On the #EFLDayOfAction, where clubs across the country were highlighting some of their key work that they undertake in their local areas, Royals defender Omar Richards got stuck in by joining in with the work that Reading FC Community Trust do.
A number of students enrolled on our Community Trust’s Traineeship programme and Reading College partnership were in attendance at our facilities adjacent to Madejski Stadium.
It was set to be a typical day for those young people aged between 16 to 19 as they worked towards gaining their qualifications – but the arrival of a professional player added an extra dimension on the #EFLDayOfAction.
First things first – a Q&A session with Omar for students on the Traineeship; our left-back was quizzed about his early years as a player, dealing with setbacks, the hard work that is needed to succeed, and handling the pressure that comes with being a pro player.
He provided a useful insight to the life of a budding pro player for those students with their own aspirations of getting into a career in sports.
And then out onto the 3G pitches with the Reading College students, who are combining football with education through our Community Trust to earn their LASER Level 2 Diploma in Sport and Enterprise in the Community (QCF).
Head of Community Dave Evans said: “We want to send a big thank-you to Omar for coming along and sharing his experiences with our students – he provided a fascinating sneak-peak at the life of a professional player. As a young man who is only a few years older than our students, his story of hard work and graft was very relatable and it made for a really unique experience.”
