Impact Stories

After seeing his daughter start to lose her love for the game, Tilly’s dad was on the lookout for a solution.

Tilly, from Seaford, started playing a few years ago but lost her confidence after her team stopped taking her along to games.

“She loves playing football,” said dad Luke, a season ticket holder at the Albion, “but she wasn’t selected for games and lost her passion for football last season.

“She almost gave it up.”

They were looking around for different options for a team, and decided it was time to find somewhere more suitable for Tilly.

Tilly, 10, is on the autism spectrum and is deaf in her left ear, so they decided to try somewhere she could play with coaches who understood her.

After getting in touch with the BHAFC Foundation’s disability football team, Tilly went along to a training session and hasn’t looked back since.

“Ever since then she’s loved it,” dad Luke said.

“When we took her along for her first session she absolutely loved it, they all made her feel welcome.

“She loves every single one of her coaches. Every time we go along she’s always chatting to them.

“It’s just nice to see her enjoying football again.

“That smile, she hasn’t had it for over a year. She just loves it.”

Tilly is taking every opportunity she can to get out on the pitch in Foundation colours.

She now plays at the Foundation’s inclusive football sessions on a Saturday, as well as training at the Para Talent Hub once a month, and this season she has also joined the charity’s Sussex Disability Football League side.

“Whenever she has training or a game she’s always ready and waiting to go early,” Luke said.

“She never used to enjoy training very much, but now the rest of us will be standing in the rain getting wet and she’s out there training and loving it.”

Tilly was also part of the Foundation side that ended up as winners in the Godstone Farm pan-disability tournament hosted by the Surrey FA, as well as a runner-up at the Premier League Disability Football Festival at Fulham earlier this month.

“The tournaments she’s been to have been amazing experiences for her,” Luke said, “She also had the opportunity to play on the pitch at the Amex, which she absolutely loved.

“And this is what we try and explain to her. You might have autism, you might be deaf, but you can’t look at it as a disadvantage; in a way it’s your superpower. How many other girls can say they’ve played at the Amex, or trained where the first team train?”

Many of the Foundation’s weekly disability football sessions take place on the community pitch at the American Express Elite Football Performance Centre in Lancing, which Luke says is fantastic and inspiring for the young players to train right next to Albion’s first team stars.

“A couple of weeks ago we were just sat down after training when we saw the women’s first team walk out for training,” he said, “all the kids were in awe. Seeing Fran Kirby was a big moment!

“Tilly looks forward to football at the weekend now, she likes playing with all the lads and girls there.

“She knows too that if she does well too, she could end up going further in her career.

“At the moment she’s more enjoying the social side and having fun, and as long as she’s on the pitch and enjoying it, that’s all that matters.”

Having experienced such a change in Tilly, Luke thinks any parent in his situation should try out the Foundation.

“I’d 100% recommend any parent to come along to Foundation sessions, especially if you’re finding it hard at the moment.

“The training is unbelievable. They’re so well coached, the kids react really well to the training, and they love it. It’s a game changer.”