Breeze Sports Academy students complete coaching qualification

Picture caption: (Top) - Breeze Sports Academy student Kyle Smith puts primary school pupils through their pace as part of his final coaching assessment.



Picture caption: (Bottom) - Coaches and youngsters from south Leeds schools that took part in the coaching clinic.



Year 11 pupils from Leeds City Council’s Breeze Sports Academy have completed their sports leadership coaching assessment as they hosted a special football coaching exhibition with youngsters from a number of primary schools in the city.



The coaching exhibition held at the John Charles Centre for Sport was the culmination of a course by the Breeze Sports Academy and Leeds United Foundation which offered students the chance to earn a ‘Sports Leadership - Level 2’ coaching award.



The exhibition saw pupils from primary schools across south Leeds, including Middleton St Mary’s, St Phillip’s, and Hugh Gaitskell, take part in planned football sessions and small sided games that were delivered by the academy’s students.



The council’s Breeze Sports Academy is a city-wide initiative that provides students in non-mainstream education with the opportunity to gain a variety of sports and coaching qualifications. The opportunities provided by the scheme and qualifications they gained will help the students in making a positive transition into their post-16 careers options.



Councillor Lucinda Yeadon, Leeds City Council’s executive member for digital and creative technologies, culture and skills, said:



"The Breeze Sports Academy is a fantastic initiative which provides young people who are not in mainstream education with the opportunity to earn a range of sporting qualifications that can be used to widen their post-16 options.



"We have worked closely with the Leeds United Foundation on this particular project, and I would like to thank them for their help and support.



"It was great to see the hard work of the pupils on the course finish with a specially arranged coaching session where they coached youngsters from a number of primary schools. The children really seemed to enjoy it and we are looking forward to welcoming a new batch of potential coaches to the Breeze Sports Academy in the near future."



Alan Scorfield, the Leeds United Foundation’s senior executive officer, said:



"The Leeds United Foundation has had a long and successful partnership with the Breeze Sports Academy and this course has extended that relationship.



"These young people learn by 'doing' and they have responded well to the challenge of developing leadership and coaching skills. It is great to see them working responsibly with the children and putting their learning into practice. It shows how far they have come since starting the course; building confidence and self-esteem, and hopefully formulating some ideas about their future career opportunities."



Notes to editors:



• 12 learners at the Breeze Sports Academy completed their sports leadership coaching assessment earning a ‘Sports Leadership - Level 2’ coaching award.

• 68 south Leeds primary school pupils participated in the event.



For media enquiries please contact:

James Dawson

Communications assistant

Corporate communications team

Leeds City Council

Tel: 0113 395 0600

www.leeds.gov.uk