top tips and challenged them in their quick competitions they were taking part in, so they could show off their skills to Dani. Even though Dani was injured, she still managed to keep spirits high and chat to the girls in between their sessions.
After a quick refreshment break, it was time for the players to get together to play some mini matches. Even though this year was a little different and there were no spectators allowed to attend the afternoon, the girls really worked hard to show off their skills during the match play and Dani had the pleasure of watching the girls enjoying the game, working together and having fun as part of the festival.
Once the mini matches had finished, and the day was coming to a close, Dani delivered a short presentation about how she got into football and her journey so far and how being involved in football has given her so many opportunities that she will never forget. Dani went on to speak to the students about her own journey and story and express to the students the importance of being involved in sport and physical activity from a young age, as well as the opportunities that being a part of women’s football team can give you, if you stick at it and keep playing. Dani really encouraged the students to enjoy what they are doing so that they can put in the time and effort needed to be successful.
“You must always just enjoy what you are doing, and if that is football, then I encourage you to keep playing as there are so many opportunities out there for young players at the moment.”
The students relished the opportunity to ask Dani lots of brilliant questions about her football career, and it was so great for them to be able to meet Dani in person and find out more about how accessible the sport really is and why it would be great for them to keep playing football. Dani also then took the opportunity to congratulate the girls for their participation in the tournament and then presented each of them with a signed certificate for them to take away.
Some of the best questions from the students were;
How long have you been playing football?
Who inspired you to play football?
Have you ever played against a team that you have played for?
What is the best game you have ever played?
What has been your favourite match to play in?
What was the hardest team you ever played?
Have you been on tv?
What is your top tip or piece of advice for these young football players?
How can you play for so many teams?
Who has been your favourite team to play for?
After a great day of football and some great group photos to end the day, it was time for Team Mintridge to wrap up for the day and head into the rest of the weekend with the good soul feeling, after a brilliant day with the staff and students at St Christopher’s School.
If you would like to see the photos or video from the day, please contact the staff at St Christopher’s School.
We are so pleased that the students were inspired by their visit from Dani Bowman and we look forward to working with St Christopher’s School again in the future and we can’t wait to see you next year!
Thanks
Team Mintridge
The Mintridge Foundation is a registered charity dedicated to enhancing life skills in young people through sport. We provide a support network for young people by harnessing the power of positive sporting role models. The Mintridge Foundation assists young people of all ages, abilities, and physical capabilities to develop confidence and resilience, and creates awareness of the importance of mental and physical wellbeing through sport.
Our team of Ambassadors - Olympians, Paralympians and other professional sports stars from over 20 sports, both team and individual - work with young people in schools, clubs and academies across the UK. Starting with visits including assemblies, coaching clinics and classroom sessions tailored to each organisation’s requirements, our ambassadors can then provide one- on- one remote mentoring in a safeguarded environment, delivered via technology such as FitSwarm and Playwaze to build a lasting legacy for individuals.
The Mintridge Foundation’s successes demonstrate the incredible power of sport; from a mentee’s selection to represent Great Britain in their chosen field to enabling disabled children to find confidence and happiness just through participation. Understanding life after sport, we also support our Ambassadors in their transition from active sport to the next stage of their careers.
To find out more about the Mintridge Foundation, please contact Alex Wallace.
