Kick Start students explore sporting opportunities

Dylan Thomas Community School students have been treated to a football session as a reward for completing their Kick Start qualification at Gower College Swansea’s Tycoch campus.

Sport lecturer Andrew Stokes gave the students an insight into various sports courses and the career opportunities that could follow.

“It’s always good to pass on my experience as I have come from the same background as these students,” says Andrew. “I had to work hard against all odds in school but, through setting goals and working hard, I am now in a position where I feel I can motivate the next generation. I have worked for Manchester United Soccer Schools for the past seven years, starting out as a summer casual coach on residential camps and working with mixed ability players from all over the world.”

“I wanted to give these students an incentive to complete the unit by meeting Andrew and playing football with students from the college’s academy,” says lecturer Lucy Turtle. “This was a great opportunity for them to meet a former Dylan Thomas pupil and see his progression through college.
Andrew is a fantastic role model who inspired the students with his stories of working as a lead coach and mentor in Japan, Indonesia, Africa, USA and Europe. Andrew clearly demonstrated his dedication to helping young people fulfil their own personal goals, dreams and aspirations.”

The Kick Start Programme is an initiative developed by Gower College Swansea and aimed at Key Stage 4 students from across Swansea who enrol at college to complete a BTEC in Vocational Studies. This course enables them to study a range of different pathways and gives them the opportunity to discover an area of interest that they could pursue on leaving school.