Year Nine students from Roade school were treated to a day out at the Cobblers Study Centre in reward for their hard work and achievement throughout this term.  The day kicked off with the Football in Community team leading stadium tours around Sixfield’s.  The students were given access to the changing rooms, board room, cells  and players lounge as well as being given the chance to observe the first team training in their training centre prior to this weekends home match against Carlisle.

After the stadium tour the Roade students were challenged to the Stadium Orienteering course.  Team games and comic strips of the morning activities provided entertainment for the afternoon.  Congratulations to all the students who have worked hard at Roade this term!

Last night the Cobblers Study Centre held its Presentation Evening to celebrate the successes of all young people who have worked in the Study Centre over the last term.  Cobblers first team regulars, Danny Jackman and Jason Crowe were at the presentation evening to help present certificates alongside Clarence the Dragon. 

The night kicked off with a photo presentation of the activities that have been going on in the Study Centre over the term.  Our ‘Playing for Success’ students from Ashby Fields, William Parker and Southbrook were the first to receive their goody bags and certificates from the special guests.  Our Wednesday night Kic.in2.study group also received certificates for their ten week course at the study centre as well as recognition of their participation in the exciting Supporter to Reporter project.

The night ended with a presentation to Becky Allen from Kingsthorpe College who whilst participating in the S.C.O.R.E project at the Study Centre completed the FA Junior Football Organisers Award.

Congratulations to everyone who worked hard at the Study Centre this term! 

In their final week at the Study Centre,  Robyn and Charlie from Southbrook Junior School speak about their experience…

Charlie:

We have been coming to the Cobblers for six weeks and we have done lots of activities like making origami football shirts and smoothies.  My favourite week was the X-box Challenge. 

Robyn:

I was shocked at first when I was chosen to come to the Cobblers because I am naughty at school because I chat a lot.  But overall I really have enjoyed it at the Cobblers.  My favourite week was the Club challenge because we got to do lots of writing! 

Charlie:

For the X-Box Challenge we had to research information about our team.  My team was Brazil and I found out about the capital city.  After, we played the football tournament on the X-Box and we had to add up the scores from the matches. I won one game! 

Robyn:

I am now trying to shop chatting and work harder.  It has been fun at the Cobblers. 

Youth charity The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and The Football League Trust have launched a ground breaking national partnership which will inspire, enthuse and motivate young people to achieve a Duke of Edinburgh’s Award through football across England and Wales.   On Friday 17^th October, Gerry Sutcliffe MP – Minister for Sport in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and Clive Betts MP - Member of the Parliamentary Football Team launched the partnership at Sheffield United Football Club.  Margaret Hillyer from the Cobblers Study Centre and Russell Lewis from the NTFC Community Department made the journey up to Sheffield.  Northampton Town Football Club is now recognised as an approve centre to run The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award in partnership with the Football League Trust.

 Update by Rebecca (Kingsthorpe College)

At the Cobblers Study Centre we have been doing a lot of things and it has been really fun and exciting.  We have  been working on coaching younger children football skills.  We went over to Upton Meadows and taught them.  They listened  really well to Jordan when he introduced himself and Katie, Matthew and me, we played stuck in the mud without the footballs and the kids listened really well.  They were really good and they enjoyed playing the games.  They had fun but it was a shame that the room wasn’t bigger because we could have played a little match but because there wasn’t room we couldn’t do it. Next Monday we are going over to the school again and we are going to teach them again and give them certificates.  We are going to do some relays and I am going to do the introduction.  I am going to say “hello my name is Rebecca and I’m here from Kingsthorpe College today to teach you some more football skills.” I am doing the the first warm up game then Zac is going to do the second warm up game,  Katie is going to do the third warm up game which is traffic lights.  After that we are going on to do the skill games which are C-Factor with Zac, Cobblers Replay with Matthew and then the Penalty Shootout with all the coaches. Then after we have done all  of this we are going to do the presentation where all the children receive a certificate and all of us coaches take it in turns to hand them out to all the children. 

Please check out PfS Press Online for all the latest news from our Playing for Success schools and daytime programmes.  Presentation evening dates at websites links are also included in this issue as well as news from our exciting Supporter to Report project!

The Cobblers Study Centre are very pleased to be working with two groups of secondary school students who are working toward their FA Junior Football Organiser qualification.  The two groups from Kingsthorpe College and The Northampton School for Girls have been working with us and the NTFC Community Programme to gain skills and experience required from the course.  Last week the students from Kingsthorpe College delivered a coaching session at Upton Meadows Primary School, it was a daunting task for all involved but there was lots of positive feedback from the teachers and pupils at the school.  In a few weeks time the KC students will complete their course by organising and running a Futsal tournament at Upton Meadows.  The students from NSG have only just started their course but we have been impressed by the hard work and enthusiasm that has gone into planning sessions.  We are positive that all the students taking part in the course will make excellent role models as coaches.

This evening, students from Sir William Parker School in Daventry have been continuing our theme of healthy eating week by designing match day menus for the Cobblers first team.  All match day menus consisted of a healthy balance of carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins and minerals and fats. The students also designed and created some fabulous smoothie recipes which can be seen below:

Masons Smoothie Recipe: The Stewart Little!

• 100 grams of strawberries
• 100 grams of pineapple
• 100 grams of pear
• Half a small cup of apple juice  

My recipe tasted like a dream, it was sweet and I could taste the strawberries the most.  I would make it again!

Joels Recipe: Tropical

• 125g pineapple
• 100g banana
• 1/2 cup of orange and mango juice

I liked my recipe, it tasted nice and reminded me of being somewhere tropical!

Charlotte:  Summer Surprise!

• 75g strawberries
• 75g raspberries
• 125g pineapple
• 1/2 cup of orange and mango juice

I thought my smoothie was sweet and I really liked it!

This week at the Study Centre we are focussing on healthy eating! 

Youngsters at the Study Centre have been finding out about what food groups make up a balanced diet and what a Northampton Town football player would eat on a match day.  Students from Southbrook Junior School used their knowledge to design match day menus for the Cobblers upcoming league match against Leeds United and then went on to design, create and sample their own smoothie recipes.

Budding chefs from The Gateway, Sir William Parker and Ashby Fields will be creating their menus later in the week. Check back here to see a selection of their recipes!