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I started working at Notts County FC early in 1995, coaching the under-10 squad at the Centre of Excellence. I enjoyed it so much that I joined Football in the Community later that year. I initially delivered coaching sessions in schools and during holiday periods. In 1997, the Community Officer moved to be Youth Team Coach, so I became part of the management team and helped to develop Football in the Community into what is the best deliverer of community sports activities in the area. Being Community Director is my ideal job, I take great satisfaction in the work we do in our community. I get to work with a team of high quality managers and coaches, who enable us to make a positive difference to the thousands of people we provide activities for each year. Outside of work, I like to travel and enjoy watching most sports. I windsurf whenever possible and like to put my feet up in front of the telly or with a good book.
I joined Football in the Community in January 2004 after completing my Business, Leisure and Sports Education degree at Nottingham Trent University degree at Nottingham Trent University. Before joining, I had worked with the scheme during a three-month work placement as part of my University course. I attended Alsager School in Cheshire, before moving to Nottingham. It was at school that I last played football – in 6th form. My job involves co-ordinating our projects, in terms of organising staffing, facilities etc. It’s a rewarding environment to work in and it’s always re0assuring to hear and receive positive feedback about the work the scheme delivers across Nottingham. Although I no longer play football, I’m still a keen supporter of Crewe Alexandra.
My name is Emma. I come from Loughborough and have been working for FITC since 2004. Before working here, I worked as a Fitness Manager and Personal Trainer and was educated in Loughborough, where I studied PE and Sports Science. My job is to manage and supervise delivery staff on a daily basis. I develop new projects, review current projects and implement improvements to ensure participants benefit from high quality delivery. I’m responsible for HR, so I deal with training and developing staff.The most enjoyable part of my job is contributing to improving the health of Nottingham and being part of a community scheme with a fantastic reputation.
I started my playing career at 21 for Dagenham and Redbridge where I played for two and a half seasons, as well as playing for England’s non-league team. After signing for Birmingham City in 1995, I made 14 appearances. The highlight was playing in the Coca-Cola Cup semi-final versus Leeds United. I signed for Notts County in 1996, making 297 appearances, scoring 31 goals and was voted Player of the Year three times. In November 2004, I took over as Manager and, on a shoestring budget, managed to keep the club in the Football League.I joined FITC in August 2005 and after two years working as Lead Coach, I was promoted to Activity Manager. I’m now in charge of all delivery staff. I monitor their coaching performance and help them become the best coaches they can be.I co-ordinate On The Ball, which is a mental health project, aimed at isolated men. We use football to address mental health issues. These include: emotional wellbeing, building confidence and self-esteem, and improving communication difficulties. I love leading the sessions and get a lot back - they’re really enjoyable and good fun. I feel needed and that I’m making a positive difference.
My name’s Tim and I joined FITC in April 2010. Before that, I worked in Marketing and Communications for 12 years at bmi, Boots, the NHS, Age Concern and for a design agency. My goal is to sustain and develop our projects by attracting funding and promoting the inspirational work we deliver. I’m proud to work as part of FITC’s team, as our staff make a huge difference to people’s lives across Nottingham. Over the years, I’ve played different sports - mainly football and rugby at school. Recently, I’ve concentrated on track athletics and cross country running for Sutton Harriers and AC, which is where I grew up. I support Mansfield Town.
My name’s Shammy and I come from Nottingham. I joined FITC in September 1997, straight after finishing school, which makes me the longest serving coach on the scheme. I’ve been here so long that when I joined, Steve was still coaching.I went to Forest School, which has been replaced by the Djanogly City Academy in Forest Fields.What I enjoy most about being a Lead Coach is going to a school to deliver a session and seeing all the kids enjoy it. Disability Schools are my favourite as you see an immediate positive reaction from the children. They’re excited about what we’re going to deliver, as it’s something different for them. Our work changes a lot of lives, but when we go out, the children inspire me to deliver a good session, so it works both ways.
My name’s Tom and I’m Clifton born and raised. I joined FITC in 2003 on a two year YTS, before learning my trade as a Lead Coach. I went to Fairham Community College and then moved to South Notts College where I was recommended to the scheme by my tutor. Since then I haven’t looked back.I especially enjoy leading the Disability Football Programme and having a positive influence on a variety of participants. I love being part of a very successful team. Collecting an award for Best Community Initiative for On the Ball in 2008 and Best Health project for Active Schools at this year’s Football League Awards were massive highlights of my time here.
I’m Mark and I’m 23. I was born in Nottingham. I attended Hadden Park High School before moving onto South Notts College for two years. I started as an Apprentice in 2006, became full-time in 2007 and have been climbing the ladder ever since. I’m now a Lead Coach.I enjoy working on FITC’s Disability projects, as this is really rewarding and has led me to managing one of our PAN Disability Squads. My main sport is football and I’ve recently been playing for Arnold Town FC, before injury hampered my progress. I’m a massive Gooner.
My name is David and I’m from Clifton. I attended Farnborough Comprehensive School before going to South Notts College where I studied for a GNVQ Intermediate IT and NVQ in Sport and Recreation. I joined FITC in 2002 as an Apprentice Coach. Now I’m a Lead Coach and am responsible for a project, where I coach people with visual impairments. This work is really different, as it involves working in a different environment to usual. It helps to be a good communicator, as I need to explain clearly to participants what they will be doing, like the size of the pitch, how big the goals are and what I want them to do. This helps them to visualise what they’re doing. As we’d never delivered these types of sessions I was nervous at first and it took me outside my comfort zone - but participants love it, so it’s really worthwhile.
I’m Martin and I was born in Nottingham. I’ve been working at FITC since July 2006, after being a professional footballer. I’ve played for twelve teams including Aston Villa, Stoke City and Hull City. During my career, I made 500 appearances and scored 147 goals. My debut for Aston Villa was against Wimbledon in February 1992. I’m currently Player Manager at Arnold Town FC.Since I finished playing professional football, I decided to continue working in a sports environment, so I attended South Notts College to study for a Sports and Exercise Foundation Degree. I passed a teaching qualification and was appointed Lead Education Officer in September 2007. I work mainly in our classroom on the Heading for Goal project with permanently excluded young people. It’s a challenging role, but I enjoy seeing young kids with few qualifications and limited opportunities develop and leave with improved self-confidence and more qualifications.
My name is Gemma Backhouse from Nottingham. I attended Rushcliffe School and went to Sheffield Hallam University to study Sports Development with Coaching. After University, I went travelling for a year, visiting Australia, New Zealand and South East Asia, before returning to Nottingham to coach. I joined FITC in April 2009 where I am Lead Health Officer for Go 4 It - our weight management project. I enjoy the different challenges this brings, such as inspiring youngsters to lead a more healthy life and become more active. I’m responsible for monitoring and evaluation to ensure we meet our project’s outcomes.I played football for a number of years but, after suffering a long-term injury, I turned my attention to coaching football at Clifton Ladies, where we have had two successful seasons reaching the Notts County Cup and League Cup Finals.
My name is Claire and I live in East Leake. I joined FITC in 2005 for a two-year Sports Apprenticeship and became full-time in 2007. I went to Harry Carlton School to complete my GCSEs followed by South Notts College where I studied for an NVQ Level 2 in Activity Leadership.I enjoy working at FITC because I work on most of our projects, which means I meet people from all walks of life and backgrounds. In my spare time, I’m goalkeeper for Rise Park Ladies where I have played for ten years. I also enjoy playing tennis.
I’m Tristram, the Kickz Co-ordinator at FITC, and I’m 30. I grew up in Chilwell and attended Bramcote Hills Comprehensive School. I’ve been coaching for over six years and previously worked as a coach for the Sports Development Team, working in schools and holiday camps.Before coaching, I played professional football for six years for Doncaster Rovers, Scarborough and Crawley Town. The highlights were playing in the FA Cup for Scarborough against Chelsea in 2004; scoring for Doncaster in the play-off semi-final in 2003 and representing England’s non-league team at the Four Nations’ tournament, which England won.I joined FITC in March 2009. Since joining, I’ve developed as a coach by gaining experience from our diverse projects, through training courses and the qualifications I’ve gained. I love the work we do with disability schools, as the children we coach really enjoy our sessions and benefit massively from what we do. In my free time, I enjoy playing most sports including golf, tennis and badminton. I currently play football for Hucknall Town, where I’m Player Coach.
I’m Ed and have been working at FITC since April 2009 after working for Derby County’s FITC programme. Since working for Notts County FITC, I have improved as a coach and gained numerous qualifications.I enjoy working on all our projects and with the wide range of abilities we work with. The projects are challenging and enjoyable, as they’re all so different. I especially like working on Active Schools as I often lead sessions with children. This means I have to use my imagination to deliver different sessions every week and to keep the children interested. I have to be focussed to manage such large groups of (about 30) kids and communicate what I want them to do.I am currently working towards my UEFA B Coaching Licence, having already achieving my FA Levels 1 and 2. In the past, I’ve coached a number of football teams, including Shepshed Dynamo Under-18s and I currently coach Loughborough Dynamo Under-18s and play centre midfield for Castle Donington.
I’m Tony and I come from Clifton. I joined FITC in May 2009, after working at Morrisons as a Department Manager and Assistant Night Manager. Despite working in many supervisory and management roles, I always wanted to work as a sports coach. So, I went to South Notts College and studied NVQ Level 2 in Sport Coaching, Teaching and Instructing and FA Levels 1 and 2. I play football on Saturdays and Sundays.Working on a range of different projects is really rewarding – I especially enjoy our work on the Kickz project, Active Schools and Go 4 It.
My name’s Josh. I lived in the Meadows before recently moving to West Bridgford. I enrolled on the Notts County FITC apprenticeship scheme in 2008. Now I’m working my way up the ladder to become as good a coach as possible.I’m always up for a challenge and enjoy meeting new people – that’s what makes this job so great. After eight years of martial arts (taekwondo) training and achieving black belt (second dan) I decided to restart my football career, after breaking my leg a few years earlier. At the moment, I play in the Notts Senior League and am enjoying every minute of my football.
I’m Louis, I’m 20 and have lived in Hucknall all my life. I joined FITC in February 2010 after taking a Bricklaying Diploma at Basford College. Before that, I went to Holgate Comprehensive School. What I love about working here is seeing kids and adults have fun while taking part in sports activities. It’s also really satisfying to see participants make improvements over the length of a project. I’m currently in pre-season training and last season played for Hucknall Rangers.
My name’s Dean. I’m 22 and have been with FITC since February 2010. During this time I have met some amazing people and enjoyed the opportunities I’ve experienced.Before working here, I was elected for two years as Student Union’s President at West Nottinghamshire College in Mansfield. This was an important role as I was involved in board meetings, setting up student events and writing reports for the Principal on the students’ behalf. I was a member of the national learner panel. This meant I travelled around the country and met members from around the UK. I enjoy all sports and love listening to music.
