‘We learn a lot’ | Foundation’s community football sessions empowering local girls

Premier League Kicks sessions run by Tottenham Hotspur Foundation are inspiring young female footballers and helping them develop personally.

That was the verdict of participants and parents speaking at a healthy eating and hair care workshop the Foundation ran this week, as part of another busy half-term engaging, educating and empowering hundreds of local children.

Nylah, 13, from Haringey, said: “These sessions are fun and, in addition to playing sports, they’ve given us the chance to talk about topics such as toxic relationships and online safety. It’s good to have a group discussion with everyone and this is the only place I really have those conversations.”

Biibi, also 13 and from Haringey, said: “The sessions are good and the staff are nice. We learn a lot of skills from them, like communication.

“My brother plays football, so I can play with him now - I’m going to become better than him!”

Premier League Kicks, funded through the Premier League Charitable Fund, uses the power of football and sport to inspire young people to reach their potential, in some of the most high-need areas in England and Wales.

The Foundation runs sessions for a variety of groups, reaching 4,048 young people since the start of 2023.

Debbie Baidoo’s daughter Denae, from Enfield, has been taking part in Premier League Kicks sessions for around two years.

She said: “The sessions have helped her improve a lot of skills, like teamwork, but the conversations they have aren’t just about football and that pushes her in everyday life. I’ve seen a growth in her, especially in her role as a big sibling. She’s learnt about organisation, being focused on something, having a goal and achieving things in life.”

Joe Laing from Enfield, whose daughter Belle has been taking part in Premier League Kicks sessions for around 18 months, added: “She absolutely loves the sessions and her football’s definitely got better. There’s a nucleus of girls who go each week, but there are often others joining them, so she’s taking confidence from the sessions as well.”

The half-term workshop was hosted at Duke’s Alridge Academy, in the shadow of the Stadium. The majority of girls attending were participants in a Premier League Kicks session the Foundation runs in partnership with the Playbook Project, leveraging the power of sport to create better futures. They received hair care products and other goodies courtesy of Barnardo’s service SEEN.

Participants in some of the Foundation’s other Premier League Kicks sessions enjoyed stadium tours during half-term, whilst there were football tournaments and training at New River Sports Centre in Haringey and Douglas Eyre Sports Centre in Waltham Forest.

Meanwhile, 10 aspiring football coaches took part in Spurred 2 Coach, a Foundation programme in which participants complete workbook tasks before sessions that allow them to put theory into practice.

The Foundation then helps fund and support them on to the FA Introduction to Coaching Football qualification (previously known as the FA Level 1 in Coaching Football).

The next staging of Spurred 2 Coach will be during the summer holidays, when the Foundation will also be running six weeks of free football and multi-sports activities for local youngsters.

Keep an eye out for more details coming soon!