On the 22nd June one of our juniors/girls coaches, Sam Mushing-Rimmer, delivered an autism awareness session for coaches across the juniors and girls sections of the club to expand coaches knowledge of autism and how it can impact children taking part in grassroots football. 

Sam has previously run SEN football sessions in the community and has often been approached by families who have children with autism, who are desperately looking to play football, but due to a lack of awareness at clubs and with coaches, they often find they are not accepted or understood.

The autism awareness session provided information to coaches to help them understand what autism is and how they as coaches can support children with autism to play football. There was only positive feedback from the coaches who attended and those unable to make it are keen to attend a future session. 

In addition to the coaching information session, Rugby Borough FC & Rugby Borough Women & Girls FC are offering free training for the month of July in conjunction with the Rugby Autism Network. These sessions have proved to be hugely popular with places being filled the same evening applications were opened.

A huge thank you to Sam for offering his time to develop our coaches’ knowledge and also for coaching these sessions in conjunction with Rugby Autism Network.