The Trust engages with advanced football players with cerebral palsy, partially deaf, deaf, and/or partially sighted people as part of the FA Talent Hub, supporting them on their first steps of the England development pathway.
One of the inspiring young people involved in the programme is Elise:
“As a female player with hearing loss, autism and other special needs, the programme gave me a chance to play football and to be taken seriously. Just because a player has special needs doesn’t mean they can’t make a career professionally, either as a player or coach.”
The FA Talent Hub participant suggests this isn’t always a given.
“For people with disabilities, colleges, workplaces, or sports clubs like to promote themselves as being inclusive but are still failing to meet true equality, and it can have a detrimental impact on physical and mental wellbeing.”
It’s obvious when speaking to Elise, she has a passion and a drive to make a positive change for others. Having also recently been awarded a promotion under the Ministry of Defence to Lance Corporal, Elise should feel incredibly proud of all she has achieved so far. Confidence in herself is something she credits, in part, to the Trust’s programme:
“Attending the programme built my confidence and self-esteem, it taught me I could believe in myself. It makes me feel positive and encouraged. The staff within the programme have always made me feel safe, I can share my ambitions and they are met with support, encouragement, and opportunities to build a career pathway.”