Gareth Southgate visits the ReachOut! Academy

It was baltic outside last night.  The kids only got to play 35 minutes of football.  And even adult football in the hall was cancelled…  but we didn’t care because we got to meet Gareth Southgate at the ReachOut! Academy in Hackney!

ReachOut! volunteer Katee Hui was presented the Barclays Community Sports Award for November by Gareth Southgate for her incredible work founding and leading Hackney Laces Community Club over the past 18 months. We were lucky enough to grab hold of Gareth Southgate for 15 minutes after he presented her award, and he kindly agreed to talk to the ReachOut! Academy Year 10 boys who were also on site at The Petchey Academy at their weekly mentoring session.

Aside from our very own volunteer coach Michael Bakare, Gareth was the first professional footballer to visit the ReachOut!Academy in Hackney, and definitely the first England or Premiership player to do so.  A grand total of 22 boys, 3 staff and an amazing 18 ReachOut! mentors got to ask Gareth questions about his career and take photos before he departed for the long drive back to Harrogate in Yorkshire.  Questions ranged from ‘Are you considering a return to football management?’ and ‘What top tips do you have for our defenders?’ to simply ‘Can I have your autograph!?’.

Gareth took it all in his stride, and his responses were exactly what our boys need to hear from their role models in all walks of life.   In particular Gareth emphasized the need to always work hard at what you are trying to achieve, how important it is to want to be better every day, and that when you fail, to get up and try again.   Without meaning to he delivered a perfect session on one of ReachOut!'s core values - Staying Power!   

We’re really grateful he stopped by, and if he’s ever in the neighbourhood again maybe he could pop in to show us those top defending tips out on the pitch!

By Pete Blackwell