Cathy's Young Lions

Cathy's young Lions are the Pride of Andover

Last year we were asked to nominate 3 year 6 boys for a football initaive run by Cathy Devereux and the 'Lions in the Community'. We nominated 3 boys - Lewis Chilcot, Harvey Richardson & Mathew Clark. There was a draw to select the final squad and Lewis got picked out from Portway. Last weekend the squad played in a tournament in Devon and below is the report of how they got on. (Well done Lewis - we are very proud of you!)

Take 15 year 6 boys , who were randomly selected after being nominated by their Head Teachers from across all the Andover area primary schools, give them 12 weeks of quality coaching, some testing training matches against a selection of local and academy sides, take them away from home for 3 nights for a huge national tournament... and what is the result? - a team of players that Andover can be extremely proud of. Not only did they showcase some fantastic footballing skill they gelled as a unit both on and off the pitch offering one another support and encouragement , adopted a professional approach throughout, commented upon by the managers of all their opponents, and won an exciting final to lift the under 11 Devon Soccer Challenge Cup.
All of this would not have been possible without the generous support of Andover Area Extended Schools, Simplyhealth and the Jamie G Sporting Trust, all of whom believed that this would provide an important lifeskills experience for our talented young footballers.
Although bringing the cup back to Andover affirmed our knowledge that this had become a technically excellent team, some of the greatest achievements and lessons were learnt as much off the pitch as on it.
The three matches played on the Saturday left the team in fourth place out of six following one win, one draw and one loss, resulting in the need to win both of the Sunday fixtures convincingly in order to stand any chance of a place in the final. The team rose to the challenge giving 100% from the start and showcasing all the skills and knowledge they have gained over the 12 weeks coaching, resulting in a well deserved place in the under 11's final against Marine Academy - Plymouth.
The "edge of the seat " final was fiercely contested and resulted in a 3-0 win for Lions in the Community Youth FC who later lifted the trophy at the presentation evening , awarded by Birmingham City and England's Craig Gardner.
Lions in the Community's Cathy Devereux believes the project exceeded all her expectations:
"It was an incredibly positive experience in many ways for all those involved, not only for the players but their families and friends, the coaching staff and all the schools they were representing. I would like to thank all those who helped make this possible including Knights Enham Infant School for the loan of their minibus, and local teachers Mrs Helen Vant (John Hanson) and Lucy Macey (Broughton Primary ) who were key members of the support staff"
Lions in the Community are keen to continue with this project and are seeking sponsorship for the scheme. If your company is interested in getting involved then please contact Cathy at cathy@lionsinthecommunity.co.uk for further details