Uniting around football: A day of friendly competition at Eton College
Last Sunday, we had the pleasure of participating, for the fourth year, in a friendly football competition at Eton College with 28 young people and volunteers from Breadwinners, GMAX Trackstars Athletics Academy, Hope for the Young, and Argentina FC London.
We spent the day at Eton College, travelling together on a coach from our 3Space office in Brixton to Windsor where all the young people participating had the opportunity to play three games each of 5-a-side football matches.
This competition has become a cherished tradition between our organisations and has been organised by Will from Eton College for the past three years, who will be moving on to his next chapter at university and passing on the torch. We wish Will all the best in his future endeavours!
Spending the day at Eton College with young people and volunteers from different organisations was a heartwarming experience. Not only did we get to witness the joy and excitement on the faces of these boys as they played their hearts out on the field (so much so that we got to witness some intense penalty playoffs!), but we also got to see the incredible impact that football can have on young people from all backgrounds.
“It was quite an amazing day with amazing people. They provided food for us and drinks and lots of pictures were taken. We really enjoyed the day and in the afternoon, I had the chance to get a hot drink and eat. We also received a medal and I can’t wait to for the next year to go again! Thank you so much.”
Playing football isn't just about the physical activity or competition, it's about building relationships, developing teamwork skills, and instilling a sense of confidence in young people. We therefore split up the boys into four teams, giving them the chance to make new friends and teammates in the same day. They cheered each other on, worked together to develop strategies, and celebrated each other's successes. We left Eaton College that day feeling grateful for the opportunity to witness the power of football in action.
“The event made me very happy as the young people from Breadwinners, GMAX, and Eton, all demonstrated all the values that sports offers. New friends and networks were created among groups of people who would most likely not get the opportunity to engage with each other. This is what was beautiful about the event. It was built in the culture of participation. And sport doesn’t build character, it reveals character, including enthusiasm, creativity, humility and personal fulfillment.”
A massive thank you to Will and everyone from Eton College for the warm welcome and delicious tea and snacks throughout the day, Mark and the GMAX boys for inspiring us with your words and kindness, as well as all the volunteers from Breadwinners and Argentina FC London who helped us coach the teams but also collect football shoes donations for the boys - we couldn’t have done it without you Angie, Tibu, Salsa, Pausa, Sarah, Patrick, and Daniel!
We can’t wait for our next sporting event together, see you soon!
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