England International Luke Young took time out this week to visit students at Kings Academy, Coulby Newham. He answered questions on health and fitness as a well as MFC, enjoyed a guided tour around the school’s impressive facilities, and even stunned and delighted students by sitting in on parts of their Monday afternoon lessons.
Young was present to congratulate youngsters who completed a full-year project involving specialist fitness coaching and careers advice with the Enterprise Academy.
In addition to the health and careers work, students have also received a nationally recognised qualification for their effort- a unique benefit of the Enterprise Academy’s accredited teaching programme.
Students also received signed photos of Luke, and were given the chance to ask him anything they liked in a no holds barred question and answer session.
Questions ranged from “Where have you visited as a player?” [Luke had dropped in on a geography lesson] to “Where did you get your jeans?” to which Luke replied “I don’t know, I reckon the missus must have bought me these!”
Luke said: “I’ve been quite lucky really; when I was playing for the U21s we visited Poland. I’ve played in tournaments in Slovakia, Albania and Switzerland.
It’s my first season here and it’s not looking like we are quite getting into Europe this season! Hopefully next season.”
“I love Portugal. My nana and granddad lived there. Pretty much every year I pop over.”
The defender and his entourage of press also surprised a home economics session where Luke wanted to stay to taste the Swiss roll which the students were cooking, but he had far less conviction in his own baking skills, remarking “This is going to go everywhere isn’t it?” when he was handed a food mixer.
The school features plasma screens, a specially designed carpet to help its visually impaired students, and a Wall of Fame, featuring Boro youth starlet Nathan Porritt, a former pupil at Kings.
Mr Rhodes, Kings Vice Principle told Luke “Nathan Porritt had to request permission to be allowed to play for the school, but I’m glad he did because he was quite keen.”
During the tour, Luke also witnessed dance and PE lessons, and checked out the fantastic gym facilities the school has to offer.
He then faced a question and answer session in the schools Lecture Theatre where he spoke about his fitness regime, and dished the dirt on team mate Robert Huth’s oxygen tank…
Luke said: “Depending on how many games we’ve got coming up. We come in, go to the gym, do upper body work.
“It’s more preventative than anything, it depends on the player.
“The level we are playing at mean everyone’s so fit. You can’t get away with chucking things in your body or going out drinking.
“If we need help, there are people at the club but it is just self discipline really.
“Robert Huth has looked into one [an oxygen tank] to get himself fit. He sleeps on his own in oxygen tank, maybe it’s just an excuse to get away from his missus!
“My worst injury was a medial knee ligament sprain.
“Players are different, mostly they leave it to us, and we know our bodies better than anyone else.”
Luke also gave the youngsters sensible advice regarding their futures, he said: “Keep doing your school work because you never know what is going to happen.
“I knew of people at my old school that felt that they were going to be footballers and that was it. But you don’t know what is going to happen.
“I was pushed by my mum to do my home work, and do it to the best of my ability; I think it’s very important.
“When I was in the youth team if you didn’t do your work you had a chance of being let go.”
Mr Rhodes, Vice Principal, said: "We were very privileged to have a sportsman of Luke's calibre come and see what we are providing for children in this area. It was a great opportunity for our students to talk to somebody who could give them a real insight into what it takes to get to the very top in professional sport."
As part of the MFC Community Project, the Enterprise Academy has delivered the course since 2002 throughout the Tees Valley.
Tutors on the ground breaking programme have used MFC as a model to inspire Tees Valley students and help them “switch on” to the topics of business, enterprise and self-employment.
MFC in the community’s Enterprise and Health Manage, Anthony Emmerson said: “This event is truly unique as it’s not every day a Premier League footballer walks the corridor of a Middlesbrough comprehensive school.
“The students have achieved great things on this programme and I know that that they have been really looking forward to telling Luke about their achievements.”
Luke was obviously impressed with the school, he asked intelligent questions throughout the tour and was genuinely interested in the answers he received, he said:
“I enjoyed coming down here today. Hopefully they enjoyed asking me questions about what we do day to day.
“I came from Charlton to Boro and both were good with community work.
“We are here to give something back I think it’s great to do that.
“Nobody came to my school. Hopefully it’s been good for them asking questions and learning what they didn’t know.
“It’s been good, I never had the chance when I was at school for someone to come in and a lot are taking A Level PE.
“The first thing I noticed looking out the window was the astro turf. The facilities are State of the Art.
“If I had to come to school this is one of the places I would like to come.
“It was good that a lot of them are Middlesbrough supporters.”
Supported by funding from the Single Programme and developed in a partnership between MFC, Middlesbrough Council and Stockton –on Tees Borough Council, the Enterprise Academy uses the football club as the model business when teaching the region’s young people about business and the world of work.
More than 25, 000 young people have already benefited from the mentoring, exciting activities and accredited courses on offer.
First published in FMTTM 3/5/08
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