Barnsley FC and Reds in the Community delivered on this year's EFL Day of Action!
Pupils from Queens Road Academy experienced life as a professional footballer at Oakwell on Tuesday afternoon as part of the EFL Day of Action 2019!
Across the country, all 72 of the professional football clubs and their Community Trusts in the English Football League were showcasing and celebrating their work.
It was no different at Oakwell, as Reds in the Community and Barnsley FC put on an afternoon of special activities for 22 local primary school children.
The children arrived at 1pm before being given a behind-the-scenes tour of Oakwell Stadium by RitC Community Coach Jack Cadman.
It was then time for the kids to get active themselves – splitting into two teams with their custom-made red & white t-shirts to celebrate the day.
The pupils were given a talk by members of the Barnsley FC Academy sports science department about nutrition and diet before leading a warm-up.
It was then time for the managers to take over, with ex-Barnsley FC player and U23s coach Martin Devaney taking charge of one team and fellow Reds Academy coach Sam Collins leading the other.
After training sessions on dribbling, skills and shooting, the two sides faced off in a match, with Devaney’s side running out 3-0 winners.
Devaney reflected on the importance of occasions such as the EFL Day of Action and the work of Reds in the Community.
He said: “The kids have been great. They’ve put a lot of effort in and I hope they’ve enjoyed. It’s something different. It’s always nice for the Club to give back and help local kids in the community and have special days like this.
"They really enjoyed it, enjoyed the football and hopefully they’ve learnt some new skills. It’s really important – the Club, the community and how we engage with people away from the Club. Days like this are really special.
"With children, it shows that you care and want to see them doing well. It’s teaching them good habits and there’s also that physical element where you’re getting them out to play.”
Queens Road’s Year 5 teacher Miss Carter was one of two members of staff who were also in attendance at Oakwell.
She spoke about how much the kids enjoyed the experience and how it will benefit them moving forward.
She said: “It was brilliant. It definitely tops PE. They came down and were really excited. They didn’t know what was happening. They really enjoyed themselves. A lot of them haven’t come down before which is nice.
"Getting to work with some of the coaches – I think they really enjoyed it. A couple of the kids knew who they were. They’ve got a lot from it. They’ve really engaged with the coaches and the way they worked with them has been really positive.
"A lot of the EFL days and what Club’s can offer is what schools can’t so it’s nice for the kids to be able to work with professionals and see what is available to them.”
