I started playing football at a very early age, my dad used to kick a ball with me at the age of three. This is when I was at foundation level and when I learned co-ordination skills and how to kick a ball. I continued to play at foundation level, until the age of four. This was a purely leisure activity.
At the age of four I was taken to Gigmill School to train with Richard Stevens who works for the F.A. to develop young footballers. At this training I was taught basic skills such as dribbling and passing. I was also taught basic rules such as throw-ins, corners and fouls. Small-sided games were played using smaller balls and cones for goalposts. This training was participation level. All through primary school I would normally go to this training at Gigmill school in the summer. It was a good set up and very organised and professionally done. This was physical recreation.
I started playing at performance level at the age of six. I joined Forest Falcons, this was a well set up club and well organised. I played in the Stourbridge League Division 1, run by the F.A. and official rules and referees were used. Games were played on smaller pitches with a size 4 ball and only 30 minutes a half. It was a huge step for me to jump from participation level to performance. I did not enjoy Forest Falcons I think it was too young to start playing competitive football, I did not like the managers only wanting to win and being shouted at when I made a mistake. This was at a sporting level.
I left Forest Falcons after about a season and joined Hagley, I think Hagley was a drop from performance to participation level because we only played friendlies and trained, there was no league and the manager of either side would referee. I enjoyed Hagley but left as my Dad thought I was ready to play competitive football, and I wanted to leave as a lot of my friends were leaving.
I joined Oldswinford U’9s. This was a step up to performance level. It was the Stourbridge league Division 2, with official referees and rules. I played for Oldswinford up until last season, in 7 years there were some changes, at under 14s we changed to a full size ball and a full size pitch and 40 minutes a half. Only last season did we change to 45 minutes a game.
I have also played football though school, at primary school I only played in year 6 where we came second in the league and got to there semi finals of the cup. I also played competitive football at Hagley, I was sent to District trials in year 7 and year 8, I got to the final stage in both trials but didn’t make the final squad. The standard was excellent at the district trials, and I was privileged to be sent. In yr 10 and 11 I captained the Hagley school side.
In a few seasons I would like to go to trials for maybe Lye town or Cradley town, as I feel I have the ability and will be stronger after two or three seasons of playing against men. Both Lye Town and Cradley Town are semi – professional teams and so it would be a good achievement to play for either of them and would probably move me higher up in the performance section of the pyramid. Also all through my football career I have played for intrinsic values only, but playing for a semi-professional side would mean I would get paid and so there would be some extrinsic rewards.
I think a factor preventing me from reaching excellence was that I started playing football too young as when I was at the age of 13 I had a lot of injuries as I was growing and playing to much sport. However it was through my own choice to play this sport, there were no external factors pushing me to play. Although I don’t know if I had the natural ability to reach excellence but I think I would have progressed further up the pyramid, if it weren’t for injury.