Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
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IT’S a miserable winter’s evening with the heavens opening to dump a deluge of heavy rain on an already mucky football pitch below. But it’ll take more than horrible weather to dampen the spirits of the dedicated youngsters and coaches braving the conditions to enjoy the beautiful game.
Rain, hail or shine, the kids and adults involved in the Crumlin United Mini Soccer Academy will turn out week on week – such is their enthusiasm and love for the club.
In five short years it has become a beating heart of community spirit in the commuter town.
The club’s growth from four coaches to 30 and 30 children to 200 is a testament to how it was needed and what an integral part it now plays within the Crumlin community.
Treasurer Sean Murphy explained how the academy got off the ground.
He said: “It was formed in 2012 by Michael Longstaff and Colin Roden.
“They recognised there was a gap in the greater Crumlin area for something for kids in terms of soccer and wider sport. At that point in time we didn’t even have a leisure centre.”
The founders wanted to establish a club that had a crosscommunity appeal as well as attracting girls and boys.
Sean added: “We would have kids turning up in a Celtic jersey and others in a Rangers jersey and they are playing together since they were four.
“They don’t care – they know no different and that carries all the way through.
“We’ve always taken in girls but this year we have our first all-girls team.”
Impressively, the club is run entirely on a voluntary basis with coaches giving up their time regularly to take young footballers two evenings a week and on a Saturday morning.
It is this passion and devotion that impressed Lidl judges to shortlist the
CO ANTRIM YESTERDAY
club for a Community Works Award. Sean is the first to admit it is a community effort that sees coaches and parents mucking in together.
“I’m a committee member come treasurer come kit washer come anything really,” he laughed.
“This club has done two things for the kids – it’s teaching them teamwork, how to co-operate with each other, how to act as part of a team, but also personal development. Additionally we bring all abilities in and treat everyone the same no matter what their ability.
“From a coach perspective, with it being a growing community and commuter town, we have people moving into Crumlin from other parts, Belfast, Antrim, Lisburn.
“It used to be a small community where people knew each other but then it grew and people didn’t know each other. ow there are networks and friendships being built between coaches and parents that wouldn’t have been built before. There are stronger community ties as a result of that.
“The club has helped establish a sense of community, inclusivity and a sense of pride in the community – the
Nyoungsters are there representing Crumlin. “When people come to a new town it can be hard to establish a sense of identity with it.” Despite the seemingly never-ending funding challenges to keep the academy afloat, Sean speaks passionately about the immense satisfaction he and other coaches get out of seeing the four to 13-year-olds progress. He