"Sport changed my life!" - Fil Kamps inspires the students at Sturton by Stow Primary School during our deaf football programme
"Sport changed my life!" - Fil Kamps inspires the students at Sturton by Stow Primary School during our deaf football programme
“Sport changed my life!”
Team Mintridge were delighted to be invited back to Sturton by Stow Primary School this year for an inspirational day with the amazing Fil Kamps! Sturton by Stow Primary School always try and encourage their students to get involved in new sports and push themselves outside of their comfort zones and that is exactly what happened during our recent Bronze deaf football programme.
This inspirational programme started with a brilliant presentation from Fil Kamps who spoke to the students during the whole school assembly about his elite sporting career and the amazing people he has met along the way as well as the challenges he has faced during the highs and lows of his career. As a deaf athlete, Fil has defied lots of setbacks to be incredibly successful in both deaf football but also able bodied football too.
“There are so many people that helped me to be successful that have all played a part in my journey.”
Fil had lots of great messages to share with the students about his incredible experiences competing in deaf football and also taught some sign language to the students too. Fil’s lasting message for the students was to always dream big, work hard and always try their best, in whatever they do.
“Whatever it is that you’re passionate about. Dream as big as you can with that passion and work as hard as you can to achieve your goals.The difference between those who do succeed and those who don’t, is the hard work and the perseverance.”
After this initial assembly, Fil led some wonderful deaf football sessions with the students, which they were all incredibly excited to try. Fil challenged the students to communicate differently during the sessions as they were unable to hear through their ear defenders.
Throughout these sessions, the students were very supportive of each other and had lots of fun cheering on their teammates during the matches at the end of each session and sharing what they felt when taking part without being able to hear.
Fil delivered some incredible deaf football sessions with the students, which gave them a whole new perspective on what it is like to compete with a hearing impairment and the challenges he faces in his daily life. The students loved learning how to communicate without their voices playing football and adapt their body language to help support their peers in the sessions.
Fil was very impressed with how well the students all worked together and how everyone got stuck into the football skills and drills!
At the end of these incredibly active and fun sessions, the students at Sturton by Stow Primary School asked Fil some great questions and the best ones were;
What is the favourite team you’ve been on?
Who is your favourite football team to support?
What inspired you to play football?
Who is the hardest player you have played against?
Where have you visited playing football?
Thank you very much to the staff at Sturton by Stow Primary School for helping to organise this brilliant day with Fil Kamps and we hope that the students enjoyed learning some new deaf football skills!
We look forward to visiting you all again next year!
If you are interested in a virtual or physical Programme with Fil Kamps or any of our other inspirational Ambassadors, then please get in touch via the Mintridge website or with Katie.
The Mintridge Foundation is dedicated to helping young people find their mental fitness superpowers. Following research conducted by Loughborough University, Mintridge successfully replaces any negative notion of pressure around physical activity with fun, breaking down barriers and levelling the playing field. That is exactly what Fil Kamps did during his visit on 11th July 2022.
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.
The Mintridge Foundation
Unit 4, Shieling Court
Northfolds Road
Corby
Northants
NN18 9QD
Tel: +44 (0) 1536 447106
www.mintridgefoundation.org.uk