New football programme for kids from Lee Hendrie

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New football programme for kids from Lee Hendrie

New football programme for kids from Lee Hendrie

Lee Hendrie, Aston Villa’s former star, is launching a national inspirational network of football sessions aimed at kids, whose goal is to help show children the ups and downs of football.

These sessions will greatly help build the children’s self-esteem, develop their confidence and boost friendship with other kids, and more importantly, harness opportunities for those who will show real talent at a tender age.

Lee, a 35 year-old father of 2 children, plays for Tamworth and has been leading the development of an activity programme called FootieBugs (can be found at www.footiebugs.com), which is a pilot scheme rolled out in selected Southern, Midlands and Northern areas.

FootieBugs is a professional football activity session programme for children aged three to nine, offering fun classes teaching fundamental football skills. One of the most important and exciting aspects for Lee, is that sessions can be enjoyed by girls and boys as well as encouraging friendship and respect among children from different ethnic backgrounds.

It’s also hoped that youngsters’ involvement in football can have a positive effect on their communities and parents are also encouraged to get involved.

But Lee also says that learning you can win or lose a game of football from the age of three will be a boost for those youngsters with their sights set on a future in the sport – and that if he’d been able to have such experience, he would have approached the game differently.

“With all my experience playing at the top flight of football, I’ve a lot to give,” he says.

“As a professional footballer and a dad, I was confident I could put an excellent football programme for children together, but I wanted it to be more than just teaching children core football skills.

“I wanted to make a difference and help educate children and their families into the importance of a living healthily and how it can affect their child’s sporting potential. I wanted to help prepare children physically and emotionally for the life ahead of them and so by utilising the expertise of early year’s educators, physiotherapists and other professional footballers, I have developed an all round professional football programme that has as much emphasis on fun as it does on fundamental football skills.”

“I’ve spent over 12-months developing the programme by researching how football could address a number of issues currently affecting young children.

“I’ve spent time talking to physiotherapists from clubs that I have played for, I contacted my children’s head teacher as an early year’s specialist and I researched the opinions of parents as to what was important to them for their child’s development and their expectations from a children activity.

“I also sought advice from Gareth Barry and Joe Hart of Man city, Ashley Young of Man Utd and Gary Cahill of Chelsea with regards to the core skills of football, teamwork and the mental strength of teamwork, social skills and interaction with others to ensure I was on the right track.

“I want to pass on the best skills I can, including passing the ball, heading and shooting, all the things that make a complete footballer.”

Lee has worked with expert physios and childcare professionals to painstakingly prepare a structured activity programme, as part of The Bugs Group, which also includes YogaBugs, the largest and most successful children’s yoga specialist with operations throughout the UK, Australia, China and Singapore.

“I want to help kids who want to be footballers reach their goal, I wanted to be a footballer from a young age, I worked through similar stuff myself and got rewards from it.

“Who knows, we may find the next Wayne Rooney and I’m really excited about the chance to help them but it’s also about having fun and children developing vital social skills through football.

“It’s important that this is a mix of boys and girls. Girls’ football is brilliant now in the UK and I want to help both boys and girls become the best players they can be.

“If we see someone who stands out, we want to encourage them as much as possible. We want to speak to Premiership and Championship clubs about the talent we find.”

Along with Bugs Group managing director Mark Goode, Lee is now spearheading a search for franchisees to pioneer the FootieBugs programme in the chosen regions.

Lee says: “Although football is my passion and I have been lucky enough to make it my career, not everyone has had the same opportunities. I am so excited to be able to offer others with the same passion a chance to make a real difference to the future footballers of this country.

“We want to work with people who are highly passionate about football. FootieBugs isn’t just about giving children improved football skills, it’s about giving children better life skills, teaching them how to interact with others, building their social skills, while all the time improving their confidence and self-esteem.”

The wealth of experience and passion that Lee and other professional players have been able to bring to the FootieBugs programme is what he believes will set it apart from established competitors.

The team’s contacts within professional football are also a key factor behind FootieBugs’ appeal. When talent is spotted in a young footballer, this can be nurtured and helped in a way that someone outside of professional football couldn’t.

But Lee adds: “Although FootieBugs attracts a large number of leading premiership and championship players, most of whom I have had the pleasure to play with or against; it’s the franchise owners and their team of coaches that will ensure FootieBugs remains top of the league.”

* Anyone wanting to find out more about becoming a FootieBugs franchisee should contact Kim at The Bugs Group on  0121 777 7792 or via kim@thebugsgroup.com.

 

Gazza breakdown shocks fans

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Well known footballer Paul Gascoigne appeared on stage during a charity appearance only to break down sobbing and shaking, to the amazement of gathered fans. At 45 years old, the man started to slowly shake as he got on the stage and then broke down in the middle of a speech in Northampton over the course of last week. His agent Terry Bake told the press that he needed some immediate medical assistance due to over drinking, and that his situation could be dire.

His drinking problems are nothing new, but Gascoigne often claimed that he believes he can get back on track, and that Gazza, as the fans know him, will surmount this latest challenge, even after his latest relapse. According to the Gordon Taylor, the CEO of Professional Footballers Association (PFA) said that they still support the former England midfielder, and that whatever help he needs, the association was ready to provide it as long as he comes on board for it.

That is not to say that the PFA has not been concerned about his situation. Taylor said that he and other members of the association were worried about him, and did not want a repeat of what happened back in 2005, when Northern Ireland winger George Best died at the age of 59 due to addiction to drinking for many years.

After the incident, a tweet from Peter Schmeichel commented on the fact that the association needed to step up their efforts to help stars who struggle with such issues, and that everyone should pitch in. Taylor said that so far the PFA has had numerous occasions when they offered support to Gascoigne. The star has to engage when people try to help him, which so far does not appear to be the case.

 

 

Yoan Gouffran captures the heart of the Toon Army

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Yoan Gouffran is still a young footballer but since the 26 year old star signed with Newcastle United, fans have been all over him, and he said that he had never witnessed anything close to what he experienced on that day.

After his initial start in his Toon career, he captured the hearts of fans with some hard working performances at the stadium in order to prove her worth to the team, wearing his black and white shirt and providing a perfect counter to what the Chelsea formation gave him on the terrain.

His display managed to help the team by providing three points and keeping up a 100% winning start for his new career as part of the team. He was part of Alan Pardew and his 4-3-2-1 formation in the match which proved to be quite challenging, but Gouffran took the reigns and came out looking great at the end, to the amazement of fans everywhere.

Gouffran was an unusual arrival to the team, speaking only basic English and being somewhat unknown before taking center stage, but he told the press that he was already loving his new life on Tyneside, after taking part in a lap of honour following the victory over Chelsea. Many reporters already compared his professionalism to Alan Shearer or Gary Speed, and that he was very quick to absorb information.

In some of the statements he made, he said that his most important thought was to keep fighting for the team, and to believe that he has to come out fighting and remember what playing for this team means for the fans. The troops came out strong against Chelsea and even though they only managed to get 1-0 up before the half-time, they then dominated the game, ending with a great victory.

 

Thrown banana judged to be non racist

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The crowd at the 2-2 draw between Port Vale and AFC Wimbledon witnessed awkward moments with a pensioner allegedly throwing a banana at the referee. The 74 year old was released from the police on bail. Historically, bananas were known to be thrown by racist fans on black players, although this incident does not seemingly smell of racism.

Sam Cunningham, football intelligence officer, talked to This Is Staffordshire, and said, “Apparently, a decision by the referee infuriated a fan and he threw the banana at him. We’ve reviewed the footage, and noted that there was no player in the vicinity when the incident happened.”

Played at Kingsmeadow in Kingston-upon-Thames, this League Two game closed at 2-2, with the host club topping the tables for the division. The actions by the pensioner have irked online opinion givers immensely, and Wimbledon fans have expressed their anger on the events online.

“It would serve him right, and set a good example for future offenders if he were to be banned for the lifetime from the Club,” expressed a fan on an online fan community. “We do not want to see you again, ever,” commented and another. Some were all the more vocal in their condemnations, with a fan writing, “It is hard to believe that the man was not held then and there, and given a fitting thrashing for his unbelievably wrong behaviour.”

The event has made people remember the sorry times when racist behavior on the football fields and in the stands was commonplace, particularly in the 1980’s. The famous image of John Barnes, the British legend throwing away a banana from the pitch that was aimed at him while he was playing for Liverpool expresses the same. Thankfully, police and authorities have succeeded in curbing such instances nowadays.

 

 

 

 

 

Hazard and ball boy sort out differences

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Chelsea’s Eden Hazard had been held free of any blame by Harry Redknapp, the QPR manager. The player had got a red card playing against Swansea for allegedly kicking a teenaged ball boy Charlie Morgan. Referee Chris Foy sent off Belgium playmaker Hazard in the last stages of the semi final played at Liberty Stadium last Wednesday. The events started with the ball boy refusing to hand the ball to Hazard after a goal kick.

It so happened that once Morgan seemingly lay over the ball, a frustrated Hazard toe kicked it from under the ball boy, appearing to be kicking the boy instead. Redknapp did not mince any words and said, “The ball boy had no business lying over the ball, that’s inexplicable. And Hazard just toe kicked it from under him, whereas I’m sure many players would have been more forceful in the kick.”

Redknapp continued, “Imagine how frustrated Hazard would have been at that moment, being impaired in his team’s desperate attempts to make it to the cup’s final. Yes, the kid behaved like a stupid individual, and this episode has been totally blown up into a ridiculous issue. The lad even tweeted before the match that he was a time waster, and his behaviour was absolutely disgusting. Hazard just touched the ball, and not this kid.”

Last night, Morgan tweeted regarding the incident, “These 24 hours have been crazy. I won’t press the matters further; have already talked to Hazard.” However, complaint calls from public members from West Wales, Kent and Sussex have led the police into continuing investigations. Charges looked like they wouldn’t be inflicted on Hazard once he met Morgan and the two exchanged apologies for the events of the match, which were so easily avoidable.