Rovers AC have been very proactive in getting their young players to volunteer by coaching within the clubs minis and youth teams. Rovers approached the Guernsey FA through their FA Coach Mentor, Steve Sharman and club coach Barry Moroney, in order to arrange for the course to be delivered at Port Soif. A total of 11 young volunteers attended the first part of the course on Saturday the 10th of November and will complete the course on Saturday the 24th of November. The candidates will then need to complete 4 hours of volunteering in order to achieve the final qualification. For more information on the course itself please click here

FA Coach Mentor, Steve Sharman said:

“Rovers AC and the Guernsey Football Association should be congratulated on their joint efforts in developing the next generation of volunteers.  In a society where all too often negative press regarding young people is prevalent and deemed newsworthy we should realise that there are many who contribute selflessly to our community.

Having worked with Rovers AC for three years now this initiative compliments the creative ideas employed to take interested individuals from observers to helpers and if motivated to qualify as coaches.  

The benefits are multiple to all concerned.”

Barrry Moroney, Rovers AC Coach said:

“From the Rovers side, we're delighted & grateful to be able to work with the Guernsey FA to offer Rovers youth players the opportunity to avail of the Junior Football Leaders Award. Our mentoring work with Steve Sharman last season helped us to recruit several new Rovers minis coaches & now we're adding to this with these young volunteers.

It's fantastic to see these teenagers taking an active part in minis training at Port Soif on Saturday mornings & we are really pleased that they are looking to give something back to Rovers at such a young age. Several Rovers youth players approached the club early in the season about helping out at minis coaching & then others came forward when they saw what their friends were doing & how much they were enjoying it.

Working alongside FA coach mentor, Steve Sharman, we looked at how these volunteers, our current minis coaches & Rovers could all benefit from their volunteering & identified this course as a crucial first step in the process. This course will help give the participants the confidence to make a real difference in their coaching & who knows where the coaching journey might end for some of them?

Fun Through Football is our Rovers minis philosophy &, judging by the smiles on the faces of our minis players, these young volunteers are certainly helping to make this a reality every Saturday morning!"