A football club that now offers free sessions in different sports is helping to give young people a “positive outlet”, according to its organisers.
Premier League (PL) Kicks has offered free football sessions in Swindon, Wiltshire, for six years and, this year, has started coaching netball, basketball, tennis, rugby and badminton.
She says this expansion of options has led to more young women and girls signing up.
Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Philip Wilkinson said such plans were crucial to keeping young people away from anti-social behavior (ASB) and helping them become “better citizens”.
Up to 160 young people, ages 10 to 18, take part in free activities with PL Kicks at Foundation Park.
Co-ordinator Andy Tye said the activities were based on what the children were interested in to ensure they “felt in control” of their sessions and “had a reason to keep coming back”.
“We’ve tried to accommodate as many sports as we can during the week, and it’s gone from strength to strength,” he said.
“We think the free provision and our amazing team of coaches really provide a positive outlet for those young children to get stuck into,” he added.
Tye said he was “really proud” to see an increase in the number of girls signing up and interacting with their coaches, something he said was “really important” to the organization.
Friends Amelia and Evie, 10, said they bonded because of the variety of sports on offer.
They said they enjoyed staying healthy and “expending all their energy, but in a good way.”
Noah, 11, called the new multi-sport session “fun” and a great opportunity to “train and get better at sport.”
PL Kicks is funded by the PCC and the Premier League.
PCC Wilkinson said organized group activities offered a “respectful, responsible and compassionate” outlet for young people.
“This generation has gone through Covid and that has isolated them and made them more vulnerable to unhealthy and dangerous pressures,” he said.
“Getting them involved in team sports like this is a brilliant way to, in many ways, reintroduce them into society.
“Sport is a great way to provide young people with fun activities,” Wilkinson added.