Kasey Still

For three years, I worked part-time at a primary school in Dagenham, alongside the PE teacher, to plan and deliver lessons to primary aged pupils.

This experience has provided opportunities to apply coaching skills in a more formal setting, to ensure children develop and make progress in their knowledge, skills and understanding of a range of different sports. Further to this, I have developed an understanding of the national curriculum expectations in PE for children in Key Stage 1 and 2.

Throughout my time working at We Make Footballers, I have progressed from a junior coach to a lead coach. Working part time for the company, I have not only supported the development of skills and techniques of participants, I have also developed my own coaching skills. I am able to plan and deliver training programmes to develop players' skills; work with individuals or groups to reflect and evaluate their progression; establish positive team cultures, by ensuring sessions are supportive and inclusive, and support well-being needs through mentoring.

Since August 2022, I have worked part-time as a football coach for the West Ham Foundation, as part of their International Football programme and school holiday programme - Healthy Hammers, for children aged 8-16 years. Within these roles, I have been responsible for engaging participants in a range of football based skills and activities.

During the first wave of NCS, I was an team leader. Prior to the onset of the programme, I completed safeguarding and health and safety training, this was followed up by online safeguarding, inclusion and health and safety training.

The initial part of the programme involved a week residential at Taplow lake, for participants aged 15-17 years. During this week, my roles and responsibilities included: supervising and supporting participants; assisting the programme and team leaders; being fully active in activities; ensuring participants participated fully in activities; encouraging and motivating participants; safeguarding and promoting positive well-being; serving meals and mentoring participants to achieve and succeed.

The second part of the programme involved attending daily sessions at the West Ham Foundation in Beckton. During this week, we focused on raising money for a food bank. Participants were supported to develop ways in which they could raise money and how it would be implemented into actions. Participants needed support to generate ideas; how, where and when to put these into actions and the health and safety procedures around their plans. After collections of money, each day, food was purchased and taken to a local food bank to help members of the community.