Programme Type: Community of Practice
'Saturday Soccer' at the university's Park Campus
Leckhampton Rovers is a voluntary sector, grass roots football club in the south of Cheltenham. The club holds The Football Association’s Charter Standard, and is responsible for teams in age groups from Under 9s to Under 16s. The club has also recently launched an adult team operating in the Cheltenham Saturday League.
Every year, students from a range of courses support the managers and coaches at the club, helping to deliver coaching sessions, assisting teams on match days, and supporting the club with administrative and developmental projects.
This community of practice includes Andy Pitchford, who is a club coach and the club’s Welfare Officer, Dave Palmer and former graduates Scott Milne and Nick Charlton. The contribution of students over the years has helped to sustain an open access project, ‘Saturday Soccer’, which operates at The Park Campus every Saturday from 10.45 to 12. This project offers coaching and small sided football to local teenagers, and uses the style of Give Us Back Our Game as inspiration. Saturday Soccer has been featured in the Readers Digest magazine, on BBC Radio 2 and BBC Radio 1 as an example of good practice in football coaching.
Many students enjoy playing for the club’s adult section as an alternative to our competitive BUCS programme. This further cements the links between the club and the University.
Students can get involved through SportsCVs, through placements or events modules. For more information contact Andy at apitchford@glos.ac.uk.
More information at:
www.leckhamptonrovers.co.uk
www.giveusbackourgame.co.uk