Fozzy's Story: Kicks Kid to Switching Play role model
“I was helped so much, and now it is my turn to help the next generation come through.”
Kieran, better known as ‘Fozzy’, has been linked with Saints Foundation in some way since he was 14 years old. Starting when he was just playing football locally and saw what he thought was just a ‘Saints session’.
“The first I heard about the Foundation I was just out with my mate playing football in a park, and someone mentioned their was a Saints session out on the astro at Flemming Park. So we went down there and realised it was 2 hours of football in a safe space.”
This was one of our Premier League Kicks sessions, a project that uses football as a hook with 8 to 18 year olds, offering young people positive ways to spend free time and helping to unlock opportunities for their future.
Fozzy explained: “School wasn’t great. I wasn’t one of the most well behaved children, but I also wasn’t one of the naughtiest, I was always somewhere In the middle. I would just be out almost every night, and if I could I would play football.
“Premier League Kicks gave us something to do every Friday night, stay out of trouble. We could talk to the coaches about how our weeks were, and if anything was happening that I needed a positive role model to speak to, it was an easy way to open those conversations.”
While the primary function of PL Kicks is to give young people a safe space to play football and engage positively with their community, the sessions have also become a place to spot and nurture leadership potential.
Ian Butcher was a Kicks Coach when Fozzy first engaged with us, and spoke of his first impressions of him: “Kieran has always been a natural leader, meeting Kieran for the first time when he was 15, attending Premier League Kicks session as a participant, he was confident, respectful and helpful towards all staff and fellow peers. Kieran was great role model for others.”
It was these traits that lead to the staff having conversation with Kieran about his future aspirations, something he hadn’t thought about until that point, despite in the back of his mind a career tied to football was a dream.
The journey towards a career with Saints Foundation for Fozzy started with volunteering and helping the coaches at Kicks tournaments before taking that leading role in sessions as well. That was the spark that set him on the journey to working with the Foundation.
“Once I was coming to the end of school, they mentioned about their education course at the stadium provided by the Foundation. So I did that for two years before coming on board as a casual, then as an apprentice, and now I’m full time.”
Fozzy continued: “At the time, this pathway felt like the only way I could get into this world. Seeing how much we do, and how much we help people around the city, it provides so much more that I know that I can give back. I was helped so much, and now it is my turn to help the next generation come through.”
During his time as an apprentice with Premier League Kicks, Kieran had the opportunity to help out with a number of other Saints Foundation projects, including Saints Switching Play. This project uses targeted interventions for young people who are involved in offending behaviours, or at risk of getting involved.
Switching Play uses targeted interventions and mentoring to help 11-17 year olds to challenge these behaviours, improve their mental wellbeing, and help them raise their aspirations.
During his time helping out, Switching Play stood out as a project Fozzy wanted to get involved in more: “When the Saints Switching Play role came up, it really stood out to me. The one to one mentoring element was really something I felt was missing from my life when I was kid, I never had that support, now I can be the one to give that to young people."
Earlier this year, a full time role in Saints Switching Play came up, which Fozzy was quick to apply to. He completed his journey from participant to full time member of staff when he was officially offered the role, joining the Switching Play team.
Loly Wing, Saints Switching Play Coordinator, said: “Fozzy sees the best in people and works hard to deliver the best outcomes, building the confidence, and he is strong in empowering young people to work towards achievable goals.
“Helping remove barriers, address wider concerns, and deliver success on young persons personal goals and future pathways. Fozzy is supportive, an incredible role model, and continuously prompts pro social behaviours at all times to the young participants.”
