A 10 week Community Sports Leadership Course commenced at Greenbank Sports Academy in October 2013.

The Course was led by John Cole, Tutor and Coach, and students met each Friday morning for theory and practical sessions.

The aim of the course was to develop community sports leadership skills and all students participated in at least 10 hours voluntary refereeing as part of their schedule. The course gave an opportunity for students to explore different sports and learn new skills whilst developing their confidence and abilities, and most of the group became involved in refereeing at the Merseyside Schools Boccia Tournament which took place at Greenbank Sports Academy on Monday 4 November 2013. There were 180 primary and secondary school pupils from both mainstream and specialist Merseyside schools, and a variety of impairment groups and the event was divided into categories: SLD (Severe Learning Disability) MLD (Moderate Learning Disability) and Sensory impairment. There were 52 teams taking part from 21 schools and there were four finals played out with the Primary groups coming together for their own final event. All participants were awarded certificates and as the runners up and winners collected their medals and posed for photographs, one pupil was heard saying, “It’s so cool to get a medal as well!” The day was a great success and our group appreciated the opportunity to take part in such an upbeat event – the atmosphere was wonderful.

I was never sporty at school but I have always enjoyed keeping fit and active through a busy, healthy lifestyle including walking my dogs. In 2012 I became involved in the Active Women Project which introduced me to structured exercise such as circuit training. As a natural progression, I decided to take the Community Sports Leadership Course in order to gain a recognised qualification in a worthwhile subject which really can change people’s lives through motivation, dedication and self-improvement.

Our group worked really well together from the very first session and I looked forward to meeting my new friends each week. I felt confident and through our training I began to notice improvements in my coordination and balance. John inspired and encouraged our group to give 100% plus and the sessions were so positive with a great ‘feel-good’ factor.  I found the course worthwhile and empowering and I would recommend anyone interested in developing sports and leadership skills to enrol for future study.

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