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“My kids both play down at Battyeford Sporting Club; one plays for the under 11’s and one in the under 13’s. They have been playing for approximately four years now. I got involved with the club as a parent initially taking the boys down to the club to play and then was asked by the club to help coach. I now assist with the coaching for both teams. I used to play myself for the West Yorkshire boys as a box to box midfielder, I still play once a week now with a few friends. I have been coaching at the club for three years now and recently completed the FA level 1 coaching badge which was very helpful, good to get a few different ideas and it’s a good way to get all the coaches on the same level to run alongside the FA’s process. I have been a sponsor of the club for a couple of years and have the company logo on the website and have helped with various race nights and raffles at the club. From everyone at D. Aveyard Opticians we would like to wish Battyeford Sporting Club all the best in the future and the committee is doing a fantastic job running the club.” Darren Aveyard – D. Aveyard Opticians This is a family event with Mums, Dads and siblings also going along. The boys work hard fundraising from as young as U7’s. Our youngest boys have already started saving for when their turn comes around. Last year, for the first time, the girls section took the U12’s and U14’s to play at the ESF Tournament in Skegness. It was such an enjoyable weekend, full of football and fun. The aim is for this to be a new tradition for the girls’ section and this year, as well as girls teams, our youngest boys’ team are also attending. We are now approaching the end of the season but looking forward to summer events. Annually, we hold a girls only gala, with up to 50 other local girls teams across eight age groups playing in tournaments throughout the day. This is now in its 5th year and has been a great success raising funds for the girls section. Presentation day is also held in the Summer. This is an opportunity for the entire club to come together to play mini games where all the players, coaches and parents can socialise together. This Summer we are also supporting our local community for the second year running by holding a Charity day for our local Hospice. This is in honour of a lady called Sarah who sadly passed away. Two of her children play for our teams at Value Your Eyesight D Aveyard Opticians provides individually tailored eye care and optical correction in a professional manner. We deliver a consistently high quality service for all patients for all occasions. Eye Testing | Frames and Lenses | Contact Lenses www.aveyardopticians.co.uk Mirfield Branch P: 01924 492061 170 Huddersfield Rd, Mirfield, WF14 8AN the club and her husband Matt is a coach for our U10 girls. The fields will play host to live bands, stalls, a dog show and much more, with visitors coming from neighbouring communities to support this worthy cause. Each year we hold “taster sessions” for the youngest age groups to come down, try out football for a few weekends and see how they like it. Our older boys and girls get involved with these sessions as the young children enjoy spending time with them. These sessions are vital, building bonds throughout the entire club, hopefully leading to a new Leeds Branch P: 0113 270 5009 257 Beeston Rd, Leeds, LS11 7LR parent showing an interest in taking their football coaching qualifications and running the team with the support of existing coaches, club executives and the league. Some of our current coaches started at the very beginning with the U7’s and are still coaching the same team now at U16/17’s. Everyone involved within our great club is immensely proud of what has been built and what continues to grow year on year for the sole benefit of our children within our local community. Article provided by Sara Bedford www.sportyorkshire.net 13