Member-only story
When I felt humiliated by my football coach
How past events almost shaped me today
I hadn’t thought about this story for a long time until recently. During a discussion about teamwork and football histories, it sprung to mind. But what surprised me specifically, was how vividly I could remember it.
Ask your dad?!
I was 14 or 15 at the time, and there we were, at the end of a training session. A group of lads and a couple of coaches on the AstroTurf next to the school I went to.
I hadn’t actually started playing football properly until I was about 11 though, because in primary school I just hung around chatting to my friend who was usually the goalkeeper.
I did however always have an interest in the sport, mostly driven by my dad and my grandparents on his side. I would enjoy the Saturday afternoons watching the scores come in, throwing a ball round with my dad in the living, whilst hoping that the Arsenal would win again.
I would cherish the occasional night late up to watch us play, although that sometimes ending in tears too. It wasn’t just football they were in to, but a whole lot of other sport including rugby, cricket, F1, horseracing. However, football reigned supreme where I grew up.
