YLMT member featured as Derbyshire coach of the month

Derbyshire Sport put the spotlight on exceptional coaches from all sports each month. In October, the Derbyshire FA's Young Leader Management Team…

Although still only 17, Roya Mehdizadeh-Valoujerdy has already built up a bank of volunteering and coaching experience, having started at school as a young leader.

The Derby College student, from Belper, is completing A-Levels in Psychology, English Language and Government and Politics at the Joseph Wright Centre, while also pursuing her interest in sports coaching.

"I first got involved with volunteering at school when I achieved my Junior Sports Leadership Award Level 1," she said. 

"This was a great experience and inspired me to become a young leader, so from this I became a Gold leader with Amber Valley School Sports Partnership and began volunteering with everything and anything!

"I set up an ultimate frisbee club for Year 7s at my school with three other leaders and successfully ran it during my last year at school."

Now coaching football sessions in Belper, Roya has an interest in many sports and began coaching in Martial Arts.

"The very first coaching I did was in taekwondo, helping my instructor teach the younger, lower grade class," she said.

"This was about five years ago, and I instantly loved coaching students to better their skills and help them pass their grading and get to the next belt!

"I now coach two football sessions on a Saturday morning, the first session is a disability session and the second is a Soccer Stars Programme for four to seven-year-olds who are first getting into football.

"I have also recently started coaching at Belper Sports with the U10s girls team last season, which was great, and I'm hoping to continue with them.

"I still continue to teach taekwondo as often as I can, mainly on Wednesdays, assisting for three hours with lower grades and black belts, before having my own session and assistant teaching the adult class."

Roya pinpoints coaching as a great way to learn new skills through varied experiences.

"Coaching has become a whole new part of my life. I was lucky enough to be selected to attend the FA's Football Futures Academy a few weeks ago where, as leaders, we were tested to think about our Leadership Philosophy and how we coach.

"Coaching has also taught me how to be creative, think on my feet, and how to develop relationships with people, as, if you don't get on with someone, you aren't going to have much luck coaching them!

"With this also comes building relationships with parents and others surrounding the people your coaching and I've massively developed these skills so that I can try and have the best possible relationship with everyone I meet.

"I want everyone to get the most out of a session, as no two people are the same, so knowing your players is really important.

Pete Collins, Football Development Officer (Children & Young People) at the DCFA, said: "It is fantastic to see one of our Young Leader Management Team gain recognition for her efforts as a volunteer.

"There are so many excellent coaches across Derbyshire, so to be selected for her hard work and commitment to delivering football in Belper is quite an achievement.

"She has only been involved in football for the past two years and long may it continue. Well done!"

Volunteering has given Roya a great many skills to take into further coaching and it is an aspect of sport that she sees as vital.

"Volunteers are SO important in the grassroots game – without them it doesn't work!

"I'm lucky enough to have a job coaching on Saturday mornings, but I still volunteer with Belper Sports, because I love coaching so much and want to help the game grow.

"All leaders are extremely valuable to sport and its players, they should never feel undervalued, as they are really what make sport work. 

A vital part of the DCFA's Young Leader Management Team, Roya is gaining experience of Marketing & Communications within her role on the team. She has ambitions to grow the game in the future and those skills she's developed will be crucial. 

She said: "For me, the next steps are going to be setting up new programmes to grow the girls side of football, and it's something I'm super-excited about so keep an eye out for that!

"I'm also looking to get my level 2 in coaching football done to move up the coaching ladder, as well as looking to complete my taekwondo instructor course, so there's lots to do and exciting times ahead."

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