“Football does indeed change lives,” said 20-year-old Kiara Tuitt after finishing their Street Soccer Academy.
As a person of colour and member of the LGBTQIA+ community who identifies as gender fluid, Kiara is amongst those who are vulnerable to stigmatism and discrimination. “I kind of cross three minorities… I guess it could put me in a vulnerable situation, depending on who I’m around,” they said.
Kiara was introduced to the Street Soccer Foundation after a friend encouraged them to join the West Ham United Foundation, West Ham United’s official charity that sets out to tackle poverty and exclusion, develop the education of youths and children and promote health and well-being through community participation in sports.
Honest Truth
“Honest truth, I didn’t know what I was signing up for when I joined,” Kiara told the Street Soccer Foundation. “I was in the mindset of like ‘I need to get back into sports anyway and I haven’t done football in so long.’”
Kiara told the Street Soccer Foundation that they feel like they have since found a family through the West Ham Street Soccer Academy.
“When I got to the West Ham United Foundation, everyone was so nice and welcoming.”
In regard to the sessions they received through the West Ham Street Soccer Academy, Kiara explained: “The sessions ran from 1pm to 4pm. Once everyone was there, we sat around and had a presentation up on the board. The first slide was always a ‘let’s do a recap’ with questions like ‘How are we doing today? Rate yourself on a scale of 1 to 10. Say something positive that has happened in the last week. Name something you have remembered about the session last week’.”
Mental health, self-confidence, money management
“Every week was a different sit-down session. There was mental health, self-confidence, money management and we had CV sessions as well,” Kiara explained.
At the end of the employability sessions, which set out to improve the career prospects of the young people, the group were invited to email in their own CVs to their coach for feedback and pointers. After lunch, the group went out on to the pitch for drills and a football match.
There were “mixed ability sessions,” Kiara added, noting that “if anybody would find it too difficult, we would scale it down and see what we were struggling with and how we can improve it.”
“Everyone was really – really supportive. Everyone genuinely helped everyone with their development.”
Important for so many reasons
Joining a Street Soccer Academy is “important for so many reasons,” Kiara said, urging other young people to get involved. “It builds self-confidence, and it also helps with a feeling of community… There’s a lot of transferable skills in playing football and being part of a team of like-minded people from different backgrounds that you can learn from.”
“I know it is the easiest thing to say and the hardest thing to do but just go for it. Give it a chance and give yourself a chance to be in an environment where it may be out of your comfort zone, but you could find a new comfort zone and you could find a family.”
“I feel like, through the programme, I have found a family.”
With a desire to help others and to give back to the Street Soccer Foundation and the West Ham United Foundation, Kiara is in the process of becoming a volunteer for the official charity.
I want to be able to help and give back
“I have noticed, over ten weeks, how other participants in the sessions have grown a lot… They have built up their confidence so much and I really love watching other people grow,” the 20-year-old explained. “I didn’t realise it was a passion I had until I got into the foundation, and I’m like, you guys have done so much for me, I want to be able to help and give back.”
