Southampton Children's Hospital launches youth football team in collaboration with Hampshire FA

Southampton Children’s Hospital has launched a youth football team for young people living with long-term health conditions and their siblings, in partnership with Hampshire Football Association.

The all-ability team, which currently has 11 players aged between seven and 16 years, train fortnightly at pitches around the Southampton area with a disability trained football coach from Hampshire FA.

It is believed to be the first all-ability children’s hospital football team of its kind in the UK.

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.

This evolved into the creation of a formal team which will now train regularly during the football season.

Sarah Shameti, PEEER youth service lead at University Hospital Southampton, said: “The PEEER youth service has worked in partnership with Hampshire FA on many one-off sessions over the past couple of years.

“The enjoyment from the young people involved was so evident that we decided to develop a proper team and offer regular football training sessions to patients and their siblings.

“Although some adaptations may need to be made to ensure young people living with health conditions can participate, this is being done seamlessly with specialist football coaches and we can’t thank Hampshire FA enough for their support and partnership in this venture.”

She added: “It’s so wonderful seeing the young players immerse themselves completely in the game and enjoy the camaraderie from being part of a team.

“We have high hopes to develop this even further in the future, perhaps even having the opportunity to play in the FA’s disability league at some point.”

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 10 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 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.”

She added: “Southampton Children’s Hospital is amazing. We are seen by various specialties due to the nature of Thomas’s needs and the care they show towards him, as well as the wider needs of our family, are second to none in my opinion.

“This is evident with the idea of bringing this football team to fruition, not just for the patients but also their siblings, which is just lovely.

“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.”

The project is funded by Hampshire FA in partnership with Southampton Children’s Hospital and Southampton Hospitals Charity.

Glenn Brailey, disability football development officer at Hampshire FA, said: “We’re delighted to be supporting this project – the team have come together really well and we are thrilled to be having a positive impact in developing this wonderful group of young people, utilising the power of football.

“Seeing the players come together, forgetting in that moment that they are patients and instead just enjoying being part of a great team sport, is really inspiring and is something a lot of people might take for granted.

“Hampshire FA believe in flexible, inclusive and accessible playing opportunities for everyone and are committed to delivering a range of opportunities for players with a disability to access football, at various levels across the county.”

He added: “We believe that this initiative will continue to benefit many more children to come as we take these next exciting steps as a team.”

The team unveiled their new football kit in a special summer training session which was made possible by Southampton Hospitals Charity and donations from two local businesses.

Players need to be patients (or siblings of patients) at Southampton Children’s Hospital and aged between seven and 16 years to sign up. Email Sarah Shameti at sarah.shameti@uhs.nhs.uk for more information.

You can support the team’s fund at Southampton Hospitals Charity – see here for contact details.