“People have just got to do what they can to help people,” says Steven Marshall, founder of Sports and Life Skills. The company is a community-led initiative which aims to teach children valuable lessons in a fun and physically engaging way.
All the sessions, which are provided three times a week by the project, are completely free for both children and their parents. Since starting up just two years ago at the Mildmay community centre they have taught more than 350 local youngsters a wide range of sports. There are three age groups; 4-7 year olds, 8-13 year olds and 14-19 year olds.
The programmes are all mixed as Steven doesn’t believe in separating boys and girls.
“I learn better when I’m doing something”
“We mainly do football during the school term because there are so many kids and it’s way easier to manage, but we also do tennis, dodgeball, archery, touch rugby, cricket, hockey – anything that I can get equipment for basically,” he says
Steven grew up in Islington and admits that he got into “a bit of trouble” when he was younger, having grown up on a council estate in Mildmay. His own experiences made him determined to help young people choose the right path. Though he didn’t go to university, he has ten years of coaching experience on his side.
“I hated sitting in a classroom, it didn’t work for me. I wanted to be active. I learn better when I’m doing something.That’s why I started [Sports and Life Skills] – to teach what I know and love: sport!”
Money “shouldn’t be a barrier”
Having lived in the area, he also understands how money can be a difficulty for some families. The sessions are now funded by the council, though Steven paid for the first year out of his own pocket. He refuses to accept payment for the lessons and uses the free astroturf pitches in Mildmay.
“They never pay a penny. If I charged 50p, what would happen if one kid walking past didn’t have any coins?” he said. “There’re parents that can’t afford to pay anything either, and that shouldn’t be a barrier.”
Different life skills
Each week the sports sessions are themed around a different life skill. These include themes such as stress management, teamwork, and inspiration.
“There are some things in life that shouldn’t be rushed,” says Steven. “It’s all about making kids aware – making them think about issues and how they should react. Like the criticism of Raheem Sterling for having a gun tattoo on his leg. There’s loads of footballers in the Premier League that have gun tattoos but he was highlighted because of his colour.
“We sit them down on the football pitch and make them think about the right way to act.”
Parents are also welcome to get involved. As well as some participation in the weekly sessions, there are half-term programmes and adult fun days that happen twice a year. “We want to help the parents as well. It’s about inspiring the young kids, but hopefully we can inspire them too,” says Steven.
Beyond Islington
For the first year the participants came just from the local area. By the second, Sports and Life Skills had people coming to get involved from all over London – as far as Barking and Camden – just to take part in the programme.
“We try our best to make our programme accessible for everyone and help young people choose the right path,” says Steven.
“I value myself. I’m just trying to teach them some self-worth too”
