“It makes me feel more a part of the club, being able to give back to what they've done for me.”

The Access Sport Young Leaders programme empowers young people with training, support and opportunities they may not otherwise access. 

It aims to build young people’s confidence, develop inclusive leadership skills and support the development of community sport.

One inspiring example is Jamie, a passionate rugby player and coach who joined our Young Leaders programme after completing our course through her college. Jamie has ADHD, Tourette’s and Dyslexia, and was eager to take on more opportunities in sport to continue her development.

“Being involved with the club has made me feel less stressed and more able. It gets me out of the house, which helps my mental health.”

We were able to provide Jamie with coaching qualifications and our Disability Inclusion training to enhance her current skillset. She also received mentoring from us and joined our Tryz programme, where she worked with other coaches so she could learn from them in a new environment.

“I am smashing it. I've got more confident with speaking to groups of people, and I like getting to know different coaches and being able to learn how they work and then being able to put it into my own sessions.”

Jamie’s journey came full circle when she delivered our Young Leaders course to a younger group at her home club, Cadishead Rhinos. Now, she is a role model – helping others to develop and pursue opportunities within community sport. In addition to this, inspired by her peer coaches, Jamie is also starting her own Tryz session at her home club, which will create more opportunities for disabled young people to join in and support the club to become more inclusive.

When asked what advice she would give to other aspiring young leaders, Jamie said:

“Just go for it, get your foot in that window, ask the questions you want to ask and if it's a specific sport you want to coach, if you've got a local club then go to them, speak to them for the experience.”

Jamie’s growth through the Young Leader’s programme has been transformative, not only for her, but her community too! Her story is a powerful example of how our Young Leader’s programme can unlock young people’s potential, build their confidence and create lasting change in communities.

Click below to learn more about our Young Leader's training:

Young Leaders Training