Millwall Community Trust (MCT) had the pleasure of welcoming Millwall FC first-team players Shaun Hutchinson and Ryan Leonard to the Lions Centre, where they led a masterclass for students.
The session was attended by MCT’s Post-16 Football and Education Academy students, and the Alternative Provision Academy students.
The duo put the students through similar training they undergo at a professional level, to give them a taste of what their future could look like with the right mindset and hard work.
They eased their way into the session with a warm-up, before Hutchinson and Leonard split them into teams for a 45-minute training session.
After the training, Hutchinson gave the young people a chance to find out more about what life is like for professional players. From what his diet and training days consist of, to his journey through different academies before becoming a first-team player, he motivated the young Lions and lionesses.
Before ending the Q&A session, Hutchinson shared wise words and wished the Post-16 players luck on their match for the following day.
The coaching and Q&A sessions were thoroughly enjoyed by the students, they said: “It was a good experience. I really enjoyed it, and it was nice to meet and be coached by Millwall’s first-team players,” said Seniz, an Alternative Provision Academy student.
“I learnt that the journey to pro isn’t easy, and there’s a lot of hard work you have to put in. The session itself was a good experience to do, and I felt that the environment changed because the players were teaching and coaching us,” added Justin, a Post-16 Football and Education Academy student.
Raheem, an Alternative Provision Academy student, commented: “Today was good. It showed me the standards of professional players and I enjoyed my time during the coaching.”
Meanwhile, Tambe, a Post-16 Football and Education Academy student, said: “I liked it, it wasn’t too difficult, and I liked the intensity of the session. It was great that it was able to happen before our own matchday.”
“My students did well, and you can tell they were well-involved in the session and really taking in what Shaun and Ryan had to say. It’s something different, but you could tell they enjoyed it even with the intensity. It was a good experience for them, especially the girls, and they were all pushed to do their best.” – Daniella Correa-Colorado, Millwall Community Trust Coach and Tutor.
For more information about the Post-16 Football and Education Academy, please contact Tim Sells at tsells@millwallcommunity.org.uk.
