Coach Core and beyond: Elliott's Story

Elliott was placed at Sport Birmingham as part of last year's Coach Core apprenticeship programme. After impressing with his coaching skills, engaging personality & potential he was offered a full time role. He currently is a Youth Engagement assistant on MAD Birmingham, here's his story:

"I left college after passing a public services course, I knew I wanted to get into sport but wasn't quite sure how. A few opportunities doing some work for schools hadn't really led to much and I was keen to take the next step.

I applied for Coach core as I wanted to get into coaching & work with kids, for me Coach core was the best option at the time as it offered coaching qualifications, as well as a range of different courses. Coach core was a yearlong process, I was based at Sport Birmingham which meant I was working for nearby schools in their additional PE delivery, local grassroots sport organisations, supporting event delivery such as the school games. I also got to experience an office environment which was an eye opener in terms of different types of jobs.

The programme has enabled me to gain a range of experiences that I wouldn't have had unless I'd been involved in the process. Age 19 I've met the royals which is pretty awesome considering I was told I'd never amount to much. I've achieved so much from the programme. Meeting the royals gave me a sense of no ceilings should be put on my progress and that the world is my oyster.

Through Coach Core it's opened my eyes to the amount of coaching organisations/companies that there are just within Birmingham as well pushed me to try coach other sports rather than be solely focused on football. Not to mention this new found knowledge is helpful when directing young people to wider sporting opportunities for instance B-Row at Edgbaston Reservoir. Sport has so many opportunities to offer for instance since my time in a school I realise PE teachers are far more than coaches a lot of the time they're mentors. So my mentoring skills are something I'm looking to develop and add to my skillset.

The biggest challenge for me on the programme was the more paperwork side, I struggle with dyslexia so the learning sometimes takes a bit longer but Zikel the course tutor was really supportive and we got there!

Finding out I had a baby coming halfway through the programme really focused me in terms of my progression and learning. For me I had to secure a job to provide for myself and family in the future.

In terms of this year's apprentices my advice would be don't take anything for granted and seize the opportunity, don't leave yourself short because who knows where you could end up with at the end of 14mths."