In the Spotlight...

Hello and welcome to the festive season! We had a little siesta on the Spotlight front last month, but we are back.. and this month we are meeting Oliver Birch. Oliver has been coming to the Academy for a little while now and his skills are really improving. He tells us all about himself below, so do read on!
1. How old are you? ~ I am 8 ½ years and 9 in June 2019
2. Tell us about you and your family: ~ I am the youngest of 5. I have 4 older sisters. I am also an uncle now to Phoebe who is 5 months old. My family are really sporty as my dad and my aunty did judo, and my sisters play netball. I also have loving and caring parents who support me
3. Who is your favourite football team? ~ I am a suffering Hull City fan. I love going to watch them with my grandad at the KC. Up the Tigers!
4. Who is your favourite footballer? ~ My favourite footballer is Cristiano Ronaldo who plays for Juventus and Portugal. He has awesome skills and he was great to watch in the world cup
5. How did you first hear about Hull Football Skills Academy? ~ My mum found out about HFSA from the internet and emailed Owen
6. When did you start your football journey with the Academy? ~ I started here in September 2017 and I love it
7. What made you stick with HFSA? ~ I have stayed here because I really like Owen - he is a great guy and a great coach. I think he believes in me and and my skills are getting better
8. Do you play football in a team? ~ I don't play for a team yet but I really want to after Christmas!
9. Do you have any other hobbies? ~ I used to do Judo, swimming and Karate. I love reading books like "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" and "Tom Gates". I also love to draw and build Star Wars Lego and play on my Xbox to chill out
10. What do you think is the best part of your academy sessions? ~ I now enjoy the skills bits that I found hard at first; I want silky skills like Ronaldo. I love playing in a big match at the end
11. What is your favourite football skill, and can you do it? ~ I like to do the Maradona step over move when I can!
12. What other activities would you like to see at HFSA? ~ I really enjoy what Owen is already doing. I just want to build my confidence up in the older session
13. What advice would you give to someone new wanting to join us? I would say that HFSA is a great place to learn football. It's really friendly and the coach is really good with us and I am getting better
Wow! This is a great article, Ollie. Thanks for taking the time to write for us. Don't worry about gaining confidence in the Advanced Session; you are doing really well! We asked Dad Shaun if he had anything to add, and he told us: ~ I really enjoy taking Oliver to his Saturday morning session. I have seen Oliver grow in confidence and I think Owen has a great way with the kids. He is bringing them all on which you can clearly see in the matches and in their enthusiasm to take part.
That's all for 2018, folks! We will see you in the New Year with more Spotlight profiles. Merry Christmas to you all, and a VERY Happy New Year. Best wishes, The HFSA Team x