My Day at Nirvana

By Domie Kamanda

I was able to spend a day at Leicester Nirvana FC and experience a regular Saturday morning. This was highly insightful for me as I had never experienced grassroots football before and I was keen to record my findings, as well as the key information I’d acquired from parents.

As I arrived at 9am – an extremely early start I might add, I realised that the volunteers of Nirvana had arrived far earlier than me. The first part of the morning was for children as young as 5 years of age, and the session was focused on techniques, their all-round development and much around having fun. The entire session took place with the ball at their feet and I was able to see them developing their skills as well as communicating with each other. The session also allowed parents to be involved and interact with their children in such an active way that the children benefitted heavily. They also walked away from the session very happy. This left a deep impression on me as the children were able to fall in love with football and enjoy it to the fullest, which was a nice site to see.
I learnt that there is a real community feel at this club.

I was able to ask parents about their impressions of Nirvana. They praised the club’s community and family values. Stating that there is real support felt, not just for the children but also for the parents. There was also a big mention of the diversity at the club. A variety of children are able to come together and work together as well as learning from each other and that will only benefit them in the long run. Parents also mentioned the different values that the children gain at the club: resilience, teamwork, confidence, discipline and commitment. These are all essential values that will benefit the children later in life, and learning them whilst enjoying themselves helps to engrain these values into them in their early years.

The parents had a very positive outlook on the club and couldn’t speak more highly, so much so that they told me they would highly recommend the club.

In conclusion, my day was quite eye opening. I was able to delve into the world of grassroots football, muddy pitches and all, and see first-hand the efforts by volunteers and the joy of the children. As I was reading the website, I came across the mission statement and it really struck me. “Use football as a vehicle to empower and provide opportunities for all young people”. I truly believe that quote is being carried out to the fullest and I hope to be able to see it continue to support the development of the children and young people they serve.