The Football Association (FA) Leadership Academy 26 (FALA 26) residential, is the highlight of my year and was truly and amazing experience and opportunity that I will remember and be fond of for the rest of my life. Going into the academy I was nervous as this was an entirely new and different thing compared to anything I had ever done before. But going into it, I wanted to improve my leadership skills and meet people who shared my great passion for football. By the end of the residential I didn’t want to leave, I had gained so much new profound knowledge as well as strengthening and enhancing my skills.
The workshops and practical activities pushed me to think differently and challenged me in many ways. There were moments for example in the TWO SEVEN SEVEN workshops ran by Benson and his team where I took charge and created a plan for the task and guided my team to success and other points where I didn’t know what to do so I stepped back and allow others to take charge. That taught me that I didn’t need always to have the answers and showed me the importance of being comfortable in a team of people who can communicate and work exceptionally well together. Initially, we struggled to work together but as the day progressed accompanied by the support of our mentors and sessions we had in-between activities, we really gained a better understanding and ended up working remarkably well.
From the moment I entered the FALA26 residential to the moment I left; everyone was so welcoming and created such an inclusive environment and made me feel like I belonged. As someone who’s usually a confident person, this calmed all my nerves and helped me warm up to people. FALA26 was an incredible opportunity to meet new people from all kinds of backgrounds and learned their stories and their ‘why’, the why we all do it, – it reminded me that everyone has their own unique story and reason.
It was an absolute pleasure to listen to and have chance to talk to all the guest speakers that were there. To hear their honesty and their challenges they faced reminded me that it isn’t easy, even for the people who have already made it. Their words were inspiring to listen to and it feels like such a privilege to have been able to be in contact with all these amazing motivational people.
Looking back on the FALA26 residential, it gave me more than just leadership skills, it gave me the chance to be with people like me. I left the FALA26 residential with new skills and life-long memories that I will cherish forever. It reminded me that football isn’t just a sport, it brings people together in ways that are unimaginable, we all have inspiring projects that we all wish to pursue so good luck to everyone and thank you for everything. FALA26 residential, you were the best!