Thomas knew he wanted to be a coach and wasn’t going to let the fact he was hard of hearing get in the way. But how could he get there?
Watch Thomas' Story
After seeing an advert online, Thomas got in touch with the Trust and that is where his journey began. After signing up to become a volunteer, Thomas was given his first assignment – a football disability session. He was hooked, and from there, his volunteering continued to aid his development. Before long, Thomas had signed up to become a paid coach for the Trust but he had a thirst for more. To progress to the next level, the next step Thomas took was to join the Trust’s foundation degree in partnership with Middlesex University:
“One of the main reasons for me was because it was local to me, it’s the team that I support, it’s a family Club, and I felt really welcomed by both with my tutors and my peers.”
Having completed the course, Thomas is now looking to the future with his coaching career but there’s no question he has been shaped by his past and present:
“So from this experience (growing up hard of hearing in football), I took it into my coaching, I like to do demonstrations so that if you sometimes might not be able to hear, you see what’s happening.”