IN a UK first, Southampton Children’s Hospital has launched a youth football team for young people living with long-term health conditions and their siblings.
The all-ability team, which currently has 11 players aged between seven and 16, train fortnightly at pitches around Southampton with a disability-trained football coach from Hampshire FA.
The idea developed from a series of spontaneous football sessions offered by Hampshire FA to patients of Southampton Children’s Hospital through the Patient Empowerment, self-Esteem, Employability and Resilience (PEEER) project.
Sarah Shameti, PEEER youth service lead at University Hospital Southampton, said: "We've worked in partnership with Hampshire FA on many one-off sessions over the past couple of years. The enjoyment was so evident that we decided to develop a proper team and offer regular football training.
"Although some adaptations may be needed to ensure young people living with health conditions can participate, this is being done seamlessly with specialist football coaches.
"It’s wonderful seeing the young players immerse themselves completely in the game and enjoy the camaraderie from being part of a team."
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The team is currently mainly made up of kidney (renal) and diabetes patients along with some of their siblings.
One team player is Thomas McNeill, 13, from Havant. Thomas was born with a heart and kidney condition and underwent heart surgery at just ten days old and again at three weeks old.
His mum Claire said: "Thomas didn’t have the easiest start to life.
"He was born eight weeks premature with multiple holes in his heart, in fact so many that the surgeons likened it to a Swiss cheese.
"He also has kidney problems and requires daily growth hormone injections so has regular visits to Southampton Children’s Hospital to monitor his health.
"Despite this he is a happy boy who enjoys all sport and he jumped at the chance to join this football team. It gives him a chance to be himself without any inhibitions as he isn’t the only one in the team with a health condition.
"Having Thomas’s older brother Jack, who is 15, also involved gives Thomas all the encouragement and confidence he needs to really put his all into the sessions and he absolutely loves it."
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