When Sue Baker and her daughter Natalie heard about the football training sessions offered to local young people with Down’s syndrome, they were keen to take part. Natalie, who is 16 in July, comes from a football-mad household in Surbiton, Surrey. Despite having an older brother and a father who are ardent Chelsea fans, Natalie had grown up with only a passing interest in the ‘beautiful game’.
The references to Chelsea Football Club were so frequent at home that, as a young girl, Natalie named her pet rabbit ‘Chelsea’, as it was one of the few words she could say clearly.
However, as it turned out, it is not the blue kit of Chelsea that Natalie dons when she plays football, but rather the black and white of their Premier League neighbours, Fulham FC
For the Friday evening sessions, which, depending on the weather are held indoors in a sports hall or under floodlights on an Astroturf pitch at Raynes Park High School, are run by Fulham FC’s Community Sports Trust.
The Trust runs various well-established projects in the local community, working alongside organisations such as the local primary care trust to cut childhood obesity rates, for example.
It also has a history of running various projects in south west London and Surrey for young people with learning disabilities.
Susi Williams, the positive minds co-ordinator with Fulham FC’s community sports trust, was one of a number of individuals who spotted that those with Down’s syndrome appeared to be missing out.
Working closely with the Down’s Syndrome Association and other organisations such the Royal Borough of Kingston, Sport England and the Premier League, the Fulham Badgers were born in 2006. Ms Williams explains that the Friday evening sessions, at which she is a trained coach, attract from 20 to 25 players. The age range is from five to 33 – the sessions for a younger age group are a recent innovation. The cost is £30 a year per person. She points out that many young people with Down’s syndrome have associated physical problems, such as respiratory or heart conditions – but stresses that these are taken into account during football practice.
“The sessions are conducted at their pace. The young people have been down to Fulham FC’s training ground and have been in sessions witha personal trainer, who measured their heart rates and oxygenintake. ”
They also had fun on the rowing machines and the bicycles, and even did a bit of boxing.” Ms Williams offers information on healthy eating and general fitness. “They are running off quite a bit of energy each week.”
“Being involved in these sessions helps them to feel like they are part of a community and wider society. They are not labeled as having a learning disability: they are taking part in a team sport.” There have been many opportunities to appear at Fulham’s ground on match days – whether they are taking part in half-time penalty shoot outs, walking around the pitch with Billy the Badger (the club mascot),interacting with the players or being spectators. The sessions are appreciated by the parents. One mother said she appreciated meeting other parents as they could swap stories and share common frustrations.
“We can have a good old moan about the (learning disability) professionals when we get together! Then next time we see them, we are much more polite.” Another reported an unexpected consequence of attending the sessions: her son’s social life had broadened. Some had noticed that the sessions helped to develop the players’ concentration and their ability to follow instructions.
Brief games of basketball are held during the sessions, t0 encourage passing to team mates. Ralph Greaves, whose 16-year-oldson Jack is a regular player said, “He absolutely loves coming. It’s the highlight of his week. He loves the friendships, and being part of Fulham FC. “Jack has become a supporter and we go to Fulham matches regularly – even though I’m a Chelsea supporter!”
Sue Baker is a councillor with the Royal Borough of Kingston where she is a passionate advocate on behalf of disabled people. She is also the local authority’s champion for learning disability and attends the weekly sessions of its disabled parliament. “What makes these sessions special is that the young people are taking part in a proper sport- it’s not a token gesture or just a ‘kickabout’,” she said. “I’m really impressed by how they gear the sessions to the ability of the young person.
Some of them are pretty good footballers, while Natalie, for example could hardly kick a ball when she first started. Now, thanks to the training, she has learned to control a ball, which makes her very proud. “There is an element of competition and they play each other in teams and, of course, the exercise is good. But I really like the social element as well: teenagers with Down’s syndrome, especially if they go to special schools out of their borough, can find it hard to make friends.
Like all young people they will choose their own friends but in a group like this they have a wide choice. “One thing that really impresses me about the young people is that, while they know they have to score for their team, they all celebrate in the same way if their opponents get a goal. It’s ‘good goal’ and ‘high fives’ all round!” A few years ago, Natalie suddenly began putting on weight in an alarming fashion. Eventually, a diagnosis of hyperthyroidism was made and Natalie was prescribed regular medication. For Sue, the weekly football classes play a key part in helping to maintain Natalie’s weight.
Jeff Davis, the FA’s development manager for disability, said: “Our aim is to be as inclusive as possible. We want everyone who wants to play football to be able to get involved as near to their home as possible.” Later this year, Davis and colleagues will begin working with England’s learning disability team in preparation for next summer’s fifth World Football Championships in Limpopo, South Africa. The tournament is organised by the International Sports Federation for People with an Intellectual Disability. Held during August and September, the tournament follows the traditional World Cup.
Patricia James, the DSA’s corporate fundraising officer, says DS Active was created in 2005 after parents reported that their sons and daughters were often “left on the sidelines” when their peers with learning disabilities played sports. They will often be at a disadvantage physically because having Down’s means they find it hard to take up oxygen and it affects their metabolic rate, Ms James explains. “This, in turn, results in poorer strength and muscle mass, and a higher body fat content.”
In 2006, a link between DS Active and Fulham’s Community Sports Trust led to the creation of Fulham Badgers. Now the Badgers have become the pilot for a growing number of London clubs. For example, last year in March, DS Active helped launch the QPR Tiger Cubs. On 21 March, to coincide with World Down’s Syndrome Day, the 20-strong Tiger Cubs squad showed off their skills at Queens Park Rangers’ stadium in west London in front of 18,000 supporters for a match with Bristol City. Over in south east London, Charlton Athletic followed suit by unveiling its team in April. Ms James adds, “Down’s syndrome is the most common form of learning disability in the UK. For the clubs, it gives them a great opportunity to connect with their community and their fan base.” Ultimately, she hopes to see the creation of a DS Active league with links to clubs across the UK within five years.
